The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-10-17
Sir Henry Brackets Trial
for Assault
Jury Return a Verdict Of Not Guilty
by Reason Of Insanity.
Other Criminal Cases-Suit Agains,
City of Pawtucket Heard Today.

Sir Henry Brsckett, well-known charac-
ter OF the town of Scituate, was arraigned
today on a charge OF sssaulting Deputy
Sheriff Nathan Colvin of this county with
a pistol
Colvin went to the residence of Brackett
with Constable fernando Rounds, who
had an execution and directed him to
put the defendants household goods out
on to one OF the five highways OF the
town named. a.
Constable Rounds testified that after
the execution had been placed in his
hands, he went on the 9th OF May to see
Brackett, and told him IL he would get
another tenement, Mr.. Barr, the plain
tiff, who had taken out the execution,
would pay the bill for moving. Bracket
then said: "If you move me, then you'll
never move another man." He also said
that on June 5, he went to the house of
defendant about O'Clock in the after
noon to remove the furniture pursuant to
the execution. That defendant was not
at home at that hour, but returned close
on to 3 o'clock, and then ordered all par
ties off his premises. Witness was in the
house at the time, and also Deputy Sher-
iff Colvin; both OF them went out when
they heard Brackett's voice. Then the
latter, according to the witness, pointed
a 32-caliber seIf-acting revolver, five bar
rels of which were loaded, at Cclvin, the
latter only being six feet away, and that
then he, Rounds, grabbed Bracket by
the coat collar, and Coivin caught hold
OF the pistol.
On cross-examination, Mr.. Rounds ad-
mitted that while the pistol was N self
acting one, the hammer had to be pulled
broken, the witness said someone would
have been killed.
Deputy Sheriff Colvin testified that he
went TO .Brackett's house with Constab BILE
Rounds to help remove the furniture
there, and, when the defendant arrived
on the scene he brandished q revolver
and said "Leave, or III shoot you." Mr..
Colvin managed to get the weapon away
from Bracket, and ended the period of
mortal danger that the witness was in.
On cross-examination, the witness said
that the pistol which Bracket had was Q
broken one.
A number OF other witnesses testified to
the proceedings on The day Of the putting
out Of the goods Of defendant on the
roadway, and corroborated the testimony
of previous witnesses as to the prisoner
having acted like a wild man at that
time. One of these was a young lad of 10
years, who, much to the amusement Of
the judge, jury and audience, admitted
that he had had great sport on the day. in
question.
The defendant took the witness stand,
and started in to tell long and ram bling
story, but this was interrupted by Judge
Wilbur, and after great deal OF trouble
the day OF the removal of his goods. He
claimed that his goods were being
smashed up when he arrived at his home,
and he admitted pulling ont the revolver,
but said it had been broken for two years
and had not been unloaded in that time
until the officers unloaded it few days
ago.
When cross-examincd by the Attorney
Geral, he said he kept the revolver with
him TO scare off man named Davis, who
had threatened to kill him and had taken
it out OF his trunk the day before, June
5, as this man Davis had threatened to
kill the witness son.
Town Solicitor Franklin p. Owen took
the stand as witness in behalf OF the
defendant, and in answer TO question
by Attorney Carpenter, Ms to whether or
not he had ever defended Brackett, he
said, yes, in a case in the United States
Court, his fellow townsman having been
indicted for perjury, and that he secured
the acquittal OF the latter on the ground
of his not knowing what he was doing
when he signed an affidavit. The witness
said that he did not believe that the de-
fendart was OF sound mind, and said he
had been visited by the prisoner in bis
Office, and that Bracket had accused GER
tain very reputable citizens OF the State OF
the forgery OF deeds, and that the Cover
nor had directed Deputy Sheriff Johnson TO
investigate the charges. Mr.. Owen also
testified that q number OF residents Of
Sci.uate had asked him to have a COM
plant made out against Brackett, and
have him confined as an insane person.
Deputy Sheriff Johnson also testified as
O. H.. hasp, his orip ion af nm.