Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-06-14
ADDISON COUNTY COURT.
4 SHORT TERM, But CONSIDERABLE
BUSINESS DONE.

The term lasted only six days and was
one of the shortest in this county for
many years.
BY the settlement of the case of Hirar
Norton's administrator V. John Perkins
and the taking of the case of Gregg u
Co.. appellants, v. J. II. Beane from the
jury calendar the civil cases were all dis
posed of without jury trial. In Gregg
q Co. V. Bcane a brief court hearing
was held. The plaintiffs, who are man
ufacturers of agricultural implements in
New York, sued the defendant, Lin
coin man, to recover for some moving
machines and other farming implements
bought of them. Beane having acted as
their agent. Beane made payment by a
check drawn on the private bank of
DORIS Sons in Bristol and the check got
around for collection in the usual order
of banking operations on the very day
that the Bristol bank suspended pay
ment and closed its doors. The question
was whether Gregg d Co. had used all
due diligence in trying to collect the
amount of the check. There was no
controversy on the point that Beane, at
the time he drew the check, had sufli
cient funds IN the bank to meet il. and
whether Gregg & Co. or Beane would
have to lose the money was left to the
court to determine. Judgment was rem
dered Monday for the plaintiffs to re-
cover S199 so, the full amount of their
claim. Button & Button represented the
plaintiffs and Messrs. w. w. Rider and
g. NJ. Wilds appeared for Beane.
The remaining civil cases were dispos-
ed of as follows: Earl a. Thrall V.
G. II. Bostwick, in which the plaintiff
sought to recover about $500 for some
sheep sold to Bostwick, alleging deceit
on the latter's part in claiming that he
owned farm and buildings in Addison
and getting the sheep on credit on the
strength of this representation, which
proved to be false, judgment was rem
dered for the plaintiff and a close Jail
execution granted against the defend
ant. In Lewis Gordon V. Daniel
O Brien, appellant, judgment for PLAIN
tiff was entered, clerk ~ assess the
amount, with similar entry in +. G..
Rider V. Walter Wright, appellant. On
the chancery docket. IN the case of the
Domestic and Foreign Missionary So
ciety v. l. l.. Eells ct al, which is prac-
tically identical with the Conroe will
case, in which the Episcopal church of
Middlebury are seeking to establish
will in their favor. a demurrer to the
bill was filed, the demurrer sustained
|
case passes to the supreme court on the
appeal of the orator.
Two additional criminal cases were
heard, taking up most of the time of the
court until Saturday morning. number
of divorce cases being sandwiched in.
| The first trial was State V. Abraham
Ploof, a 60-year-od fisherman of Ferris
burgh. IN which the respondent was
charged on indictment with having as
saulted one Alexander McCloy with
slung shot at Ferrsburgh on the 2Sth of
August last. There had been an eXcur-
sion across the lake and upon getting
off the boat a drunken row occurred.
| 1t was claimed that PlOof. VINO had not
been on the excursion, was at the steam
boat landing when the boat came in and
mixed up in the rumpus, striking at
McClOy, between whom and himself
very bad blood existed, with a heavy
lead sinker attached to about three feet
of line. McCloy wasn't hit, but Ploof
was arrested. States Attorney Fish
prosecuted and Mr.. Wilds defended,
putting up very ingenious case for his
client. The jury, however, after being
out an hour or so on FRIDAY morning
came in with verdict of guilty.
State v. John Thompson came next,
and with it closed the jury trials
Thompson is young Englishman, 22
years of age. He came to this country
when l3 years old and has knocked
about good deal since then, having
been over to England three or four times
IN the meanwhile. He was charged on
information, filed upon his own request.
with having broken into the house of
Mary b. Kelsey, wife of George Kelsey,
in Salisbury on the night of March II
last and purloining about six dollars
worth of jewelry belonging to Mr.. Kel-
sey. Part of the stolen property was
found in his valise at Mrs. John Mack's,
where he had been boarding. The de-
fense was an alibi and Thompson ac-
counted for having the property in his
possession by claiming that he found it
in an envelope by the roadside. w. IL.
Button was assigned by the court to
defend the respondent and the trial last
ed through the rest of Friday. A night
session of court was held Friday, and at
Z o'clock Judge Ross began his charge
to the jury, who retired II minutes later,
and at little after 10 o'clock, the court
having been summoned in by the ring
ing of the bell, came in and rendered Il
verdict of guilty. When starting for the
Jail after the Friday afternoon session,
Thompson attempted to escape from
deputy OHellH Lawrence. VINO ndu MIN
in charge, but was quickly seized and
gotten to Jail without further trouble.
At the same night session VIM. Nash
and George Roscoe of Bristol were
brought into court and each pleaded
guilty of 10 first offences to informations
charging them with violating the pro-
hibitory law They were fined $3.50 and
costs each, which they paid, and were
discharged. Both stated that they did
not propose to engage in the business
any more. Saturday morning another
Bristol man, but now of Whitehall, n.
Y, pleaded guilty to FIVE similar of
fenses, claiming that he had sold nothing
stronger than 80 per cent" beer. He
was given fine of S75 and costs, which
was also paid. This completed the
liquor business of the term.
Saturday morning sentence was passed
upon the three men who had been con.
victed of crimes. Mr.. Wilds SAID good
word for the old man Ploof. who also
made a rambling speech OF 20 minutes
length, in which he gave McCloy, whom