Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-03-29
damages aud Gusts, and a certified sxecu
rHE ARSON CASE.

The next hearing was the trial by Jury
OF the case State VS.. n B. Longee. which
was commenced on Wednesday morning.
This was a case OF different character:
one that everybody felt should be in
vestigated. as il involved not only the in
terests OF the public but OF the person sus-
pected OF committing the crime: and 50
every body who had to do with it went
to work willingly, patiently and in
consistent manner. 1t was most thor
oughly and ably conducted on both sides
and although an expensive investigation
1t was felt that it ought to have been had
1t appeared from the evidence that on
the 6thday OF August, 1898, fire broke
out in one corner of the barn of NJ. y.
Ladd situated in Island Pond village
which destroyed the barn. his dwelling
house near to it, his family horse and
carriage and two or three hundred dol
lars worth of personal property. The
buildings had just been completed except
that space on the northwest corner of
the barn, where the erection OF shed
was contemplated, was not clapboarded,
but simply rough boarded leaving cracks
or openings in what formed one side of a
bin of shavings. Mr.. Ladd and his family
escaped from the dwelling saving only
the furniture therein. In the north west
corner of the barn as above stated there
were three or four bushels of shavings,
which had accumulated from the build
ing, and in that locality the fire origina-
ted and was first discovered. After the
buildings had been consumed a bottle
was discovered near where the fire origi-
mated partially filled with kerosene oil;
pieces OF another bottle were also dis
covered in the vicinity. Soon after
punches of waste were found in or near a
path leading from pleasant street, on
which the buildings were located, across
to Derby street, on which the respondent
lived, and which formed with Derby
street figure something like Y. The
bottle was of a particular class or kind,
one or more of which was found in the
shop or barn of the respondent. Some
waste was also found there, which the
State claimed that in color and texture
so correspondent with the waste found in
the path as to show it to be a part of the
same lot, and that no other waste could
be produced that would not show some
features to distinguish it from the waste
found. 1t appeared on the other hand
that the bottle found was of a kind in
general use in town and locality; that
waste was also i'll general use, and that
this waste could not be especially dis
| tinguished from other waste Ola like
kind, and that the use of this waste and
bottle was referable to Others as well as
the respondent. The defence claimed that
the respondent was about the village in
public places until little after 1 O'Clock
in the evening and then vert home and
to bed; that when the alarm was given
in the vicinity of O'Clock he got up to
90 to the fire but was in such condition
that his wife insisted on his remaining al
home with child of theirs while She
went to the fire, and that he did so, ano
did not go out of the house again un
til the next day. To rebut this the Stat'
introduced witnesses whose evidence
tended to show that after the fire wa
discovered the respondent was seen walk
ing up Derby street towards his house
!, and was also about or just before tina
time seen walking up the street along tn
south shore of the pond. The responder
had been in the employ of Mr.. Ladd, ant
: from that employment was discharge
5 lust before the fire, and it was claimed b.
r the State that i'll consequence thereo
S he was dissatisfied and angry. On tn
e other hand it was claimed on behalf {
i the respondent that his discharge ha
r created no such feelings. The jury retire
: about O'Clock p. M, Friday and col
IS sidered the case until about 10; wei
then taken to their lodgings and retire
for the night. In the morning they r
turned to the further consideration OF I'll
case and about 10 O'Clock in the lorenzo
| came into court with verdict OF nj
&C guilty and thereupon the respondent w;
" discharged.
re- And now that the case is over it
h sincerely to be hoped that no person
If feelings will be further excited by al
IS low, gossipy criticism of anything tn
,e has been said or done by anybody, b
&C that all things relating to this subje
or will be regarded as settled by a full, ff
ur and impartial investigation.
l.. Divorces were granted in these case
- A. B. Austin VS.. Ida NJ. Austin for adj
&c terv, and in Victoria FORMER VS.. Luci
h. FORMER for wilful desertion.
" Four persons were naturalized.
ID In all about twenty cases were dispos
or of by settlements, reports and otherw
ed leaving the smallest docket taat we ma
~ had for half century.
~ Iobn Heffernan and James Covert w
he arraigned on charge, or informant
q, filed by States Attorney Brewer. OF II;
SIS ing on the 18th day of November |;
oe broken and entered the dwelling house
Nv Clarence Smith OF Lunenburg, and ste
as ing therelrom a gold watch, money, a
~ articles of clothing, all of the value
wv $50, to which charge they severa
he pleaded guilty. No one appearing
tie the respondents Judge Ross went into
examination of the circumstances attel