The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-11-22
THE CRIMINAL GRIST.
SENTENCES - NEARLY
rs YEARS.

rs YEARS.
THE WORST SHOWING IN THE LoN'-
EST TERM OF COURT FOR 20 YEARS
stella Green Gets Three Years and Her
Paramour Four The Putney Rapists
10. I2 and I4-Frcd johnson Nine
Futile Attempt to Secure n New Trial
for Rice by Impeaching Jurymen-Dch-
mis- brisbane Gets n Year for Liquor
selling-A Lot More of Divorce Cas- .
Harry Lord Six Years-A General
story Of Decentralization, of which the
County Is Not Proud
The county court Monday took up
the Bellows Falls train wrccking case
state V. Harry Wright, on an indict-
ment for maliciously misplacing
switch with a count or "neglecting
to replace it, by which the early
evening passenger train from. the south
was side tracked and wrecked Aug.
10. and the engineer, John Brennan,
quite badly injured.
A model of the switch made by Car
Inspector James Hayes was put. IN
evidence, showing it to be heavy ball
switch, operated by throwing over the
ball--what is called the Horton
switch" a. p. Crossett testified to
seeing Lord and another boy IN the
vicinity just before the accident. Z.
Ell. Williams, justice of the peace. be-
fore whom Ball had a preliminary
hearing testified that the boy was put
on the stand by his counsel Mr.. Ryder,
and on cross examination admitted
that he did the misplacing. Throwing
the ball over. and then back and then
over again. He said that he didn't in
tend to do anythin,s out of the. way,
but on being pressed admitted that he
knew it was wrong because he had
read that it was a short time before IN
the Reformer in an account OF another
case.
At this point the court adjourned
Monday afternoon and Tuesday morn
ing the respondent by advice of coun
sci came in, withdrew his former plea
of not guilty and plead guilty. He
was sentenced to the Reform School
for the remainder of his minority.
States Attorney Fits and Weston for
state, Ryder and J. l.. Martin for
respondent.
/ Chas. /. Mather of West Brattlcboro
was then brought into court and re-
tracted his plea of not guilty of dis
turbing the peace by assault on his
wife on the last day of the Fair.
Sentence in his case was suspended in
hopes that he will behave and he was
allowed to go at large in 5000 bail.
Tabor Coombs, arrested at Putney
last week, for the affair with the
Polish grill, about which there we're so
many conflicting reports, was brought
into court on an information for
adultery. which was all the state be
lieved he could be convicted OF. he
plead guilty and was sentenced to foul
years in state prison. The information
proceeding. instead of waiting for the
next grand jury term, was by his owl
consent, so that he might get to serving
] his time all the sooner.
Alexander Grounds of Bellows Falls
was arraigned on an information charg
ing adultery with Mary Newton, who
was tried and convicted of the same
, crime at the September session OF tn,
5 court. The sentence was imposed
{ Wednesday,, three years III states
prison, Miss Newton was given sen
T tence.
| The talk about fight being made
: in behalf of the three Westminstel
youths for the outrageous rape on Mrs
p Mary Jaffrey Oct. 6 evaporated t.
nothing. They all three appeared il
: court the latter part of last week ant
plead guilty. and Wednesday the,
were ali sentenced. Charles Ellis t
IA years in states prison. Perle.
n Baker Il years in the House OF Cor
rection. and Harry Ellis 10 years
: the sentences being graduated by thei
4 ages.
Fred johnson of Warlsboro for as
D sault with intent to kill was sentences
to nine years in states prison.
Jerome Hall. arraigned on informa
ton for the recent burglary at Yves
t Wardsboro, plead guilty. A petition
G for leniency signed by the leadini
X citizens of the place was presente,
/ and appeal made in his behalf that h
a was of good family and good previou
e reputation aud not very strong minde'
: so that be was led into the crime b.
s his companions in it. He was sen
Q fenced to year and half IN tn
: House of Correction.
: The rest of the sentences were i'm
h posed Yesterday Stella Green, con
At
given three wears in states prison.
motion for arrest of judgment WA
made in her case 10y her counsel
u claiming that the statutory infanti
$ cide' section of statute which pc,
e mits conviction under such an indici
{. ment, was unconstitutional othe
u words, in effect. that conyictio
upon circumstances that create
. strong presumption instead of provin
"beyond reasonable doubt is a de
NAL Of a fundamental principle Of Jaw
But Judge Tyler said he would hoi
that the woids '.sffoDg presumption
meant the same as beyond reason
able doubt. and denied tine notiun
There have been rumors of the dis
rovcry OF important new evidence !
this case. but they did not materializ
in this hearing.
The threatened fight in the liquo
case against Dennis brisbane of Be