Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1897-01-08
TOWNSHEND.


A very pleasant evening was that spent
at seminary hall on Jan. 1, when the stu
dents of Leland and Gray seminary gave
an entertainment and social, the princi-
pal feature of which was the mock trial in
which Edwin f. Sherman charged Leonard
5. Bradley with the larceny of one white
rooster on the evening of Dec. "a, go.
The evidence went TO show that Sherman
is student at the seminary and rooms at
a. A. Mason's, where he cares for the
poultry and that Nj. Mason gave him one
white rooster to pay him for his labor.
This rooster Sherman had fattened and
was planning on having him for Christmas.
lie had issued several invitations for his
Christmas dinner, but when he went to
feed the poultry on the morning of the
18th the rooster was missing, and all that
was left for Mr.. Sherman was one white
tail feather and an old pocket handker-
chief bearing the name of l.. 5. Bradley.
Other witnesses for the plaintiff testified
that they had been out to the hen house
with Mr.. Sherman to see his rooster and
that they noticed that it had lost one toe,
also that on the evening of Dec. "a they
saw man whom they recognized by his
gait as Bradley skulking around in Mason's
yard, and that he passed out through f.
ID. Reads yard past the Congregational
church and down toward his room; that
he appeared to be in a hurry, and that he
carried something under his arm. Mr.
Van Schaick, who was coming home from
skating, saw Bradley 60 down back of H.
ii. Chamberlain's house with something
under his arm, so thought he would watch
and see what Bradley was about. Next
morning he went down to Bradley's room
and as he entered the room Bradley tried
to hide something, but did not have time
so turned from the closet and placed fine,
plump chicken on the table and told Van
Schaick it was one of his presents sent
him. AS Van Schaick left the room he
noticed chickens foot in the wood box
and put it in his pocket thinking it might
be needed as evidence. After leaving the
room he went down back of the house
where he saw Bradley going the previous
evening and found some white feathers
buried in the chips He took some of
these and they as well as the foot were put
in as evidence. Van Setback said he con-
sidered it perfectly honorable to take any
thing you want if you think there is ever a
possibility of its being wanted in court as
evidence
The defendant was then called upon the
stand. He testified that his father had
given him a rooster which he had been
fattening for Christmas and that on the
evening of Dec. "a it had got away from
him and being frightened by some young
ladies had run up as far as Mason's, where
it turned in and where he caught it, after
which he gave it to Rev. NJ. F. Hardy for
a Christmas present.
The witnesses for the defence testified
that they had seen Mr.. Bradley's rooster
many times, that it was dark colored
fowl and very tame, and would not be likely
to be scared. Others stated that they saw
Mr.. Bradley chasing a rooster up the street
toward Mason's, and Miss Potter testified
that she frightened the bird into Mason's
yard. Several feathers and picture of
this bird We're put in as evidence by the
defendant, The case was very well
handled by the attorneys and after about
80 minutes of pleading went to the jury,
who must have been bribed, for they
brought in a verdict of not guilty
The attorneys were Chas. Allen for the
plaintiff, r. w. Lyman for the defendant.
The case was tried before Judge II. L. Ans
den.