Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1897-08-07
Windsor County Court.
MAY TERM, 1897.

Present:
Hon. Henry H. Start, presiding judge,
Hon. Charles H. Markham, asst. Judge,
Hon. Henry J. Parker, asst. judge,
J. Read Pember, clerk,
r. Spatford sheriff.
John II. Minis, reporter.
Our last weeks report closed with the
statement that the case of State VS. James
Peach alias James jackson, was on trial.
That case came to an end on July 81, with
verdict of guilty. This man it appeared
entered the. summer residence OF Mr..
Fletcher near Proctorsville, when Temporal
rily unoccupied by the family, and stole
certain property.
The case of State VS.. Hosea d. ellison
was assigned tor Monday afternoon,
August 2. The court, jurymen, counsel
and witnesses assembled, but Hosea failed
to materialize and his bonds were called
and forfeited, the witnesses for the state
we're sent home, and a bench warrant was
issued for the arrest of Hosea. Later in
the afternoon Hosea arrived and was forth
with given quarters in the g cooler" where
he is still languishing for want of bail
Messrs. Buck and Emery were bis counst
and, also, were his bono smen, and those
two gentlemen have been diligently investi-
eating Hosea's finances so as to protect
themselves.
Frank B. Smith of Ludlow pleaded
guilty of embezzlement of the funds of
the Central Vt. railroad while station
agent, and was sentenced to two years in
the house of correction.
This case was followed by re-trial OF
the case of State VS.. &. 0. Taylor and G.
ODonald. These parties have been once
tried and convicted of an assault with
intent to kill and murder some officers who
undertook to arrest them at Rochester,
VT, and were sentenced to % years
imprisonment at hard labor in the state
prison. The supreme court, however,
granted a new trial by reason of errors in
the instructions of Judge TAFT, who pre-
sided at the former trial.
1t is alleged and the evidence tends to
show that Taylor and O'Donald with two
other and younger men had robbed post
office at Tconderoga, N. Y, and were
fleeing from the officers, that telephone
message was sent by the pursuing officers
to Paul Tinkham, constable, at Roches-
ter, to stop these fleeing criminals, and he
promptly gathered posse and hastily arm
ing them started out and met the gang
with an honest farmer from Brandon, who
had been hired to transport them to Bethel
that they might take the cars and escape
Tinkham announced that he was a consta-
BILE and demanded in the name of the state
was demand OF his papers and refusal
to surrender, followed by shower Of bull
lets from revolvers in the hands of the
robbers. The constable and his posse
promptly responded with their revolvers
and bloody fight followed, with the graf
flying result that the officers overpowered
the robbers and took them into custody.
The officers were badly wounded and had
narrow es capes from death by the bullets
of the robbers and one OF the robbers was
badly wounded in the ankle Little can
be learned of the history of these four
men, as they are very reticent. They are
evidently desperadoes of the worst type
and Constable Tinkham and his assistants
are to be commended for the promptness
and courage with which they discharged
their duties in the perilous situation in
which they found h.mselves when con-
fronting four reckless, armed men. Tay-
lor and ODonald are on trial here The
other two men were taken to New York
and convict, in the United States court
of robbing the Ticonderoga postoffce,
sentenced to terms in the penitentiary and
are undergoing their punishment. The
states attorney, James G. Harvey, assisted
by William w. Stickney, are conducting
the prosecution. William E. johnson Of
Woodstock and I. w. Maloney of Rut-
land are conducting the defense. At the
conclusion of this case, the court will take
recess to Tuesday, August IL, 9 a NJ,
be taken up and disposed of.