Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-02-12
WINDSOR COUNTY COURT.
TIE LAWRENCE CASE.

/ morning. Nt LEO tne jury returH-
ed with verdict of assault with in
intent to commit murder.
On Tuesday morning of last week
a jury was obtained in the case
against Lawrence for shooting
Judge Thomas O. Seavcr on the
ed of August last. The respondent
had previously been arraigned and
pleaded mot guilty" The evi-
dcnce on the part of the state tended
to show that the respondent, Will
liam w. Lawrence, at the time refer
red to, lived at Prosper, a small viii
lagc in the town of Woodstock.
He was married man but his wife
was living apart from him and had
had with her the little daughter of
the couple. The mother was a
domestic servant in the household of
Judge sjeavcr. When the wife left
Mr.. Lawrence she soon got poses
sion of the little daughter Mabel
away from the father. His contin-
ued efforts to get back his little
daughter led to an application on
the part of the wife to have guar
dian appointed over the girl. At this
time the wife had pending a petition
for a divorce, and the matters that
She relied upon to obtain Il divorce
were her reasons for leaving her
husband.
These matters We're shown to the
probate court and the husband APP
peared to contest the application for
4 guardian over his child. On hear
ing. Judge Scaver held that cause
was shown for guardianship, and
he appointed as guardian of the
child, Joseph {. Enright, an attor-
ncy of the Windsor County Bar,
and counsel for Mrs. Lawrence in
her divorce proceedings; to make
the guardianship more effective, APP
plicdtion was made to the court of
chanccry and an injunction was OBJ
tanned retaining Lawrence from
interfering with the girl. On one
occasion he took the child away to
his home: the child was promptly
rc-takcn and he was arrested and
lodged in jail. \ suit was COM
mcnccd against Lawrence in the
name of his daughter for assault,
and tried last May term, resulting in
Il verdict of guilty, and damages
$3.50, the jury finding Il technical
assault.
At the same term the divorce suit
was heard, and at the same time the
question of the Injunction. Mrs.
Lawrence had Il full opportunity of
showing her case, and was represent
cd by Mr.. Enright. Lawrence had no
lawyer, but appeared and showed his
side Of the difficulty.
The case was heard before Judge
Start and assistant Judges Markham
and Parker. The court was unani-
nous in the decision of the case,
and on rendering Judgment the
court said Mrs. Lawrence had no
cause for leaving her husband and
breaking up their home. The peti
ton was dismissed and the injunc-
ton dissolved. The decision was
made on Thursday, and on the fol-
loving Saturday Lawrence went to
Miss Joys on South street after his
child; she was not there and he
went to Judge Seaver's house.
There he saw the son of the Judge
and was told he should have an order.
On Saturday afternoon he obtained
Il certified copy from the clerk
of the order dissolving the in
junction. On Sunday he took the
paper to Judge Seavcr's house
and showed it to the Judge,
vino read it and gave it back to him.
lc then asked If his child was there
and was told she was. He asked
tor her and was ordered out of the
house by Judge Seaver. Lawrence
got up and went out and passing the
Judge, who held the front door open,
went out on the porch. He descend
cd the steps from the house, and
second tier OF steps on to the gravel
walk. He had reached the bottom
step when he turned around and
drew his revolver, made some re-
mark and Immediately fired, and
then again fired. The first shot
struck tho Judge in the breast the
second did not hit him.
AS TO what was said just before
the firing the testimony was con-
tlicting. One witness heard it
"Iou mean that" "Tou mean
that Another, "I'll do it! "I'll
do it." Judge Scaver's version was :
"lf you lay a finger on me | will
put Il bullet through YOUR heart"
Lawrcnces account of it was that
he said: ''lf YOU come another step
I'll shoot you. If you come down
that step I'll shoot vou." Judge
Scavcr did come toward him, with
a bound, respondent swore, and he
fired, because he feared certain and
serious bodily harm. He thought
Iulnc SeaNcr womb kill him