News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1898-12-14
MORRISVlLLE.
The Fox Case Again.

satisfy the Fox and the Immediate
friends and lawyers that the afore-
said Fox was really caught and
rightfully held as a prize on the night
in question. This spook, hobgoblin,
ghost dance and seance taking place
at the farm of David Wood, east oil
Morrisville, for a night or two and a
day or two in or about the middle OF
September, will be remembered by
most of our readers, for it led to the
arrest of Leslie j. Fox, Woods hired
man, charged with the assault upon
George E. Town. The case was re-
ported in these columns at the time
and also the preliminary trial of Fox
before Justice Niles of Morrisville, re-
sulting in the respondent being found
guilty of assault and fined $40 and
costs, from which an appeal was TAX
en- and the case carried to County
Court, where it had very full hear
ing last Friday, consuming the entire
day. After considerable of a struggle
in fixing upon twelve good men, and
true, to weigh and sift the evidence,
the case started with States Attor-
ney l.. j. Thompson, and George NJ.
Powers, prosecuting, and Attorney
Chase of Fairfield and R. W. Hulburd
for the defense
Edwin Gould, next neighbor east of Wood,
who at Woods request, went for officer Town
on the night in question, to investigate and
stop, if possible, certain alleged disturbances
taking place on the Wood farm, was the first
witness introduced by the State. Eugene
Hamlet, farm hand working at that time
on the Gates farm in the neighborhood and
who, at the officers request, accompanied
him to the scene of action, was the second
Witness and Officer George &. Town, Depu-
ty Sheriff and Constable of Morristown, the
third and last witness for the prosecution
The latter appeared as prosecuting witness,
as a citizen, not in his official capacity, and
there was no charge made against Fox for
assauting or impeding an officer The fore
noon was consumed in the examination of
these three witnesses. The facts of the case,
substantially as the public know them al
ready were brought out. Wood, badly
scared, had been made to believe people were
about his premises with evil designs, sent for
Town, the latter went accompanied by Ham,
let; approaching premises in dark saw flashes
and heard six rapidly following shots below
barns as they were in highway: flashes dis.
closed revolver pointed in air; shots allin one
place; advancing to barnyard gate met Fox
with revolver in hand, latter claimed hadhad
a hard fight with someone; he had shot three
times and they three; didn't know how many
he had killed. Town asked to take revolver;
Fox handed it to him, saying there were three
loaded cartridges left in cylinder; Town went
to house, examined weapon, found everyone
of six shells exploded, became suspicious of
Fox, reloaded revolver and loaded one be
longing to Hamlet, went back to the barn
yard Fox claimed someone had let his horse
out Of barn; horse partly harnessed under
shed; during Towns absense at house, Fox
under shed, Hamlet few feet away in barn.
yard, huge stone came skipping past Ham
let's shins from FoX's direction: Hamlet
stated the fact, Fox claimed the stone came
from over barn, Hamlet said it could not, as
he was standing too near barn and shed; Fox
sent to house by Town, who subsequently,
found him in open shed at house, and collared
him. thinking in the darkness that he chad q
prize" search for possible spooks went on,
Fox participating; very dark; Hamlet hit
under the eye with a stone, with Fox in front
of him, hit again in back Of neck with stone,
Fox then behind him; Town ve,y soon hit in
temple with large stone, had lantern in hand
at time he and Hamlet both having an eve
out for Fox, saw the motion of the latter's
hand in throwing stone striking Town latter
drew revolver saying they had caught the
man who was causing all the disturbance,
whereupon Fox who had club in hand threw
himself forward on ground, striking head on
club, making slight bruises; latter claimed to
have been inflicted by stone thrown at that
instant from some unknown direction; Fox
COllaTed and taken to house; walking, con
versing, etc, was arrested next morning by
Town and taken to County jail charged with
assault.
In this case one point. not touched upon in
-, Ia
ing no weapon, picked up large stone in road
when shots were fred as he approached prem
ises, kept stone in hand until he entered the
house to examine the revolver, when he laid
the stone on veranda floor; subsequently saw
it had disappeared, examined spot where as
sault took place. later on, and found stone
which struck him in the head, which be iden-
titled as the same stone he had left on veran-
da.
The defense, upon coming in of Court at 2
D. m, introduced Officer Town, the RespOn-
dent Fox, David Wood and Mrs Mabel Chen
ey, so-caIled Grass widow" an adopted
daughter Of David Woods deceased wife, who
is and was at the farm as housekeeper.
The defence was made up in the main of a
general denial of most OF the more vital
points and facts which the state had sought
TO establish Fox and the woman swore the
shooting took place within the barnyard, in
the angle OF the barns, which would have
made it impossible for States witnesses to
have seen flashes as they approached from
down the road claimed the shooting was for
business Fox firing four times at man who
was attempting TO get the horse out, and
the man firing twice at Fox, who had fred
two shots from his own revolver at the time
ofloading, to try it, which would account for
the six empty shells; did not tell Town there
were three uneXploded cartridges in revolver
when be, Town took it.
The further points brought out we're that
great disturbances had been taking place
that day, the night before, etc, but ia each
and every case it was shown by States ex-
animation, that Fox and the woman we're the
only ones who ever saw any of these mysteri-
ons visitors. "Uncle" David, at the time
OF the search and assault, was by his own
testimony up in the chamber of the house. in
the pitch darkness, shiyering with fear,
while the woman was everywhere present. not
far distant from Fox, and as "cool as a Gu
cumber.
1T was shown that there was, without
doubt, woman 10 the case that Fox fol-
lowed Mabel here to Moods last spring from
Hardwick. where they had been at the same
place FOR some time; that "Uncle" David
claimed that Geo Town had been "bought
up" by the hobgoblins, who we're threatening
his premises, and Fox was believed to be in.
nocent. Great tales were told by the woman
and Fox OF masked men, exciting times bv
the melon patch, an attack by stone throwers,
as they were driving home, etc. They claimed
Fox was dragged, insensible, from where he
fell to veranda, knew nothing for some time,
was choked earlier in the evening, etc