Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1899-05-04
Harsh Proceedings with Counterfeiter
in Chelsea.

- - si osPeolaliy II nc LOOK any PRIDE
MS facial beauty. The old supreme cou
records, in the county clerks Office
- oheisea, disclose the story OF a iearf,
retrlDution meted out to an Oranr
)" county man who was convicted OF ii
d above named offense, in 1897 The on
fortunate criminal appears to have oscar
y eo punishment at first, through som
technlcality, bat was eventually convict
ed and dealt with according to the stric
letter OF the rigorous statute in such cas-
u then made and provided
: The supreme court OF Orange count
(, met at Chelsea, August 20, 1897, for wha
4 was called its September term. Chelsei
q became the shire town OF the county ii
1876, and this was the first session of tn,
supreme court held there. There were a
this term Nathaniel Chipman chief Judge
ana Enoch Woodbridge ana Lot Hall, as
T slstont judges. Among the indictments
found by the grand jury was one against
j Noah Drew OF Bradford, charging him
] with passing counterfeit coin upon one
Isaac COOK OF Chelsea and also with abet-
tlng and assisting said Cook in passing
the same coin onto another person-one
OF the very few instances IN which a
Bradford man and Chelsea man have been
known to work together for one common
end. In those days, questions OF fact were
tfled IN supreme court, and the respond
ent was put upon trial Sept. /, 1897, plead.
---h ~ 2 my hN aAhtN " az IEElfEsGntE0
by Daniel Farrand of New bury, states
attorney. II does not appear who looked
after the respondents interests, He was
/ found guilty upon the court charging him
! with passing the coin, but a motion in ar
rest OF judgment being filed, judgment
was accordingly arrested and the respond
ent was discharged. The proceediDps
were OF such character that no claim was
made that the respondent had once been
/ IN jeopardy, and we find that on Sept 9,
| l1s1, States Attorney Farrand filed an in
formation against Drew charging him
with the same offenses as did the indict.
ment. Upon a warrant predicated on
this Information, Drew was arrested by
one Elijah Hurlbutt the same day the in
formation was filed, and was committed
to the gaol in Chelsea. The officers fees
for the arrest and commitment amounted
to thirty cents, from which II may be as.
sumed that be found his man without
much difficulty.
Drew's case came on for trial at an ad
iourned term OF the supreme court held
the following November, at which Israel
Smith, chief Judge, presided, with the
same assistants who offieiated at the Sep
tember term. The jury was empanelled |
Nov. II, 1877, and consisted of the follow |
ing persons Peter Grow, Simeon Hunt, |
Joel Camp, Jehial Woodward, Solomon |
Smith, Nathaniel Humphrey, James |
living, Frederick Calkins, Nehemiah Fox, |
Benjamin Blodgett, Timothy Miles ana |
Nathan Flint-all, save one, good biblical |
names.
The witnesses on the part OF the state at |
this trial were Isaac Cook, Josiah Buhon-
on and Reuben Hatch, all OF Chelsea, and /
they served the state In this capacity for |
i've days, at three shillings a day, each. |
Cook and Buhonon were required to be. /
come recognized in the sum o: s100 each |
O. hair "a re mi ffflnG fNa
day TO day during the trial. The jury /
found Drew guilty, and the following /
warrant and officers return tell the story /
OF the barbsrous punishment he had to
undergo :-"W hereas at the Supreme
Court Of Judicature and Chancery, holden
at Chelsea, within and for the County Of
Orange, by adjournment, on the first /
Monday in November, A. D., 1877, Noah
Drew OF Bradford in sd. County, now a
prisoner in the Common Gaol at sd. Chel-
sea, was convicted OF wickedly and will
fully utteriDg, passing and putting of 10
one Isaac Cook OF Chelsea aforsd two
pieces OF false, feigned, forged and Count
erfeit Coin made OF Base metal, to wit OF
Copper and Brass, made in Immitation OF
a gold Coin OF the Kingdom OF Portugal,
called a half Joe or Johannes, and also OF
wickedly and knowingly Counselling,
aiding, advising and assisting the sd
Isaac Cook in uttering, passing and put
ting on Two pieces OF iaiee, forged ana
Coin made OF base Metal, TO
wit, OF Copper 4 Brass, made in immitR-
tion OF Gold Coin OF the Kingdom OF
Portugal Called a half Joe or Johannes, .
Coin mace Current by the Laws OF this 4
t he United States, he the sd. Noah know
ing the same TO be such. AS appears OF
Record whereof Executing the sentence OF
he Law remains TO be done. These are
therefore, by the authority OF the State OF
to Command you that between
he Hours OF Eleven and twelve OF the
Clock on Monday the l3 Instant, at some
place in sd. Chelsea, you cause
he said Noah Drew's Right Ear to be Cut
Of, that you cause him to be branded with .
be Capital Letter q on hot Iron on his
fore head and that you cause him TO be (
committed to the keeper Of the Gaol in sd.
Chelsea there to remain one month, and I
hat you furthermore keep the sd. Noah
N said Prison until he pay fine OF hfty -.
Dollars to the Treasurer OF the State OF ]
Vermont ana Costs OF prosecution taxed
u s30.25 being in the whole $685. {
TIE warrant is signed by Joseph Far
ar, Clerk pro tenn. Then follows the q
old -blooded return OF the sheriff, to wit:
Orange 81 Chelsea 18th November 1877
welve O'Clock at noon In accordance to
he foregoing warrant TO me Directed 1
lave Caused the Right Ear OF toe within 8
named Noah Drew to be Cut OF & Brand a
q the sd. Noah on the forehead with the
'apitol Letter c a Committed him to the {,
.eeper OF the Gaol in Chelsea within the \
a. prison 4 have left a true q Attest v
'oppy OF this precept with my Dnings v
erein with tie sd. Gsoler. Fees Si.50. d
ttest Josiah Edison Sheriff"
To Drew's friends, il must have seemed
o be an instance OF poetic retribution,m
hen, eight years later, the man who q,
igned the above warrant was indicted in =
he same court fora similar onense. The I,
ecords show that at the September term, l.
sl5. this same Joseph Farrar was in "
ieted for passing ffty dollar counter
sit bank bfl. He no doubt had Drewis $
xperience in mind, for he fed the state 4
) avoid trial. Elihu Hyde wss bail for Y
is appearance, and the bonds we're called
nd forfeited. Farrar was an attorney,
nd q resident OF Chelsea. After being
ldicted, bis name was stricken OF the
oll Of attorneys by order OF court. 4
n. X. ID.