The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-07-12
Hush Money.

| Deputy Sherlh George w. Smltn OF barrt
had been arrested that evening by Sheriff
Graves on the charge Of blackmsil snt
malfeasance in office. Smith was given
partial hearing after twelve o'clock Satur
day night before Judge M. e. Smile AND
as the court would not accept bail on Sun
day, Smith was remanded to Jail until Mon
day morning. His commission deputy
sheriff was at once revoked by Sheriff
| Graves,
Smiths arrest has developed highly
sensational story. On July 1t is alleged
the officer went to the residence OF Mrs. Q.
Bianchi on Sibley Avenue with search
warrant issued from the Office OF State 3
| Attorney Hoar. Smith told the woman
| the State had a clear case against her for
selling Intoxicating liquors and could sum.
mon twenty or more witnesses who would
| swear they had obtained liquor OF her.
Smith told the woman that 1t would prob
ably cost her $500 to get clear, but IL she
would pay him 800 he would not search
her premises, and would see to 1t that the
case against her was not pressed
Mrs. Bianch is foreigner and not &C
qusinted with the laws of Vermont Smith
gave her until Saturday to make up her
mind and in the meantime she consulted
W. A. Lord. Mr.. Lord advised the woman
what to do and referred the matter to Sher-
iff Graves. That official and Mr.. Lord laid
plans to detect Smith in the act when he
came for his money Saturday afternoon.
In the meantime Mrs. Banchi became
anxious about the matter and in the abb
sence Of Mr.. Lord she nearly frustrated the
whole scheme. She called at the office OF
the States Attorney in Barre to learn more
about the matter. Mr.. Hoar was absent,
but M. M. Gordon, his assistant, 1t Is said,
advised her to say nothing to Mr.. Hoar
about 1t, but to 60 and see Constable Bu-
chanan who had an office with Smith. This
Mrs. Bianchi says she did not do.
Sheriff Graves came to Montpelier Satur-
day noon, and at once went to the Bianch
house with Mr.. Lord. They waited pa
tieDtly from two to five o'clock for Smith to
put in an appearance Finally young son
OF Mrs. Bianchi was sent to Barre to tell
Officer Smith that his mother had the
money ready for him. Smith fell into the
When he reached Mrs. Bisnchi's house
Sheriff Graves and Mr.. Lord were con-
cealed behind portiers. Acting under in
structions from Mr.. Lord, Mrs. Bianchi
went over the whole matter with Smith,
who again assured her If she paid him 800
it would not only settle this case, but that
he would keep her posted and protect her if
any search warrants for her place were is
sued in future.
Mrs. Bisnchi pleaded poverty and offered
$40 to square the matter. This Smith
agreed to take. Mrs. Bianchi counted out
the money and was handing it to Smith,
when Sheriff Graves stepped from behind
the curtains and remarked II guess I'll
take that money" Smith could not speak
for moment, but finally said "Im caught
but there are others in it with me-" He
soon recovered himself and refused to give
the sheriff the names of the "others' impli-
Gated
After Mrs. Bisnchi had left the room
Smith attempted to bribe the sheriff and
MIR. Lord to keep the thing quiet, but Sher-
iff Graves emphatically told him he
was not that kind of man, and that too
Of haaD
done.
The penalty prescribed by the statutes
for this offence is disbarment from holding
any Office in the State, imprisonment in
States prison not more than ten years, or
fine not to exceed 81 600.
Smith was brought into city court about
1880 o'clock Monday for preliminary
hearing in the malfeasance case. States
Attorney Hoar and Grand Juror Carleton
appeared for the prosecution and II. W.
Scott of Barre was counsel for Smith. The
witnesses sworn were Sheriff Graves, W.
A. Lord, M. NJ. Gordon, Mrs. Clementine
Bianchi, John Bianchi, her son, and Sew
rino Casalani, Only Graves and Gordon
were called upon TO testify.
Sheriff Graves testified in substance as
related above as to what occurred at the
Bianchi house on Saturday evening and in
addition stated that upon confronting
Smith he asserted that this was the first
time he had ever done any such business
and that on this occasion he was not doing
it for himself but for others. When pressed
by Sheriff Graves and Mr.. Lord to divulge
the name of the others he demurred saying
he had disgraced himself and he did not
care to drag the "others" into the scrape.
Mr.. Graves also testified that after Mrs.
Bianchi and Casalani had left the room,
Smith appealed to him and Mr.. Lord ask
| ing them IL there was not some way in
which the affair could be "fixed up" and
that they told him that they thought there
had been enough "fixing' already done.
Mr.. Graves produced the $75 in currency
which Mrs Bianchi had rendered Smith
Mr. Gordon of Barre, clerk in the office of
States Attorney Hoar, testified to making
out search warrant against the Bisnchi
house and that after Mr.. Hoar had signed
the paper he (Mr. Gordon) had given it to
Smith for service, telling him to get the
paper properly signed at the the city court
| in this city Mr.. Gordon stated that a few
days after placing the warrant in Smith 3
hands he enquired Of him how he came out
with the search and Smith replied that he
did not find anything. Mr.. Hoar and Mr.
Graves have tried to obtain possession oi
the warrant, but Smith told Mr.. Graves he
| did not know where it was. Mr.. Scott
counsel for Smith, also told Mr.. Hoar he
knew nothing about the whereabouts of the
paper. Mr.. Gordon was questioned in re-
gard to this matter and stated that he had
made a search for the warrant but coulC
find no trace OF 1t.
The State here rested its case. The re
spondent declined to cross-examine or pu
in any evidence in rebuttal. Mr.. Hoa
urged upon the court that, in view of sucl
prostitution OF Office heavy bail shoult
be fixed. one that should be greater thar
the maximum fine OF 81, 900 for such an OF
fence, and that in the blackmail case IL
which no testimony would be taken at thi
time, heavy bail should be fixed.
Mr.. Scott urged that the bail in the NAL
feasance case should not exceed the max
mum fine and called the attention OF tn
court to the fact that Smith was poor maj
and entirely dependant upon his friends
The court fixed the bail in the mafeas
ance case at $1,000 and in the blackmai
case at $500, which was furnished by @. II
Campbell aud A. e. Bstchelder OF Barre
, and Smith was given his liberty until tn
, assembling of the grand jury in September
Casalani, Mrs. Bianchi and her son wer
also placed upon their own recognizance t
appear before the grand jury.
Among the legal fraternity there is muc
adverse criticism in regard to the extrem
, smallness of the bail fixed, as compare
with the enormity OF the offence. Som
. are OF the opinion that it should at lea,