Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-03-16
ASSAILANTS IN JAIL
Greenfield Trio We're Unable n IL.
nish $4,000 Bail.
Hearing In Festival H"Ii---Ht,or,,ro,,
Holster Identined---Cnreer .r ~
Prisoners In Greenfield

HOLSTER identihed---t .f 81
Prisoners In Greenfield
The excitement caused last weak t..n.
shooting Of Joseph NJ. HoupAtor ..y T 'ue
three Greenfield, Mass, youths MI .
abate until the youths left town on tb.,.
way to Newfane jail, and every Jsy ..,a,
then the matter has been discu..al Ir
many people. Immediately after ,Ia ~
had been lodged in the local lock.rr vi
day States Attorney H. G.. Barber ,ta
was attending court in Newfsra us,
asked by telephone to come 10 Bau.afo,,
and arrange for a hearing. NJ g,as,
arrived in the afternoon. and ..-,.
crowd gathered around the from. az .2e
lookup in the hope Of getting a gI.rrss
of the prisoners faces. OWing 10 tla liz.
ness of the hour it was decided no, 20 lol
the hearing until Saturday morning
BY o'clock Saturday moruirg .bs
crowd began to reissembe. and ty tho
time the officers were ready for the t.,,
ing between 400 and 800 people had come
together. Justice w. S. Newton Ia
whom the warrant was made returnabIe
decided to hold the hearing in Fesiiya. hall
and there was a grand rush for from, seats
as soon as the doors were opened.
William Dempsey, the largest Of the
three, who, the officers say, has admitted
that be fired the bullet which struck Nr
Houghton, was brought in first. accom-.
panied by Constable George Miller Of Gull.
ford. He appeared nervous and showed
the effect Of his hard nights fight. The
others, Charles Blake and James Welsh
were then brought in, and the three were
seated in a row before the judge.
Only one complaint had been issued. and
that was read TO the prisoners by Judge
Newton. 1t contained two charges. one
that the prisoners assaulted and shot Mr.
Houghton wilfully, feloniously and with
the intent to kill, and the other that they
assaulted him with the intent TO rob. The
prisoners paid strict attention TO the read.
ing of the complaint, but il was SO full Of
legal terms and phrases that Dempsey. who
was first called and who had had no con.
yersation with an attorney, did not know
what action to take.
Judge Newton explained TO him ,ha. II
he waived examination his trial would be
before the grand jury, but that If he re-
NAMED silent his silence would be taken
as an indication that he desired 10 have
his hearing at once. Dempsey was silent.
Blake's name was then called He waived
examination, as did also Welsh, both Of
whom had talked with Lawyer John Z
Gale of Guilford Mr. Gale then spoke a
few words to Dempsey and the latter said
he would waive examination.
To the inquiry of Judge Newton as to
whether they could get assistance IN the
way Of furnishing bail the boys said they
could get no assistance, and Judge Newton
fixed the amount of their bail al 5000
each. Judge Newton then inquired Of the
boys their ages and places of birth Welsh
said he was IS years old and was born in
England. Blake said he was 10 and was
born in Lyndon, this state Dempsey said
he was 10 and was born in Pennsylvania
but couldn't give the name of the town.
The boys were then escorted to the lock
up, and in the afternoon they were driven
to Newfane jail, accompanied by Constable
Miller and Deputy Sheriff Mcclure. Blake
and Dempsey were handcuffed together
A large crowd gathered to see the team de-
part. 1t is likely that an order will be
Issued soon to have the prisoners trans.
ferred to the state prison at Windsor for
safe keeping as the Jail at Newfane has
proven TO be an Intellectual barrier TO the
freedom of desperate characters.
In reply TO the question as to whether he
could have the hearing at the present term
OF court rather than TO wait until the Sep
TENDER term, States Attorney Barber
stated to The Phoenix that it was too late
to get before the present session cases
where the sentence might exceed 20 wears
OF imprisonment, as in this case. BY
bringing the single charge of assault with
the intent to rob the case could be tried at
this term but the offence committed is too
serious 70: the single charge of robbery.
Moreover it is considered best to wait until
1t is known positively whether Mr.. Hough-
ton will recover from his wound. If be
should not recover a more serious charge
IMAM has been mentioned would be brought,
charge which could not be brought after
the case had been once tried.
AS stated in The Phoenix last week a
revolver was found on the person of
dempsey, and cartridge belt and holster
were found in the woods in Bernardston
during The chase Thursday night, all OF
which was supposed to be the property Of
W. Nj. Grant of Greenfield. On the al
terno0n OF Feb. II two of the bows, Welsh
ana Dempsey, went TO the shop of Mr..
Grant and asked to be shown some fire.
arms. rife and three reyolvers were
produced and examined, but no purchase
was made.
On the evening of Feb. 20 the shop was
oroken into and the three revolvers which
mad been shown to the boys we're stolen.
a rifle which they had examined, Mr..
drant, whose suspicious were aroused, hid
Slter they were gone, and in an effort to
ma this the thieves turned the other stock
IN the gunshop upside down. One of these
reviewers was in holster which was al.
tached TO cartridge belt. The other re-
volvers were smaller and less valuable.
MT. Grant came to Brattleboro Saturday
10 Identity the property, and he is positive
mat II was stolen from his shop. Mr..
Grant states that unless the men receive d
very severe sentence in Vermont he will
nave them taken to Greenfield as soon as
they are at liberty and placed on trial for
burglary at his shop.
The boys are types of the cigarette.
smoking and dime novel reading Youths &c
De found in every town. 1t was no un-
common sight to see them, il is stated
ID Greenfield sitting on the sheltered side
OF building, buried deep in dime novels.
dempsey and other boys are said 10 have
committed several depredatioAs at the
Greenneld fair grounds last fall. Chicken
coops were broken that cost 500 to repair
ana valuable faucets were DESTROYED wan
GoHiy' A member of the firm of Cutler
Lyons " Field of Greenfield saws that
Welsh, unbeknown to the firm, carried
some large files into the shoe shop and
ground out dagger; another was about
tWo-thirds finished When osI,o5 Nit he