Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-05-11
JEWS TALE OF WOE
Arrested for Peddling With.
out a License.
LEGAL LIGHTS ENGAGED
Mr.. Ashaa Finally Allowed to Go IN
Wife and Seven Children at "Notb
Adam"..Law Unconstitutional.

ga certain man went down from .Tarr.
salem to Jericho and fell among tbievs,
which stripped him of his raiment, ana
wounded him, and departed leaving him
half dead" A case parallel with the fore
going occurred last Saturday, only the ocer.
tain man." Syriac Jew, was iournevino
in roundabout way from Jerusalem 70
Brattleboro and, instead Of thieves fell
among lawyers who would have con6scat.
ed his goods and left him financially dead
had it not been for the kindly disposition
of some others of Brattleboro's legal frater.
ity.
About noon Saturday Lawyer John F..
Gale, one of Guilford's board of civil
authority, brought into Brattleboro Jew.
ish peddler, whom he had taken up for re-.
fusing to show his peddler's license. Mr..
| Gale conducted his prisoner to the Office
of States Attorney II. q. Barber to get the
necessary papers made out against The cul.
prit but, finding Mr. Barber was out of
town, left the peddler with A. G. Spencer.
| BARRIERS private secretary, for safe keep
| ing until the latter should return.
The man had been in Mr. Spencers
charge but few minutes when he began
to show signs of approaching hunger By
means Of various signs and much gesticula.
ton Spencer informed his prisoner that he
could go out for lunch If he would leave
his packs as bail, and this arrangement
was agreed to. While at dinner the Syriac
secured counsel in the person of Robert c.
Bacon, from the law offices of Bacon and
Houghton in the Ulery building and then
returned TO Barber's apartments to await
trial. he was soon called into C.. C. Fitts's
Office to consult with his attorneys, and
Mr.. Bacon was about TO remove his packs
to the same place when restrained BY Mr..
Spencer. Mr.. Bacon then threatened TO
bring an action of trover against Spencer
but the matter finally was settled amicably.
By this time States Attorney Barber had
arrived and be proceeded to act at once
Learning from Antoine Nicholas With
whom the peddler had lived that his name
was Michael Ashaa, he Immediately had
him arrested on two counts, first for refus.
ing 10 show his license and secondly for
peddling without license. Lawyer Gale
was then sent for as the principal witness
and the trial was arranged to take place
before Justice Cudworth. Mr.. Barber
then began to fortify himself for the i'm
pending struggle by perusing Boswell on
Insanity, Greenleaf on Evidence, Bishop
on Criminal Procedure, Starkey on Sian.
ueT, anu tue hepOTJS OF the supreme court
on the Interstate Commerce Law.
Meanwhile number of people had gath.
cred, and sympathy seemed to be entirely
with Mr.. Ashaa. This feeling grew with
the arrival of Mr. Ashaa's l5-year.od
daughter, who could speak broken Eng
lish, and when she informed the crowd
that her father had wife and seven child
rem living in Moth Adam" indignation
against Mr.. Gale ran high. The legal
body was also much interested in the case,
unanimously favoring the release of the
prisoner. So strong was the opinion that
he would be acquitted that Messrs Bar
Der and Spencer thought they "smelt a
rat, and after much consultation in the
private office and telephoning to Mr.. Gale
they gave forth the edict that the prisoner
might go free. Upon the receipt of this
message father and daughter were over
whelmed with congratulations. MI Ashaa
was informed that he might begin peddling
at once, some one suggesting that Mr.. Bar
Der would perhaps buy new collar to
wear in place of the one he had wilted.
Later in the afternoon the information
reached the states attorneys Office that
the supreme court had recently handed
down a decision declaring unconstitutional
the statute requiring a peddler to have
license.