Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-12-27
ADDISON COUNTY COURT/


Jury Has Not Completed Its Work.
The Grand Jury came In last Thursday
evening Just before adjournment and
brought in four true bills and one bill
mot found. The foreman stated that
they had not completed their labors, and
they again retired. The indictments are
not yet made public, as they are sup
posed to be against persons who are not
In confinement.
Friday was quite an interesting day in
court and the proceedings were lively
and entertaining. They consisted of
three jury trials of persons charged with
being common sellers, and the main
witness for the prosecution in each case
was the Rev. George w. Morrow of Bur-
lington, State Superintendent of the
Vermont Anti-Saloon League. The re-
E }ondents were Oscar G. Crandall of
Bristol; E. L. Sherwin of the same town,
and E. w. Siples of Middlehury, but
formerly of Bristol. The cases against
Crandall and Sherwin were tried in the
forenoon and that against SIples at the
afternoon session.
In none of the cases was there any
evidence against the respondent that he
had sold Intoxicating liquors other than
that in all of them Rev. Mr.. Morrow
testified that on Nov. 3 last he had been
at Portsmouth, n. H., and there examin-
ed the records of the Collector of Inter-
nal revenue for this district and found
that each of the respondents had taken
out United States tax-receipts for the
sale of malt liquors, and the further evil
dence that each of them had sold what is
known as "Uno' beer. 1t was disputed
by each of the respondents that this
article of commerce is intoxicating or
contains any malt, and two of the three
iuries seemed to take this view of the
question, as Notwithstanding the pro-
vision of the statute that the holding of a
United States tax-receipt is prma facie
evidence that the holder Is common
seller, they brought in verdicts that the
parties charged under the States At
torney's information with being sellers
were not guilty. These were the cases
against Crandall and Siples. In the
Crandall case the jury went out Just at
noon and came in in the afternoon for
Instructions. Finally at 3 20 they re-
Orted again with their verdict. In
this case States Attorney Donoway
prosecuted and w. w. Ryder appeared
tor the defense.
The first case tried in the forenoon
was that against Sherwin, in which Mr..
H4der was again the counsel for the re-
spondent. The jury came in twice in the
OF tn 70 ft1rt har inh hot
seemed to them to be dark places; and
ended their deliberations at 4 80 O'Clock
by announcing disagreement, where
upon they were discharged.
The case against E. w. Siples took up
for trial only an hour of the courts time
In the afternoon. The States Attorney
once more prosecuted and in this case Ira
II. LaFluer of Middlebury represented
the defence. AS there were two juries
out there were not enough of the regular
iurymen left to complete a panel and
seven talesmen were drawn from the
court room to fill up the jury. The evil
dence in the case was substantially the
same as in the other two, and the Jury
distinguished themselves from the others
in not coming in to ask for additional
instructions and by coming to an agree
ment within ten minutes after retiring
and also by bringing in the first verdict,
although being the last panel to go out.
There are number of other cases
similar to the above yet standing for
trial on what is supposed to be almost
percisely similar testimony.
AS each of the iuries in these case s
were discharged they were excused until
Tuesday morning at 10 o'clock, but
later the court decided to take recess
over Christmas until Thursday afternoon
at o'clock. Some of the iurymen did
not get notice of this change and re-
ported for duty Tuesday morning.
The grand jury took recess also on
their own hook along with the rest
of the court, and it is probable that they
had nearly completed their labOrs. 1t is
expected that other more important
criminal cases than those already triea
will soon be brought to the attentiop>of
the-vQurt.
Christmas In the Churches.