Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-10-09
WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS SAY
An Addison County Paper Has Some
thing to Say about Levi Sturte-
vant-A Home View.
(From the Vergennes Enterprise.)


The closing scenes of Percival w. Glenn
ents sensational campaign for the COVER
norship of Vermont were rendered the
more lurid by the suit, brought by Levi
{. Sturtevant against Gen. J. @. McCul-
Tough for the payment of alleged cam
paign expenses. Sturtevant lived in Wey-
bridge during the campaign. but is now
in Ticonderoga. N. Y, where he Is In
charge of a small hotel.
1t Is said that Sturtevant openly boast
ed on the streets of Vergennes that he
had sold his "claIm" against General Nc
Cullough to Rutland parties interested in
the Clement candidacy. He also disposed
of all letters and bills that entered into
the case, which were used by Mr.. Glenn
ents Rutland Herald as campaign litera-
ture in place of better Among the same
were itemized bills of Sturtevant's alleg
| ed OUTLAWS, showing a sum of something
like 5000, still his due. 1t is significant
that people In Sturtevant's neighborhood
say that he named $3.50 as the sum paid
| him by Rutland agents for the claim
| and literature.
In the list of alleged payments made in
Sturtevants bill of particulars were in
Guided the names of several we'll known
| Weybrdge citizens. who emphatcally
deny the libel involved in the implication
that they were bribed by the creature
and who have made atfidavits denying 1t.
| There are also several names that are
plainly fictitious as no such parties live
in the town of Weybridge. If Sturtevant
We're in Vermont he would probably be
arrested and indicted for libel, If not sub
jected to personal violence, as the feeling
! against him is of the most bitter charac-
ter in his home town.
The plain facts of the case seem to be
these: Sturtevant, in the past, by sheer
power of push, nerve and bulldozing tao
| tics, had made himself something of a
| local political factor, Is believed by many
to have freely bled State candidates for
| ofllce in the past and no doubt thought
the time ripe for adding to his previous
gains. Representing himself as the po-
litical dictator of Weybridge he natural
| ~ came in for a certain consideration at
the hands of Messrs Bates and Barber
until his tactics showed him plainly to
| be the inscriptions and unreliable man
he really is. Then negotiations ceased
and General McCullough's friends refused
to be swindled. Probably they would
have paid anything approaching legiti-
mate expenses, but this unparalleled bill
of Sturtevant's, faxed, padded false. and
| topped with the stupendous item of time
and horse. $100.' was very properly dis
allowed. That's about the whole story.
word as to the character of this ex-
emplary Mr.. Sturtevant, proclaimed by
the Rutland Herald as a representative
citizen, oficeholder, etc. The people Of
his own vicinity ought to know him best
and Il pen picture of the man reveals the
following characteristics. Levi c. Sturte-
want ls n tall, red faced, rough-looking
citizen, carelessly dressed, having no per-
scnal graces and few redeeming features
lie was never known to show a generous
tender characteristics, never seen to do a
gentle deed. He is coarse. clustering and
profane. His language is of the fouest.
interiardcd with common, vulgar oaths
and the nastiest obsccntty. He cannot
utter Is words without befoulng HIS
speech with filth and blasphemy and is
ignorant of the most common decencies
of self-rcspecting manhood. Few men
care to be known as his associates
He Is free drinker and in his cups shows
some traces of an expansive nature, de-
graded, however, in later days. to gross
boasting and excess His hold on the po-
litical fortunes of Weybridge is one of
the uneNplainable things of human nat
urc. A certain native cunning and a COM
plote knowledge of the baser side of mon
must be his secret source of power, linked
also, with the brute qualities aforesaid.
Truly an admirable character to attempt
the bl1ckmail of an eminent public man.
or to be quoted by a shady political or
gan as a reliable authority as against
the afiidaVits of honest and indignant
men, whom he has so shamcfuly Sian
dcrcd.
And to think that Addison county has
to shoulder Levi Sturtevant as a native
and erstwhie citizen. Weybridge will be
too hot to hold wi" if he happens to re-
turn to our borders