The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-03-19
WASHINGTON COUNTY COURT

The charge of Judge start to the jury
in the case of state against Frank Bow
man, rape, occupied thirty minutes Tues
day evening. 1t was clear and explicit,
and fully explained every point of law
bearing upon the case
The Jury returned shortly before six
o'clock and at nine o'clock Wednesday
returned into conrt with verdict of not
guilty The respondent. who has been in
Jail since last December, was discharged
from custody After shaking hands with
his counsel and smiling upon the twelve
men who had acquitted him, he departed
for Barre with his wife and other mem
Ders of his family
The new panel of jurors, given eXclu-
svely in the Journal OH Tuesday was
called. only two responded to their
names. Those drawn from Montpelier
had been excused us had several others,
while those from along the line of the
Montpelier and Wells River railroad were
not able to reach the court house until
later hour. The oath was administered TO
the two present.
Trial of the case of tate against Louis
Sweeney of Berlin, cruelty to horse, was
at once commenced Three of the jurors
in the Bowman case were drawn TO fill the
places of those challenged.
states Attorney Hoar was assisted by w.
w. Lapoint. 7. II. Gordon aud L A. Bal
ley appeared for the respondent. 1t is al
legged in the information that on April l.
1901, Sweeney cruelty abused horse,
owned by him, and finally killed it with
blow from an axe.
The arguments in the case of State
against Sweeney of Berlin, cruelty TO a
horse, were completed Thursday by
Il. X Gordon for the respondent and w.
w Lapoint for the State. The case went
to the jury shortly after ten o'clock.
A jury was at once empaneled in the
case of State against Curtis Daniels, arson
hn ia al xuit N ~
fire to the barns of James A. Pierce of
Warren in November last States Attor-
ney Hoar and NJ. NJ Go rdon for the State.
The jury in the Sweeney case came in
shortly before noon with verdict of
guilty, accompanied with a recommends
ton for light sentence.
The jurors not on the Daniels case
were excused on Friday until Mon
day afternoon at two o'clock.
The State then resumed putting in
evidence in the case of State against
Daniels. Curtis Daniels, the respond
ent, is charged with burning the barn
of James Pierce of Warren on Nov
| 10 last, together with five cows, two
horses, and some young stock. The
evidence of the State tends to show
that Daniels was intoxicated while
about his work in the mill of Mr.
Pierce the day of the fire, and that he
made threats that he would get even
with Mr.. Pierce. He was discharged
from the employ of Mr.. Pierce the
day of the fire, only short time be-
! fore the fire was discovered.
The respondent has been in Jail at
Montpelier since the preliminary
hearing on the case at Warren short
ly after the fire occurred.
Just before noon the trial of the
Daniels case was blocked by the non
appearance of several State witnesses
from Warren who were summoned two
days ago. Bench warrants were is
! sued for the delinquents and court
took recess until four O'Clock when
several other State witnesses are ex-
pected on the mail train.
| The arguments in the case of State
against Curtis Daniels, arson, were
commenced at ten Saturday morn
| ing. The opening argument for the
| State was made by M. M. Gordon.
He was followed by q. S. Stanton for
the defence. At the close of Mr.. Stan
toms plea the court took recess until
2 O. clock Monday afternoon, when the
closing argument for the defence was
made by Frank Plumley and State S
Attorney Hoar summed up for the
State. The evidence on the part of
the State in the case has been largely
of circumstantial character, as no
one saw the respondent commit the
crime with which he stands charged
The jury was allowed to separate over
Sunday.