Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1903-02-26
WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS SAY.
Unwarranted Criticisms OF United
states District Attorney j. l.. Martin.
Urom the Brattleboro Phoenix)

In an article IN our State news columns
the FACTS are given about the conviction
and sentence of G. w. Norton of Waling
1ord, Tor using the United states mails In
u scheme to defraud. United States At
torney Martin secured ten indictments
against Norton for ten different offcnses.
Under the law n respondent can only be
urea upon one Indictment at a time. To
one NJ these indictments Norton plead
guilty, and was given by Judge Wheeler
inc extreme penalty of Is months in the
house of correction which Is provided UNI
der the United States statute. The offensc
charged against Norton, it must be rem
embered, was fraudulent use of the United
states mails. The amount of goods or
money fraudulcntly secured by him did
not enter into this cases. In his statement
or Nortons case to the court, United
state Attorney Martin made q broad gem
eraI statement of the extent OF which Nor
ton had conducted his swinding opera
tions. In its issue of Thursday the Rut-
iahd Herald severely criticises Mr.. Mar
finland through him. of course, the court
Tor not imposing u heavier sentence upon
Norton. This criticism is entirely unwar-
rantcd, and not founded on the facts, as
VIII be seen from the foregoing statement.
Mr.. Martin proceeded entirely within the
law III bringing Norton to trial on one in
dictment, and the court gave him the full
penalty Of Imprisonment under this in
uictment The other indictments are con-
tinued, to be brought up from term to
term hereafter. as justice may require.
NEW RAILROAD PROJECTS.
U'rom the Montpelier Argus
The Landmark is getting interested in
the matter of Il railroad to Rutland and
wants White River Junction to share in
the proposed railroad extension. In it's
latest issue it says:
why would not an electric railway or
a combination one from Rutland to Wood
STOCK, connecting at the latter village with
me Woodstock railroad from White River
Junction be good paying investment?
AL present passenger from the Junction
10 Rutland instead of being able to go
trom her to Woodstock and then across
the mountain by rail, must il he prefers
an all rail route. take a train from hero
10 bellows Falls, change cars at that point
ana continue his ride to the Marble City
"A tedlous, roundabout way. Or, he may
ride to Burlington, change cars, and 20
from there TO Rutland. the route being if
Iahythlng lonScrand more wearisome a ride
| than the first one alluded to. With an
electric or steam railway from Woodstock
over the mountain we presume Rutland
could be easily reached from the Junction
IN something like two hours" A railroad
across the state has been one of the press
ing needs of Vermont for some time, fully
realized by railroad men and others in
terestcd in transportation. The time ap-
pears to have arrived when such a road
can DC constructed and operated with
some promise of success. 1t will be a mis-
take on the part of persons and municipal
| tiles interested in the matter If the pro-
1ect Tor a road from Rutland to Mont
pelier is allowed to lapse. 1t would do
more for the development of Vermont
IMAM any other public work of similar
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