Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-04-13
BOLTON MEN NOT GUILTY.
Case against Thomas burke md Tho
mas Durns Now ON Trinl,

The first criminal case to be tried at
this term of Chittcndcn County Court
was disposed of yesterday morning
when the jury brought in Il verdict Of
not guilty. The case was that OF the
state vs.. William Bohonnan, john Be-
tonnar and William Summers. who were
charged with illegally killing a deer.
The trial of the case was begun Mon-
day and it went to the jury shortly be-
fore five O'Clock Tuesday night. At nine
o'clock yesterday the jurors returned
their verdict and the respondents were
discharged.
The case on trial yesterday was that
against Thomas Burke and Thomas
Burns. who are charged with attempted
highway robbery. These men were ar
| raiSncd Tuesday night but the jury
| "ns not drawn until yesterday morn
| ing. The States case was completed
| and the defense placed Il number Of wit
ncsscs on The stand. 1t will probably
go to the jury to-day
G. ID. Vincent, the man who is al
| legged to have been robbed. was the first
witness. He testified that on November
l he went to Winooski. While there his
| team ran away and it was while search
| ing for the team, or rather when he was
| surfing home that he claimed to have
been assaulted and robbed. Wien MIR.
Vincent first took the stand he pointed
to Burke and Burns, who sat near their
counsel. and identified them rs tine men
who stole his money.
Vincent said that while in Wnooski
he hal four glasses of beer. After his
team ran away and Just as he was start
| n IN hn oil bo
met Burke and Burns together with two
| other soldiers. He says he stopped and
asked them If they had seen anything
OF his team. They replied that they had
not and the conversation finally drifted
to other topics, Burns finally Offering
t" sell Vincent the blue army shirt which
h. wore. Vincent was willing to con-
cude a trade and he said that he, with
| Brrkc and Burns, crossed the bridge
and went ms far as the bill board beyond
the oycrgaitcr factory. There he said
Burns caught hold of him ard with the
assistance OF Burke threw him to the
ground and robbed him OF about $50.
After being robbed Vincent said he
followed Burns and Burke across the
bridge to Wnooski and found them in
a saloon. Vincent finally came home n.
|
| later arrested Burke.
ON the cross-cXamination Vincent said
he struggled to get away but was ul.-
able to do anything. Tho first thing he
knew. he said, was that he could no.
move. When asked Why he did not cry
out for help he SAID that he was afraid
to make II noise for fear they would
| shoot him. Frequent reference was
made during the examination to
the testimony given by Vincent at tho
preliminary hearing In city court md
many glazing differences were notes.
when 1t was compared with the testi.
mony given yesterday.
| UpOn redirect cxaniination States
Attorney sherman asked Vincent II he
had been drinking the day he testified
in city court and he received On affirma.
tive reply. Upon being questioned by
Attorney Villas as to wht ther he had
been drinking yesterday Vincent said
ne had not touched a drop.
Vincent was followed by Chief p. ].
Russell. Officers George u. Watson,
Frank Bergeron and Sheriff Horton.
The defense was begun IN the after
noon and many soldiers from the post