Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-04-06
Grand Jury Found q Bill for Al
legged Murder.
' ictor Ia1onte Got n Verdict Of N4tO
Ngainst T.. q. GrOssmAn, who
LEFT TOwn HurricdIy Some
Time AGO.

y
cd in county court Friday. THAT it
was II busy day and that tho business
was transacted with dispatch it is
needless to state 1t was the frs, real
busy day of the term. the previous
days having been devoted 10 minor
matters as no jury cases were ready for
trial. When cour, opened in tn" morn
ing the jury in the case of Frank IT,
Farrand Va. peter Bordo was ready to
report This case was tried Thurs
day and was an action to recover dam
ages of slo2 as commission on II real
estate transaction. Tho jury returned
a vcrdc, for the plaintiff to recover
damages of S"6a3 and costs.
GRAND JURY REPORTS.
II was nearly noon when tho grand
jury reported. 'his jury was called
together to consider tho charge of
| murder against Dennis and Louis
! Tromblcy. They found a true bill
against tho mon. who arc now in Jail
and have been since tho u"ad body Of
Louis I.amora was found in WinVosiii
on January s. The respondents are
| broth"rs-in-ltw Of t.anora and are
charged with having murdered hir
| their sister. Tho date OF their trial
has not been liked. but it will occur
! during the present term
1.ABONTE ". GROSSMAN.
rho frs. jury case TO be taken up
riday morning was that Of Victor
| LA Bontc of South Burlington W. l.. g.
Grossman. II former attorney of Bur
| In, bf, ic In,
known and against whom disburmcnt
! Proceedings have been begun. Y. A.
Billiard was counsel for Grossman. but
withdrew from the case. leaving y.
| IT, Dcavtt to appear for him. towlcs
d Moulton and r.. w. Taft appeared
for the rlairiih.
| Mr. La Bontc WAS tho first witness
lie said that in 1908 he received his
discharge from bankruptcy and that
| in July of tho same year he gave n
chattcl mortgage on certain property
to John Mckenzie and Thomas Red
mond In April 1904 Mcssrs. Mckenzie
and Redmond demanded a settlement
and it. was found hat one of the pay
mcnts was in arrears to the extent of
S1o.4J. After Il conference a new chat
Itch mortgage was demanded and was
drawn, hut when I.aBonte read il he
found that it covered everything he
possessed. In tho old mortgage a few
hogs had been left free in order that
| l.aBontc could supply his Immediate
wants. II" requested that the same
provision be made in the new mort
gage but this WAS refused and h" dc
cliucd To sign the mortgage because
he had no means of getting Il living
except from his hogs.
1t was at this point that l.aBontc
sought Grossman. saying that he had
been attracted 10 his office by an ad-
v"rtiscmcnt inserted in n newspaper
| by GrosSman. ~" said he told Gross
man the situation in detail and that
he paid Grossnlan II retainer of 81. lie
said that Grossnan told him that if
he paid the sl0.45 which was overdue
jno,hing could be done by those who
held the mortgage. Grossman sug-
g"st"d that l.aBontc get the money and
give it to him and that he in return
would give il To Mckenzie. Redmond
or their attorney. On the afternoon of
this conversation Il suit was brough,
against LA Bonte by Mckenzie und
Redmond and all of his property was
attached.
f.aHcntc said ne again visited Gross
man and told him about the writ OF
attachment. Al that time Grossmar
said he was glad it was AN attachment
and not Il body writ. and said he wouIt
see the other attorneys and sec il ar
agreement could not be reached II.
also advised LaBontc to pay the bal.
ancc due under the mortgage.
A few days later 1.aBonte said h,
gave Grossman $l0.t5 to give to Nc
KcnZic and Redmond and at that tim.
Grossman advised him to go int,
bankruptcy. l.aBontc told Gross mai
that he had been discharged from
bankruptcy only IA year before. bu
Grossman said that made no differ
cnce. After some conversation Gross
man said II would cost $50 To o.
through bankruptcy proceedings
LA l5ontc said he told GrOssman it COS
him only $50 before. hut Grossmu,
replied that the fees had been increase,
since That time. I.aBontr told Gross
. man he had no money and that every
thing he owned was under attacflmcn,
After thinking few minutes Gross
man said that could he fixed by film,
the schedule at about nine or tel
o'clock some morning and the attach
mcnts would be thereby discharg ed
aBontc could then dispose of some q
his property and in that way get III
money 10 pay the fees.
On April 20 tho schedules were MAJ
ont and were filed in the office OF III
clerk OF the United States courts. Az
ter they were filed I.aiionic said h
= told Grossman that Thomas Reeve
and others said he could not e
through bankruptcy again in so shor
4 time. Cheeseman's reply was
"Thcy don't know all the law vet.
The aftcrnon after tho schedule
. were filed I.aBontc paid Grossman $50
having killed five hogs the night he
fore. which were sold for $40 Th
remaining $40 Lai5onte said he Dor
rowcd.
LaBontc said Grossman advised hi,
TO kill some of the hogs before tn
schedules were filed, saying that II
one would know tho difference and !
compliance with that advice LaBont
killed four.
On April - LA Bontc said he was ar
= rested by Deputy Sheriff Kelley on
writ OF trover brought by McKenzi
and Redmond and was placed In jai
lie said he sent repeatedly for Gross
man. but that he always replied tina
> he was SO busy he could not go to tn
Jail. Ono day he did go to the Jail I
|, get La Onte TO sign a petition to hav