Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-06-29
LOCAL AUTOISTS ARRESTED
SIXTEEN BROUGHT INTO COURT
FOR EXCEEDING SPEED LIMIT
Majority of Cases Continued Until
July 0 on Request Of Counsel-Time
of violators Taken Last Friday on
Course on Main Street.

of Violators Taken Last Friday on
Course on Main Street.
M automobile or motor vehicle shall b.
run on any public way or private way lai'
out under the authority Of statute outsid'
the limits OF a city or incorporated village
or the thickly settled or business part OF
town or fire district at a speed exceeding IL
miles an hour, or within city. incorporated
village or the thiekly settled or businesi
part OF a town or fire district, at spee'
exceeding 10 miles an hour. Upon approach
Ii ing a crossing Of interseeting ways also II
trayersing crossing or intersection, ant
in going round a corner, or curve IN
highway, every person operating an automo
bile or motor vehicle shall run II at rat'
OF speed less than that thereinbefore speci
fed and at no time greater than is reason
able and proper having regard TO traffic ant
the use Of way and the safety OF the puohe
and in no event exceeding six miles al
hour.
With authority based on the abov,
section of the Vermont statute relating
10 the regulation of the speed of auto
biles and in consequence Of numerous
complaints about the excessive speed
of local motorists the village bailiffs last
Friday afternoon posted Night Watch
man W. b. Warren and Deputy Sheriff
C. |. Knapp at opposite ends OF an
eighth of a mile course ON Main street
for the purpose of securing evidence
against all who exceeded the speed
limit of 10 miles an hour. For nearly
three hours the two officers snapped
their stop-watches ON those who went
over the course in buzz wagons, and
when they came to compute their hg
ures il was found that l6 local men
| had broken the law. Their names fol
low: Fred C. Adams, Crosby Adams
Charles A. Boyden, Alfred Bushnell
Arthur b. Clapp, Charles X. Crosby, )
NJ. Dennison, Charles W. Dunham
Harry l.. Emerson, ]. Gray Estey
Charles A. Harris, William Z. Haskell
DR.. +. r. Lynch, Howard Merrill, Wells
Miller and John r. Ryder.
The action of the bailiffs in taking
steps to prevent reckless driving
through the village has been the alb
sorbing topic of discussion the past
week. The village fathers held meet
ing Saturday afternoon and decided
after much discussion to put the evi
dence in the hands of Village Attorney
A. =. Schwenk. This decision was re
ceived with i'll favor by number OF
the speed violators, who claim that they
were running their ears with due care
and an effort was made to have tht
matter dropped. The bailiffs, however
were not inclined TO bulge from thell
original decision.
On Tuesday afternoon Mr.. Sehwenf
issued warrants against all the offend
ers and they were notified to appear II
the county clerk s Office at clock
At the appointed time all of the auto
fists were either present or represented
by counsel. A large number OF inter
ested spectators were also in attendance
and the court room was crowded, Th,
first case taken up was that of Fred Y
Adams. who waived examination be
fore Justice J. II. Merrifield and wa
bound over to county court IN the sun
of $50, being released on his own recog
nizance. This method of procedure wa
necessary for the reason that justice
is not given concurrent jurisdiction un
der the law.
After the disposal of Mr.. Adams 4
case il was found that number of th'
respondents intended to make de
fence, and so the next case taken vi
was that of W. E. Haskell, who wa
represented at the hearing by n. l.
Waterman and f. w. Gibson. TIT
first witness was Sheriff Knapp who tes
tilted that he helped measure the cours
in company with Mr.. Warren,l one en'
being a post in front of Randall
Clapp S store and the other post near
IIy opposite the Unitarian church. MI
Knapp said he stood in the door-wa.
lust below the post at the south END
the course and saw Mr.. Haskell star
over the course going north. AS tn
machine passed the line he started hi
watch and gave Mr. Warren the sigma
at the same time. When Mr.. Warrel
gave the signal at the other end MI
Knapp stopped his watch and tn
elapsed time was just 80 seconds whic
showed that Mr.. Haskell went over tn
course at the rate of Is miles an houl
On cross examination Mr.. Knapp ad
mitted that he didn t stand exactly OF
posite the post when he took the time
also that he had never tested the time
niece he used He said he was posi-
tive that Mr.. Haskell was going mort
in his machine but didn t remembe
inst what time it was when he went by
W.>B. Warren, the next witness, tol
of measuring the course and sad M
, position was directly opposite the pos
at the upper end. His testimony dlffere
, from Mr. Knapp's, however, in that h
said Mr.. Haskell was going south whe
the time was taken. Mr. Warren sal
he started his watch when the front o
Mr.. Haskell s machine passed the lin
and that when he stopped the watch l
accordance with Mr. Knapp's signi
the watch showed 32 seconds elapse
: time. He was positive as to the dire'
ton in which Mr.. Haskell was goin
because he remembered that l.. ID. Ia.
lor's car was just ahead.
In behalf of the state Mr.. Schwen
argued that enough evidence had bee
produced to hold Mr.. Haskell, sayin
. that the difference in the officers te
timony as to direction was not surpri
ing considering the number of machine
that passed that evening. Mr. Gibso
:; argued that Mr.. Haskell ought to I
: discharged because there was doubt
TO whether the time had been fairly an
accurately taken and because the pro
ecution had shown no intent to brea
the law, which is always necessary
making proof of crime. After muC
Q cogitation Justice Merrifeld decide
to reserve his decision until l0 o'cloc
Wednesday morning, and all the cas-
!. were continued until that time. Lat
in the afternoon c. R. Crosby appeart
+ before the justice and waived exar
= ination and he was released under sim
: lar conditions to Mr.. Adams.
When the appointed time arrive
"Wednesday morninp a large crowd w;