St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1906-01-31
VERMONT NEWS.

BrattleborO, by John D. Spellman, OF
Rutland, on the ground OF alleged r.
Irregularities in the practice OF his profess
sion, requests the supreme court TO take
such action in the premises as it deems
necessary after reviewing various in
stances in which it is alleged that Attor-
ney-General Fits has acted in bad faith
with his clients. Among these instances
is the case against the S. A. Smith Co.,
at that time Smith s. Hunt, when Fits
was employed by an-out-of-state firm to
collect a claim against the company
about which there was some disagree
rnent. The claim, it is stated, was
promptly paid by the Smith company to
MIR. Fits, who deposited the money to
his own credit and subsequently wrote
the creditors that the matter had not
been adjusted but that they would
receive their money as soon as it was
adjusted.
A second charge is that Mr.. Fits at
the time he was states attorney and
was the prosecuting officer in liquor
cases under the old prohibitory law Sc
cured money from a proprietor Of the
American house, and presumably a vio-
later of the liquor laws without ade-
uuate security. Definitely it is said that
ne gave the hotel man check Tor several
hundred dollars which the latter ad-
vanced to him on request, there being no
funds at the bank to meet the check.
third charge is that Mr.. Fits was
guilty of double dealing in his relations
with client, D. P. Prescott, in suit
known as the Bartlett Prescott suit,
which has been through the county
court and in which judgment was given
against Mr.. Prescott. now of Vernon, for
a large sum Of money. Mr.. Prescott has
sought relief for what he claims was un.
fair treatment, but to no purpose. The
last phase of this case was trial at
Newfane, last fall, when Mr.. Fits sued
Mr.. Prescott for his fees in the case and
got Judgment, the auditor A.. Y. D. Piper,
Of Jamaica, finding that there was no
ground whatever in the chargesof double
dealing. The petition, however, maintains
that there was such ground in that Mr..
Fits was at the same time acting as attor-
ney for another client whose interests and
Prescott's were opposite. N other
words, if Prescott won his case there
would be nothing for the other client, and
il is claimed that Fits had personal
pecuniary interest in the other clients
emit.
On these grounds and some Others the
petition begs the court to take action.
The signers are well known Brattleboro
and Vernon men, some OF whom have
personal grievances against Mr. Fits.
The petition was circulated quietly some
time ago, after the decision of the referee
10 the Prescott case at Newiane.
Big Fire at Windsor.
Fire was discovered in the rear Of
Cabot's furniture store in Fay block, at
Windsor Saturday morning, about 8
o'clock, by the night operator at the
depot. The night Waterman on the
switcher was awakened and the
screechiug OF the whistle on the engine
aroused the people to witness one OF the
largest fires in town for several years.
4 The delay in getting out the tiremen
4 and the fact that there is no hook and
4 ladder apparatus fit to fight Ere, allowed
q the flames to get good start, and the
q furniture and undertaking rooms and the
Il upper part of the building were greatly
81 damaged before the fire was under con.
troll at Z O'Clock. The brick walls re-
main standing. The cause Of the FIRE is
not known.
Il The damage on the building, which
u belongs to the Levi c. Fay heirs, will
reach $4,000 with insurance oil $500.
Cabot Bros, are damaged to the extent
of something like $4,000, with insult
ance OF $4,000. Stone, Payson & Blake,
hardware, plumbing, paints and oils,
etc., carried stock and tools amount
ing to $4,000, considerable part Of
which was saved and removed to Ans
denis storeroom. The greatest damage
in their part OF the building was from
water. They carried insurance amount
ing to $500. E. G. Amsden's billiard
and poolroom was injured to the amount
of$1000, with $600iusurance. A. Hayes
Jones, barber, removed nearly all his
goods, which were slightly damaged by
water. He carried an insurance OF $500
on his barber tools and household goods.
Central Vermont Train Wrecked.
The New England States limited, an
express train bound from Boston for
Montreal. was wrecked Friday night at
Bolton, 20 miles southeastern Burlington,
by running into a switch, which
was opened with malicious intent. Six
cars left the rails and were practically
demolished, but none OF the passengers
or trainmen were seriously hurt, though
a number of persons received severe
bruises.
The New England States limited does
not stop at Bolton. That night the
speed of the train was about so miles an
hour. The engineer was not aware that
the switch had been opened until the To-
connective left the main line. Three load
ed freight cars were standing on siding
and were struck by the on-rushing train
The impact wrecked the locomotive
tearing off the driving wheels and smash.
ing the tender, demolished the mail Cal
and baggage car and badly damaged
iour coaches. The passengers were
thrown from their seats, but no one was
seriously hurt. The engineer, John Don
oVan, and his fireman, Ii. c. Ball, re
malnediu the cab, and although wreck
age piled up about them they were not
hurt. The mail and baggage clerks also
escaped injury. although their cars were
completely smashed. Fifty feet of the
siding was torn up, but as the wrecked
cars went clear OF the main line traffic
was not greatly delayed.
investigation after the accident indi
cafes that the train was wrecked delib
a erately. The switch had been set proC