Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1908-07-03
BRATTLEBORO LOCAL NEWS
BALLOON SHOOTING
Respondents Will Have a Hearing
in Court This Ate noon
Have Been in County Jail at NewFane
Under Ball Of $500 Eaeh-clalmants for
the Reward.

Under Ball Of $500 Eaeh-clalmants for
the Reward.
A new chapter in the balloon episode
reported last week will open this after
noon at 2.30 o'clock when Wnnam Murphy
and Charles Rigaman will be araigned
before Judge Ernest w. GIBSON in the
municipal court on a charge of assault
with intent to kill on Charles j, Gid
den of Boston, the well known automobile
and balloon enthusiast. They were ar
rested last week Thursday night but ar
raignment was postponed from time to
time in order that Mr.. Glidden might be
present 1t is expected that he viii
arrive at o'clock this afternoon.
The young men were brought before
Judge Gibson Friday, but as no word had
been received from Mr.. Glidden post
ponement was taken until the next day.
States Attorney Robert c. Bacon was in
communication with MIR. Glidden shortly
before the time set for the hearing Sat
urday and asked for another postponement
in order that Mr. Glidden might be here
He said that the aeronaut was material
witness in the case as he was to TESTIFY
as to the time and place of the shooting,
height from the ground and other details.
He also wished to have the balloon here
and put in as evidence to show the alb
surdity of a claim which had been made
that one of the defendants had fired the
shots on the superstition that it was a
toy balloon.
Attorney w. r.. Daley, who had been
retained for the defence, objected to
another postponement on the ground of
Injustice to the defendants. He said 1t
was not right that the young men should
be left to languish in prison while Mr..
Glidden was off ballooning about the
country instead of giving his attention to
the case. He suggested that start be
made and that as much of the testimony
as could be introduced at that time
should be heard. Then if a postponement
was necessary it could be taken and the
remainder of the evidence heard later.
Mr.. Bacon objected strongly to this as he
did not want to give away part of his
evidence against the defendants. He said
that the earliest date that Mr.. Glidden
could be here was July and post
ponement was taken until that time
AS it was obviously unfair to give the
young men no chance to regain theiI
liberty until the time of the hearing
bail was fixed at $500 each Neither Of
them could raise that amount and botf
were taken to the county Jail at Newtane
Saturday afternoon by Deputy Sherih
Myron p. Davis. They expressed strong
desire to go there rather than stay in the
village lookup longer. They were brought
from Newfane by Deputy Sheriff Davis
this morning.
Attorney A. F. Schwenk has been re-
tanned a special counsel by Murphy
family This was because the family be-
lieve that Murphy is innocent of the as
sault and that the other defendant anc
members of the family in which he liVec
are trying TO fix the blame on him t
clear Rigaman. Both young men live a
Watson French's farm and Rigaman Il
French's son-in-law. If Judge Glpsoi
finds cause for holding them for thu
county court he will bind them over, /
not he will discharge them. The state i
especially anxious to make out stronl
case against them as it is an offenc
which brings discredit on to the who'll
state. States Attorney Bacon said at tn
hearing Saturday that balloons were pass
ing over this section of the state ever
few days and such a practice as shooting
at them must be promptly stopped by al
example
An interesting feature of the case is tn
claim for the rewards offered for the IN
formation leading to the arrest and con
viction of the offenders. Attorney H.
Barber makes a claim on the rewards a
he lodged the first information with tn
attorney general in regard to the identlt,
of the offenders 1t was on the strengtl
of the information he secured that tn
warrants were made out and the arrest
made Mr.. Glidden offered a reward o
800 and the North Adams Aero clu
offered $3.50 in addition. Although seVera
of the neighbors knew of the shooting AM
were willing to tell what they knew non
of them reported the facts to the attorne
general.