Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1910-09-17

being administered here in New Lon
don for the rest of the county And
! Norwich, in it's complaint, used plain
language. / will read you a sample
OF 1t: If we must continue as we
now are, we beseech you to improve
some method by which courts of JUS
tice shall be so managed that peaceable
and innocent people will not be OPP
pressed
Although Norwich did not succeed
in breaking away from the county, it
was able, meanwhile, to steal a march
on New London and secured the next
year the county judge. After that it
is conceivable that it gave New Lon
don now and then a dose of its own
medicine. Many years after-a great
many years-Norwich, apparently not
satisfied with having the judge and
the court, began to reac bout after the
courthouse, and even cast covetous
eyes at the jail. An there is tradi-
ton, if one may call it such that
Norwich men once came down here
and undertook to carry off bodily both
these institutions. l have not been
able to verify this charge of grand
larceny from any authentic record.
But in an issue of the Peoples Advo-
cate, a newspaper published back in
the '40s, appears this curious para
graph: "A norwich citizen has the
custom house here, in view We knew
Norwigians had been trying to carry
off the courthouse and the Jail, but we
thought the custom house was safe
Well, the lighthouse is at their service
whenever they conclude that we have
light enough without it, AS a fur
Their information 1 may say that.
CHANGING to be here in 1868, at an
independence day celebra ton. while I
was viewing the numerous floats in
the line, l discovered a miniature
copy of the old courthouse, and on it
were the words, TOO old to go to Nor
Wich.' But in 1S43, a serious conspir-
acy was formed with Stonington, to
aooIlsh this county seat and center all
the courts and legal machinery at
Norwich. And how it must have
grleved the New London heart to
think that Stonington could do this
thing-Stonington, that once had been
d part OIL New London in the days
When It's settler, William Chesebro
was a member of our town government
ana Stonlngton was a child after our
own heart! Naturally popular furore
was high. In New London the matter
was made a party issue between the
wings and democrats. And though the
former affected to treat it with indif-
ference, great meeting assembled in
TINS house; and one of the votes of
that meeting was as follows: Where
as, the people of Norwich-gra spfng
desponers-seem determined to concern
trate all public institutions at that
place, to the great injury of our neo-
pie, therefore; voted: That com
mlttee be appointed, consisting of Cod
dlhgton Billings, Charles Douglass and
Andrew C. Lippitt. to take steps to
keep the courthouse where it is. with
all our rights and privileges
Conflict Ended.
And now New London began to
make efforts to get out of the basket.
Inc legislature was asked to create a
new county with New London as the
big township ard with Norwich left
out. fortunately the general assembly
turned poth propositions down. And
SO ended the tale of two cities"
Happily, there is no longer a conflict
between them-only the friendIfest
rivalry. And when. New London mn
selnshly congratulates Norwich on her
own magnificent courthouse. Norwich
Just as unsefhshly returns the compli-
ment
The first superior court. in this
state, was created in 1771, and was
made a circuit court, with two SEES
SONS, annually in each county: and
Richard Christophers of New London
was one of it's judges, And yet,
strange to say. there was no court
house, owned by the public. in eastern
connecticut. When the superior court
sat IN New London it was given ac-
coInnodatlons in the meeting house of
the First congregational church. Even
that was later struck by lightning and
nearly torn in two
The first courthouse erected for use
IN TINS county was located in New
London in 1924 while Gurdon Salton-
stan was governor. 1t stood 43 years
on a corner of the town SQUARE not
Tar from what is now the intersection
OF Hampstead and Granite streets. 1t
was a common, unpretentious, framed
building, "a by As, without cupola or
tower, and cost the munificent sum of
az pounds, or $3.50 of our money.
Manlfestly, the cry for municipal econ
omy IN New London is not wholly of
modern origin. Close to the courthouse
stood the first Jail ever erected in this
county; and near the Jail. on another
part OF the green, was the Congrega-
tlonal meeting house, with its regula-
tlon steeple, stated to be one of the
Watch towers of the revolution. in
winch liberty its lasting vigil keeps"
But the other auxiliaries OF defense,
ike the powder magazine, were stored
III the courthouse, and the whole put
ii cnarge OF Solomon Colt, a man Of
consequence. But | DO not ind that
he received any other pensation
except the privilege of having his
Christian name attached TO the most