Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-03-02
UNITED STATES COURT
February Term Now in Session
at the Federal Building.
Five of six Cases on the Docket Have
to DO with Explosion in Elevator
of Quaker Oats Company
ut Richford.

United States court, February term
.pened Tuesday morning at the federal
building. The usual preliminary business
was disposed of and a recess taken until
afternoon. The deliberations of the grand
Jury, which went into session during the
morning, will probably occupy several
taNs. The petit jury will be called
mis- afternoon at two O'Clock. at
which time 1t is expected that the cases
against the Quaker Oats company will
be taken up These are cases growing
out of grain elevator explosion at
Nichford some years ago. The session
Is presided over by Judge James l..
Martin. Deputy Marshal Thomas Reeves
made proclamatons for the opening of
NE court and the attendance of the
grand jury, 81 members of whom were
present.
The reading of the dockets occupied
most Of the morning session. There are
six cases on the circuit court law
Socket, all of which will probably be
heard. OF these cases, five are against
he Quaker Oats company. growing out of
The explosion at Richford in October, 1908.
IN which several lives were lost and the
grain elevator burned.
Two of the plaintiffs are Edwin II.
Grce and Muriol c. Anderson. whose
houses near the elevator were burned.
About $3.50 damage Is claimed The
plaintiffs in the other cases are; sumner
iiaire. administrator of Ralph Albert
Hare De Forrest w Carpenter. admins
.rator Of Clarence NJ. Shufelt and De For
rest w. Carpenter. administrator of
Hcadley w. Holcomb. These administra-
tors claim a total of from $4,000 20
10000 for the loss of lives of Messrs
Hare, Shufclt and Holcomb occasioned
by the explosion. The Quaker Oats COM
pany are charged with negligence in all
i've cases. The explosion was that Of
filed air. and It IS claimed by the
plaintiffs that the proper safeguards were
not employed to prevent the dust and air
getting into such a state that an
explosion was inevitable The other case
set for trial is that of 5. Morgan Smith
company VS.. Congratulations COM
pany, but it was announced that a settle
ment had been reached. although the
money had not actually been paid over,
The case was allowed to stand. but it
will not be tried
The cases of Katheryn Judson VS. the
Railway Mail association and Thomas
Reeves, administrator of the estate of
Morton William Judson, against the same
are of interest to Burllngtonians. Morton
". Judson was of Burlington and died in
Boston. These suits are actions to re-
cover insurance alleged to be due the
widow of the deceased from the de-
PENDANT. They are not marked for
trial but a question of jurisdiction has
been raised and the attorneys announced
that this would be heard before the court
If the court remained here until the Goth
of March, otherwise they would agree to
have the clerk appointed special master
to hear the evidence on this issue and
report his findings.
in the circuit court Chancery docket,
II was announced that the case of
William r. Hale, receiver, VS.. Laurette
Bingham ct al was practically settled,
and an entry of settlement was made in
the case of Rufus f. billiard VS.. Elias
Lyman, George ID. Wright F. f. Burgess
Ernest A. Brode Frank II. Parker and
The Burlington Shoe Co This case was
heard in Burlington several years ago.
on the district court criminal docket
.he case of United States VS. William
snow was entered mol pressed.
The grand jury was sworn and the
Jurors were charged by Judge Martin
who stated that no special cases hao
been brought to his attention. The fore
man of the grand Jury is c. c. Graves
Guy NJ. Page of Burlington and c. V
poulin of Rutland were admitted e
practice In the federal courts
The afternoon was occupied almos
entirely with the session of "A naturaliza
lion court in which number of person
we're admitted to citizenship. Adjourn
ment was taken at four O'Clock, witt
the grand jury still in session.