Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-02-23
BURGLARY AND FIRE
Vernon Man Fined but Says He
is Victim of "PIant'
Swede Barely Escaped from Burning
Shack In Woods-Stolen Gun Recovered
Silver Hid Under Blacksmith Shop.


Silver Hid Under Blacksmith Shop.
Orrn D. Brown, TO- of Vernon, the
oldest defendant to appear in the NUM-
cipal court in a long time, was found
guilty of petit larceny Monday afternoon
by Judge w. R. Daley and fined $50 and
costs, the costs amounting to $2527, and
was ordered to pay the costs of search
at his home in Vernon Feb. 10, amount
ing to 1897, making a total of S65.24.
He appealed to the county court. Brown
was charged with stealing Winchester
rifle, cartridges, cartridge belt and
pair of shears from Eric Johnson Nov.
81, 1911. States Attorney F. e. Barber
conducted the prosecution and Attorney
A. P. Carpenter appeared for the re-
spondent.
1t was alleged by the state that on
Nov. 81 Brown went to the shanty of
Eric johnson and broke in, using an iron
bar to pry off the paddock. Witnesses
testified that they had seen Brown that
day with the iron bar and had seen him
in the locality of the shack in which
Johnson lived, with a gun and cart
ridge belt thrown over his shoulders
Nothing had been seen of the gun until
last Friday, when Miss Jerusha Bell
found it in the toilet room in the school
| house at Vernon. When the gun disap-
peared II had no covering, but when
| found at the school it was in a case
which Mrs Lottie Moore testified was
one which her husband sold the respond
| ent last fall Constable ]. w. Amidon
and others had suspected Brown and on
Feb. 10 Deputy Sheriff c. ]. Knapp
| searched Browns home and found 29
cartridges of the same calibre as the
| gun and arrested Brown, but released
| him, Brown furnishing bail, and on Fri
day the gun was found in the school.
! The state formed a chain of circum-
| stantial evidence about the aged re-
| spondent and witnesses who testified
were Deputy Sheriff C. I. Knapp, Con-
| stab ]. w. Amidon, Eric Johnson, Mrs.
| Bertha IAckey, Miss Jerusha Bell, Mrs.
| Lottie Moore, c. A. Harmon and Claude
| Tenney
The respondent did not offer any evil
dence and in his plea Attorney Carpen-
ter said that the rifle had been planted
| in the schoolhouse by enemies who wish
ed harm to befall Brown. He said that
| circumstances showed that Brown was
the victim of "a band of thieves" who
wished to divert suspicion from them
selves and that while Brown was In
Brattleboro Thursday all his silver was
stolen from his home and later was
found under a blacksmith shop some dis
lance away. Judge Daley found Brown
guilty and fined him stated. The
respondent pulled a roll from his pocket
and furnished 800 bail pending his trial
in the county court.
Eric Johnson, who lost the articles, is
a Swede and occupies a shack in the
woods. He earns his living by choppine
wood and doing odd jobs while he lives
apart from the other residents Of the
town. Late Sunday night he was awak-
ened by the cracking of flames. Arous.
ing himself he found the shack hllec
with smoke. He was almost overcome
but dragged himself to the door and re-
vived The shack had been set on frt
on the outside, the blaze being started
near the head OF Johnsons bed.