The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-10-16
DENYING MUST FACE COURT ON CHARGE
 OF BEDDING CHILD
Negro's Light Penalty Was For Another Offence, Not For
 Alleged Assault
Hydraulic Co. Seeks More Prop erty-SeVeral Cows Poisoned
 Other Bedding Happenings.
BEDDING

NAA&A1 14 M
 Bedding, Oct 16-The report that William Deming, the colored man ac- cused of chicken stealing and felon- ious assault upon the five year old daughter of George P. Williams of hometown, had been let off by the Superior Court at Bridgeport last week with a three months jail sen- tence caused wonder and indignation here because such a result was felt to be a woeful miscarriage of Justice. It turns out, however that the report was partly a mistake as the sentence had reference only to the charge of theft to which offence Deming plead ed guilty. The extreme penalty for that crime is two years in prison. The felonious assault charge was not nol- ed as reported, but continued to the December term of the court owing to the inability of the child's mother to appear and testify. The father was in court with a physician's certificate attesting the fact of Mrs. Williams ill- ness The case against Deming is stronger now than when heard before a justice by reason of damaging ad- missions which he made to Constable Warner while being taken to jail While not amounting to full con- fession these admissions were corro- baratory of evidence put in by theI prosecution at the preliminary trial. When the news of Demings attack upon the williams child first spread in the community there were many threats of 1ynching and probably the culprit escaped summary vengeance on the part of the father only by keeping out of the latteTs way for two or three days. Imprisonment for thirty years is the extreme penalty which may be imposed for the crime charged against Dening. He will be
 
 young attorney associated with s. 0. Shaw.
 In this correspondence last week there was mentioned the fatal poison ing with Paris green of a cow belong ing to Marcus H. Burr. Since then two other of his cows have died from the same cause and a fourth is still on the sick list. The package con taining the poison was closed when left in the lot, but in some way the lid became removed and enough of the powder got spilled to do the mis- chief. MT. Burr takes his loss phiIo- sophica1lys saying that it is the first instance in his farming experience of his losing a COW or calf and conse- auentIy that the loss, regarded as spread over a number of years, amounts only to a fair average.
 If resolution offered by s. c. Shaw and passed by last weeks town meet ing Is compiled with the annual town report D< next year it will include the warning for the approaching meeting and also a record of all the business represented by the votes and resolu- tions adopted this year. One effect of the change may be to secure better observance by the selectmen and other officials of instructions noted at town meetings These instructions have been largely ignored in the past, an instance in point being the vote taken Or a a fYI1S Sf funds which the town had accepted be sequestered and treated as 1duciary entities. This order having been ignored was again passed last week. Another proposed reform in the com pilation of the annual report is the orders issued by the selectmen, many of which are for petty sums. There would be more justification for the filling of several pages with this list if it were complete and it comes far short of being that as many of the orders cover expenditures in the lump" that is the approval of bills not fully -itemized.
 As further step in their proceed ings to obtain control of the Aspetuck river and it's adjacent territory in Pleasant Valley the Bridgeport Fly draulic Co., made a definite offer last week to. Stephen and B. P. Sanford for the purchase of all their property rights east of the highway. Coupled with this was the proffer of a contract for restrictions as to their use of the property on the other side, the object of these restrictions being the better sanitation of the water supply. It Is understood that the figure named in the proposition to purchase outright was satisfactory, but that the restric- ton contract was returned with counter proposals tending to it's Tnodi- hcations in certain particulars. To this counter proposal no reply has as yet been made by the Hydraulic Co. The indications are, however, that the en- tire matter will be adjusted without condemnation proceedings in the courts. It also looks as if the main pond in the valley would be saved in its present form.
 The new board of selectmen were to hold their first meeting this after noon- Their biggest job and one which will put them on their mettIe is to block out a program for highway work and afterwards to carry 1t out in way which shall give satisfactory results. They have at their command much the largest sum ever allotted for road repairs and at the same time cannot but realize that the methods they are to folloW-if these be the traditional methods-p1ace them at a