St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-12-31
PRESS COMMENT
An Analysis That Would Apply To
More Than One Town

A wit or philosopher once
said that man invented the
Devil because he hated to
blame himself all the while. I'm
consciously we personify our indif-
ference to our own political duties
and call it Murphy" ''Tammany,"
the system the Interests" the
Machine and all the other phrases
that fuent-penned photographers fur
nish us. Usually we get as good
government as we deserve. Yeseer-
day The Banner referred to the wave
of petty crime that has recently
been passing over Bennington. 1t
is attributed to the slackness of the
officers, whose duty it is to see that
a uniform enforcement of law is OBJ
tanned. Undoubtedly such is the inn
mediate cause, but looming be-
hind it is the Indifference of public
opinion toward a rigid enforcement
of law in Bennington. There is
weak wilIed indulgent sentiment
that petty crime is to be condoned,
an attempt to shield one who has
perpetrated misdeeds, which merit
punishment by the state. An officer
who enforces the letter and spirit of
/ the law in Bennington in regard to
minor offenses meets a hostile public.
Bennington gets exactly the govern
/ ment it deserves. The community
must understand the penalty of in
difference. 1t ought not to expect
to lay the weight of its own faults
on the heads of others, as the Cho
sen People placed the sins of Israel
/ on the head of a goat and then sac
rificed the goat Bennington need
not wholly blame the states attor-
re-
license commissioners; they seek to
please the community, their masters.
They will not seriously exert them
selves in the face of public indiffer
ence. Bennington should prepare to
aid her officials in an effective en-
forcement of law; by public censure
and condemnation of petty misdeeds,
the kindergarten of crime by per-
forming all the duties laid upon it's
citizens, as in the reporting of viola
tions and by sustaining with it's ap-
prevail the uniform and efficient en-
forcement of the statutes. Justice
may well wear binders: Law needs
i Observation-Disclosures Banner.
State VS.. Koch
At time when the administration
of the criminal law of this land has
presidents, publicists, muckrakers,
penny-a-liners, crossroads politici-
ans, amateur reformers and. sundry
other persons, it is a grateful and re-
freshing task to record the last in
stance afforded by our own jurisdic-
ton that goes far to refUte these
ill-advised and exparte criticisms.
On Sunday, November 8, 1918, the
act was committed for which Will
lam Koch was duly indicted; he was
J placed upon trial on Monday, Deem
Der Is, at 2 p. M; out of about 35
J talesmen, a jury was empanelled and
two witnesses for the state were ex-
amined before recess at p. m. of the
; same day. From this time Oh the
procedure of this important case
moved steadily, with ali proper de-
corum and CELEBRITY, devoid of all dill
atory or Objectionable practices, to
the final verdict noticed elsewhere.
} Within the period from Ais D. m.
on Monday, December is, TO Monday
December %, at 2:15 p. H., allow
ing for the afternoon of last Satur-
day and the forenoon of last Monday
during which there was a recess, the
state and respondents counsel ex-
amined, cross-examined and called
in rebuttal approximately Ga wit
neSSes; at z. 3 p. m. Cor whereabouts
last Monday, Mr.. Stafford began sum-
ming up for the state; by p. IN. OF
, the same day Mr.. Jones, of counsel
for defence, had finished his areu-
ment; he was followed promptly by
Mr.. Moloney Tuesday at a. M; con-
Guiding his argument at 10:45 a. m.
he was followed by Attorney General
Brown who finished at 3 p. m. Tues
day. in a charge by the court last
ing about one and one-half hours the
jury was tersely, fully and succinctly
instructed as to the law without need
less repetition, without unnecessary
refinements, without cumbersome
I and misleading distinctions; the case
I went to the jury at precisely 4 .. m
. Tuesday; verdict of not guilty wa!
reached at IL m. yesterday.
Thus ended one of the most inter
esting homicide cases ever tried in
, Vermont. It's trial was character
e lied throughout by absense of acri
mony among counsel, lack of wrang
9 ling and distinguished by unusua
Z courtesy. The rulings of tne cour
) were brief and decisive and every eff
, tort seemed directed toward securing
a faultless determination of the is
sues.
Though it be a matter of congrat
: ulation to the people of Vernon
I that the criminal procedure may no
I properly come under the ban o
, those who assume to take the bur
den of reforming it general,
throughout the country, it must no
be forgotten that other Jurisdiction
are far from being so fortunate
= There is much truth in the structure.
y and animadversions of disintereste,
judges, lawyers and laymen concern
!, ing the laxity, lop-sidedness. extray
e agance and delay of those to whom
|, the administration of criminal Law
d and procedure is committed In thi
connection, it may be observed tina
y we Americans are not foolishly res
. tive under seedlings properly admin
!. istered; if we think We are deseryin,
. t,lza I'D