Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1913-12-12
ADDISON COUNTY COURT.
Civil Cases for Trial by Jury Dis
posed OF.

when our court report closed last week;
the court, jurors and attorneys having
gone by train to New Haven Junction
on Thursday afternoon to view the
scene of the disaster of March 18th of
this year, in which Mr.. Burnham's pair
of horses were killed and his buggy
smashed and the harness ruined. The
case presented some peculiar aspects, as
it appeared that Olin Comstock, %
year-old young man, who had taken a
travelling man from Bristol to Ver-
gennes with the team and had started
back for Bristol, fell asleep about a
mile out of Vergennes and did not wake
up again until he had gone five miles
and found his horses stuck in an open
frog at the New Haven Junction eros
sing. The young man, as soon as he
realized his predicament, made every
possible effort to extricate the team,
but was unable to do so before a train
going north at about 1915 o'clock
cleared the track, killing both horses,
knocking the buggy into kindling wood
and tearing the harness to pieces.
Friday forenoon the testimony for
the plaintiff was completed at $50
o'clock and the defense put in no testi-
mony During an hours intermission
the attorneys got together and arrived
at a temporary settlement of the case,
the result of which was that at II
o clock the court directed the jury to
return verdict for the plaintiff for
$3.50, and John E. Goodroe of Ripton
was appointed foreman. The jury at
once reported a verdict in accordance
with the instructions of Judge Water
man and were discharged.
AS soon as this case was got out of
the way another civil case was at once
started. This was William LaDue,
appellant, VS. Stephen w. Gregory's
estate, an appeal from the report of the
commissioners. Frank w. Tuttle of
Vergennes appeared for the plaintiff
and the defense was represented by
George w. Stone of Vergennes and
James B. Donoway of Middlebury.
The plaintiff claimed from the estate of
Mr.. Gregory, who died on the third of
November last, the sum of $50 for
wages in haying and harvesting last
year and $50 for a COW sold to the de-
ceased Gregory in the spring of that
seas on. Gregory was we'll to-do resi-
dent of Addison and the plaintiff is a
resident of the neghboring city of
Vergennes. A jury was quickly OBJ
tained.
The case was finished at O'Clock on
Friday afternoon, the counsel making
only brief arguments and Judge Water
man S charge taking up only II min
utes. Fred P Smith of Bristol was
appointed foreman of this jury and they
We're out about half an hour in consid-
GRAFTON of the case, when they threw
over the contention of the defense and
awarded the plaintiff the full amount of
his claim, namely $102 damages, Sc. II
interest, making Sl0S.l2 and his costs.
1t is not likely that this case will be
appealed There are two similar cases
against the estate of Mr.. Gregory still
standing for trial, but neither of them
will be brought up at this term.
AS soon as this case was disposed of
the court at 40 o'clock took a recess
until 2 p. m. Monday.
When the court reconvened Monday
afternoon another jury trial was got
promptly started. This case was Stan
ley Vancelette, by his next friend, VS..
Samuel Jewett, appellant. These par
ties all belong in Cornwall and the plain
tiff, who is a minor, elaine that he
and his wife began to work for the de-
fendant on the third of April last at $35
per month and board, and he quit on the
Sd of July because he could not collect
his wages. 1t was claimed for the de-
fendant that Young Vancelette had
borrowed 500 from Silas Jewett, father
of the defendant, with which to buy q
horse, on his note, and that the plain
tiff was to pay $25 every month out oi
his wages to pay the note. In the be
ginning S. w. Jewett & Co. had givel
the plaintiff a check for 800 on tn,
Middlebury National bank and it wa
used for paying for the horse. Th'
plaintiff claimed that mis- four months
note to the elder Jewett was I
personal matter between him and Mr.
Jewett and had nothing to do with hi
wages or the purchase of the horse
The amount of wages he claimed as du
was S7O.02. while the defense claime
. that they had overpaid Vancelette b
$29. 9.35.
Allen r. Sturtevant of Middlebur
was the attorney for the plaintiff an
Ira H. LaFleur represented the dc
fense. C. H. Lewis of Orwell was ar
pointed foreman of the jury and the
returned into court in about ten mir
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