The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-02-19
JUDGE RECALLED SENTENCES
When 1t Was Shown That Women Re
spondents Were Not Married.

Burlington. Feb. l9.--The recent raid
on the residence of the so-called Mrs.
Peter Phillips of First street, which re-
suited in the arrests and convictions OF
that woman and Mrs Hattie Young with
state prison sentences, besides the hold
ing OF William Davis and Peter Benoit
for county court in the sum of ST. 900
each, also the implication of hackman,
Joseph Litvin, held as an accessory be-
fore the fact, took a new and surprising
turn yesterday, when States Attorney
Hopkins ascertained TO his own satisfac-
tion that the two women in the case
were never married, although they had
plainly stated on the witness stand at
the time of their hearings that they
had husbands living. As the entire pro-
ceedings were based on the assumption
that the women were married, the pros
ecution had to begin all over again, and
all parties concerned were brought be-
fore the city court on new charges.
A peculiar feature of the case was
that the women did not seem to want
anybody to know that they were un-
married although had that fact been
known they could not have been prose
terry. States Attorney Hopkins went so
far as to telephone to st. Johnsbury,
where the supposed husband OF Mrs.
Phillips is now confined on complaint
for murderous assault. Peters told Mr..
Hopkins that he and the woman were
married but could not tell when or
where or give the name of the clergy
nan. Mrs. Peters denied that she ever
was married, but it appeared from what
she said that marriage ceremony had
been performed at a campmeeting in
Maine, but no marriage license had been
obtained. This was when the woman,
who was only IA at the time, ran away
from her home with Peters. She also
said that they did get marriage Ii
cense at Danville in this state, but she
really did not want to marry Peters,
because she was afraid of him and tore
the license up.
The necessary procedure was gone
through with yesterday afternoon to re-
call the cases and the sentences inn
posed on the women. which were. not
less than two nor more than four years
in state prison for each. The so-ealled
Peters woman was then arraigned on
charge of keeping house of i'll repute,
and the Young woman was prosecuted
ON general charge of unchastity. Both !
pleaded guilty and a sentence of not less1l
than one year nor more than year and
2 half in the house of correction was
imposed in each case.
The cases of Davis and Benoit, each |
having been held in 81 600 bail as princi- |
pals with the women, have already been |
entered in county court and win be dis |
posed of at hearing before one of the |
judges, when they will prob |
ably be released on their own recogniz- |
ances. Charges, however, were pre-
ferred against them in city court of |
having been the companions of immoral /
in violation of the city charter.
70 this they pleaded not guilty but were |
found guilty on hearing and were SEN
fenced to three months in Jail each |
They took appeals and furnished the
$50 bail required in each case. Then
he case against Joe Litvin, the hack
nan, who took the two men to the Pc
.ers house and was placed under 81 900
n charge of being accessory before the
act, was taken up. The charge was
modified to one of being an accessory to
Mrs. Phillips keeping the house of i'll
repute. He pleaded not guilty, was
'ound guilty, and remanded to jail pend
ng sentence.
Other Similar Cases.
Oliver. Labor and Cora O'Clair, the
after a married woman, were arraigned
n city court yesterday, charged with
Rotating the laws which have to do
With marital fidelity. They pleaded
suilty. The man was given not less
han two nor more than three years at K
he state prison in Windsor and the
woman not less than Is nor more than
a months in the same institution.