Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-01-01
ATTEMPT To SAVE
B0SW0RTH FAILS
Justice Watson Denies Petition
for Writ of Habeas Corpus
Execution Friday.

Montpelier Dec. 2s.--Justice John II
watson or the supreme court declined &c
entertain petition for n writ Of tabcas
corpus presented to him yester1a" after.
noon by ATTORNEY Ro'arI y. stevens oil
Hartford In behalf Of Arthur Bosworth
under penalty to de on the RalluNs il
the state prison AT Windsor next FRIDAY
for the murder of Mae Labclle of Essex
Junction on June Q 1911 1t was stated
that the petition was so entirely With
out merit that it was not signed
Until Friday night It was not definitely
decided whether to bring the petition be-
fore Judge Il. s. stanton in Windsor
county court Monday afternoon or direct
to member Of tho supreme court. Attor-
ncy stevens stated here that he brought
the petition before Justice Watson first,
- save time. in order that tho ha5cas
corpus matter might have full considers
ton, and second. because there was a
possibility that Judge Stanton on account
o. Illness might not 10 able TO reopen
court i'll Woodstock on Monday.
Judge Stanton, who was in town Satur.
day afternoon, rode TO Montpelier on the
same train with Nr. stevens, and dis
during the afternoon with Attorncy-Gcn-
oral Il. T.. Brown Of Burlington. but Mr..
B,cwn was not here or. the Boswortl
matter. and had no knowledge OF the
status OF the case outside of what an
r"ared in tn" newspapers. He was not
present when Mr. Stevens presented his
petition to Judge Watson.
Tn" action of Justice Watson breaks
another hope 70 save Bostworth's neck.
There is only one left and that rests with
Judge stanton, presiding judge OF Wind
sor county on whom notice was served
a DAY or two ago that a petition for a
writ OF habeas corpus was being prepared
ana would be presented to him Judge
stanton said Yesterday that outside Of the
notice he had no information about the
matter. and otherwise tho case was not
before him. The decision reached ny Jus
tlce Watson will no doubt have a great
bearing on the future Of the case. and
under the circumstances it appears i'm
probable that superior court Judge will
now interfere
BosWorths attorneys nave never held
out any hope that they would save him.
ana at most expected to secure a stay
OF execution in order 10 consider consti-
tutonhl questions which had been raised
IN" main point was that they claimed
BosWorth did not have a chance to pres
cnt his case for a communication of sen
t"nco before the Legislature of 1872. The
judiciary committee contend otharuiso
and say that date was fixed for A hear
ing but none OF Bosworth's friends an
pea red.
Bosworth. who is British subject. has
through his counsel. laid his case before
the British consul at Boston, but M to
cate no application for a stay of cxccu-
ton has been made by the British en-
oasSE' 1t is understood that the British
consul has referred the matter to an
eminent attorney who believes there is q
question whether or not BOaworth's full
constitutional rights have been conserv.
Cd but beyond that nothing has been
done
1t Ia said that Bos worth now docs NOT
want TO die and entcrtains a hone that
ne VIII nc given life Imprisonment, al
though his counsel have plainly indicat-
"a TO MIN that unless a stay was secured
through writ of habcas CORPUS his
chances are slim. His mother IN Eng.
iand continues her appeals to spare his
lie Governor Fletcher has already rs
fused to interfere. Secretary Of state
u w. Bailey Of Essex Junction closely
"'lo~ed the proceedings here yesterday.