Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-01-08
SL|CER ON TRIAL
FOR ALLEGED ASSAULT
COlOred Man Said to Have Shot
at Soldier During Alteration
Which Followed Army Mans
Call on Young Ladies One
November Evening

Luciel Sliger. a colored man, was placed
on trial in Chittenden county court yes
terday afternoon, charged with assault
with intent to kill soldier named Henry
i. Labounty on the night of November
80 last The case had preliminary hear
ing in city court short time ago. fol-
lowing which states Attorney Allen
Martin filed an Information against Sliger
in county court. The coored man is being
defended by j. J. Enright, Judge Sherman
X. Moulton presdes and9 with him on the
bench Is Assistant Judge c. IL. Hayden
of Riverside.
At the opening of the case yesterday
afternoon. the jury, at the request of the
attorney for the respondent, was taken
to the place where the crime Is said to
have been committed. near the corner of
First street and North Winoosh avenue.
and shown the various spots which would
be mentioned in the case.
According to the statement of the case
given to the jury by States Attorney
Martin Henry Labounty, who is a soldier
stationed at Fort Ethan Allen, came to
Burlington on the night of November %
last and got off the car at the corner Of
First street and North Winooski avenue.
He visited a certain house there and
called on some girls. When he came out
the city. He met two colored men, with
whom he had some words about the girls
on whom he had called. One of the colored
men, it is ALLEGED, fired revolver at him.
the bullet grazing his chin. The colored
men ran Later, Labounty identified the
respondent, Sliger. as the man who fired
at him.
| In a short statement to the jury, At
jtorney Enright for the defence said that
evidence would be brought in to show
that the respondent was not present at
the time the shooting occurred and that
If Labounty was actually shot, he did 1t
himself.
| James r. Porter, a civil engineer, was
the first witness to take the stand. He
exhibited a plan of the place where the
! shooting is said to have taken place and
Explained the details of the plan.
| Henry Lahounty, the soldier who Is
said to have been the victim of the shoot
ing. was next placed on the stand by the
State and told his story. He said that he
is 10 years of age and has been at Fort
Ethan Allen about five months. Coming
| to Burlington on the 18th of last Novem-
Der, he left the street car Mt the corner
of First street and North Winooski
avenue and went to the Pickering house
on First street, where he called on girl,
staying about half an hour. A fellow by
the name of Clarence LeBair went with
him.
! When Labounty came out of the house.
according to his testimony, he started
to walk along First street and met two
colored men, a large man and man
about his own size. The men stepped in
his way as he started to pass them. They
made some derogatory remarks about the
tel, h.. lac laft ,olt <inr
followed. in the midst of which one of
the negroes struck Labounty in the fore
head, while the other drew a revolver and
fired at him, woundng him in the chin.
He was taken back into the Pickering
house, where he was later treated by a
medical officer from the Post.
! On cross examination, the witness had
trouble in remembering how the negroes
We're dressed when he met them. He adj
United that he had gotten into trouble
at the Post since this shooting ARRAY,
because he had drunk some cider at
Winooski and it had made him sick. He
swore that he was not drunk on the night
of the shooting and answered in the mega
tive questions as to whether he had not
used some strong and obscene language
on the street when he was talking with
the colored men, and had not thrown his
ready for a fight. Labounty failed to
remember certain people whom the at
torney for the defence tried to call to his
attention as having been present about
the time the shooting is said to have
occurred.
The jury which will decide this case
is made up as follows: B. c. Hawley OF
Jericho. A. S. Hull Of Hinesburg. J. j
Chapman Of Hinesburg, NJ. C. Hill OF
Charlotte, A. A. Curry of South Buring'
ton, G. A. Steward Of Westford. w. L.
Stacy of Charlotte, Arthur Manseau OF
Winooski. L. A. Egan of Underhll, II. F
Saxton of Shelburne, II. Carl Mead OF
Underhll and c. Herbert Hutchinson OF
Jericho.
All the other jurors were excused unit
this afternoon at two o'clock when it is
expected that another case will be ready
for trial.