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CASE OF INTEREST IS DRAWING 'TO A CLOSE IN THE SUPERIOR COURT.Wednesday morning, in the Superior court was spent in the examination of important witnesses on the defense in the'suit for libel brought by Arthur , .H. Board man, of Cromwell, against his fellow townsman, Baniel Sullivan. -'Couci convened at 10 o’clock and the first witness to be called was George S. Butler, of Cromwell. Mr. Butler .has lived in Cromwell -318 years, and while he. holds no office in that town at present, he certainly has had experience .in guiding the affairs of state in the place, which takes its name from the illustrious usurper of history. He has been successively constable, collector, assessor, selectman, representative and justicp of the peace.Attorneys Culfver and Haines are conducting the case for the prosecution, and opposed to them is Cornelius J. Danaher, of Meriden, president of the Connecticut Baseball association. The case is soniiething more than a libel case between two men. It is, the public airing of certain neighborhood quarrels and ill-feeling that have been in existence for many-generations, and w'bich seem to assert themselves at'.' any provocation.Mr. Butler was on the stand for nearly an hour and. a half, and testified that he qualified for the office of first selectman on the: 5th or 6th of October, 1903, arid that work on the Pasco hill road was begun at his direction and that .of Mr. Pierson, the other selectman, a few days afterward. The survey used was obtained from a predecessor in office. * Mr. Butler then negotiated the purchase of lands from Michael Kent and Mr. Jackson.. Th length of Pasco- hill is about a mile and the length of the new road, which left the old road and- circled the hill, is about 1,200 feet. The witness testified that the total expense of the road exclusive of the expense incurred by the injunction was less than, $750, and That the greatest' grade was 7 1-2 per cent., During thfe first month the work was going on, Butler -was the only -selectman who had qualified. He testified that prior to November 2nd he had a speaking acquaintance with Arthur H. Boardman, and that on that date he carried him in his own rig to Pasco Hill and pointed out. the work being done. Boardman asked the source of his authority for proceeding with the-work, and aiso about the teams that, were being used, calling Butler’s atten* t'ion to the fact that he had a. pair of horses well suited to act. as leaders for the road machine.. Nothing further in the matter was said * by Boardman prior to the injunction. • Frank A. Pierson was the other selectman, and he expressed his hearty approval of the work.: The injunction hearing was held the 14th and 16th days of November. Witness-testified that the expense of the hearing was from $90 to $100, bringing the total expense of building the road above the $400 mark;The cross examination was conducted by Mr. Culver. He attempted to establish the fact in the minds of the jurors that the injunction had been made against Butler himself and not against the town, by asking on what grounds, he had subpoenaed witnesses, and the! expense charged to the town, -and. al^o by questioning the other items Appearing in the expense ac-•eocounti. ^' To all of which the witness answered that, he acted simply as the first selectman.of the town of Cromwell, and that he never understood that any action had been brought against him personally. The witness’ own expense item of.over $200 he explained as having been for the romoval of dirjt from the roadway already plowed and lying in such a manner that ajraki would have -washed it into a woman’s house.The witness then asked the reason ; for calling of special town meeting ' if everything had been done according to law, to which the answer came, that Judge Elmer had desired to learn if it w;ere the will of the people of Cromwell to have the road built. To the question, “Why had nothing been done by your predecessors about building the road?” the answer was. “I do not know.”The next witness called was the defendant, Daniel Sullivan.,Mr. Sullivan has lived in West Cromwell for 14 years and is an employee of the American Bridge company of East Berlin. On direct examination, things ' went smoothly enough. Attorney Danaher has a method of asking leading questions that keep his witnesses going along'swimmingly while they are in his hands. The witness described . the situation and character of the new .road, and stated his interest in the matter and what-he had •done to further the project. All of this was in corroboration of the defense’s previous testimony. Concerning the special toWn meeting held after the injunction, witness quoted Judge Elmer as having said: “You people go home and have a. special town meeting and see if for once the people in Cromwell can agree. Let no personal spite come in. Don’t bring up personal matters and don’t try to raise a disturbance.” It was on account of this advice that the witness had introduced a motion for the resignation of Boardman from his position as third selectman.•Judge Haines conducted the cross examination and grew strenuous over the personal interest of the defendant in theSiew /-oad around the hill. The witness admitted- that his private in-NO GREAT INTEREST MANIFEST- 1 ED IN PROPOSED AMENDMENT./The hearing before the committee on cities and boroughs in reference to making the offices of chief of police d and chief of the fire department of •} Middletown, permanent,-will- be held on Thursday afternoon at 2 o’ciock. i It j is thought there will not be a great ■ deal of opposition to the proposed t measure as it passed the council. The \t office of chief of police is now practic- -r ally permanent and the only feature , that this measure will add to the reso-’ ] lution.is to give the chief of police an j opportunity to appeal to. the -Superior j court from any decision of the conn- r cil, should occasion ever arise when j. he thought there liad been unjust ac- , tion.. In tne case of the chief of the fire department the office as at present is for one year at a time, tipon appointment. Representative Moore has consistently opposed the plan from the ' start, but it - is not generally known w-hat the extent of his opposition will be before the committee hearing on , Thursday. The members of the old * fire committee and the city attorney a have been appointed to further t.he interests of the measure. tterests in the construction of this T r.oad' was that, h*-.owned land that ' would thereby be made more-valuable. I Judge Haines attempted to'establish the fact that Sullivan had worked in an c underhanded manner to get the road G through his land., rABOUT THE CITY - aT. P. Bill made 'his first business trip out of town today sinc-e his recent illness.Forest Ciry dance at Armory, Thursday, Feb. 16. Admission 25c. 152,Dr. S. Mary Ivtes has returned -from. • Philadelphia, where she was called on account of -the .serious illness of her brother.There will be a chicken pie supper ■with other eatables. Thursday, the 16ih, at the Guild House, All Saints’ chapel, from 6 to S o’clock.Public reception of Monaghan T Drennan’s dancing class. Orpheus hall, Thursday. Feb. 16th.' Admission 25c. I Tuttle’s orchestra. ' „ , 152 iThere will be a meeting of the Union b society of tue South 'church in the t social rooms on Thursday afternoon r at 3 o’clock. i; Don’t fail to attend the, ball given t by the E. H. V. Company employees 3 this evening. A party from the Elec- f trical Vehicle company of-Hartford a will also attend. , 152 fIn the Superior court, this morning ' Attorney G. B. Carlson appeared be- j fore Judge Thayer and was .made a t commissioner of the Superior court. s L. P. Burr of Higganum. has sold t to Maj. Appel, of Ben venue, three of % his handsome, thoroughbred Barred Plymouth Rock cockerels. The ma* ] jor evidently intends to raise some r choice fowl for his famous chicken j suppers. fDo you believe it? A dollar’s worth T for 50c. We'll prove it to you at j Duncan 'McIntosh's. - Sep .adv. j52 i Railroad Commissioner Wilcox, of j-Chester, was in town today on a busi- -j ness trip. ' fThe ladies who are to take charge of f tables at the coming “Bazaar,” also s the ladies who are canvassing will -j meet in the convent parlors, Thursday ;' evening at 7.30. ^Jgmes J. Dwyer, of Bristol. Ct.. was y placed as stenographer with-ihe.N. Y.N. H. II. R. R., New Hayen. Monday. 'by Connecticut Business college. .’ 152The usual mid-week.services will bq held at the North, Methodist and South churches this evening at 7.30, 1 to be fololwed at the North church.by; a meeting of the -workers in the Sun- n day-chool. Mrs. Mary A. Bradley will speak of some of the schools she visit- e ed-on the Pacific coast. The leader ^ at the Methodist church will be John k A. Dodd, i I■ Grand ball given by the E. H. V. €a r employees at the Armory, Wednesday y night next.Tickets 25 and 50' cents. 152 r • The off horse in the pair of bays 1 used on the hose wagon is temporarily lt;laid off duty at. headquarters. The horse returned from. a; fire on Tuesday , apparently all right, hut when return-j ed to his stall after the noon alarm t showed symptoms of lameness. The J f horse was relievedof-duty and givenM s the attention of Dr. Parkhyrst. Noth- i £ ing very important is thought to be ! the matter with the animal. r j ?Pleading Musical Lecture. *■ ; 1'Prof. Surrette's lecture on Schubert was] ^ an hour and a half of pure* delight to all j f lovers of music present in Russell Id- I 1 brary hall on .Tuesday night.. j It was this and it was more than this, j K It- was a scholarly and forceful- present i tation of the place of music in the world • and the appeal was made to the under- | standing in non-tecimiaal .terms, so that a person without decided •musical-tendon- 1 cies could get pleasure and profit. • I 1It is supposed that the most musical i I would imagine that they got the most out | 1 Of the lecture, but it is thought .-this is a .1 mistaken supposition. The lecture open- 1 ed a new world of thought to some who f are not decidedly musical;- and it is here { that the lectures will: do the greatest amount of good. All have music in their f souls. Mr. Sourette interprets this voice- t less something within through its connection w-ith the world -of tone and son-ld i in which the great masters have made £ such wonderful combinations.Edgerton Fund Growing*.Cashier -William H. Burrows of the lt;Middletown National Bank! treasurer'of the Edgerton free bed fund, states-that 1 thus, far $1,943 has been contributed to- 1 wards supporting a bed in the Middlesex ■ Hospital, in memory of the late Dr. F.D. Edgerton. Funds can still be sent to 1 Mr- Burrows.. ,Government Weather Report. . JNew Haven, Feb.-15.—Fair to-night-and Thursday. - . *■
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The Penny Press
Middletown, Connecticut, US
Wed, Feb 15, 1905
Page 2
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USA 08 Mar 2024
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