Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 15.pdf/571

A STORY OF A RURAL SHIRE. BY HALE K DARLING. IN all New England there cannot be found hereafter set forth it will be seen that this idea a county seat that retains quite so much is wrong. of the old-time flavor as does the shire The then State's Attorney was William of Orange County, Vermont. Since 1796, Hebard, afterward a judge of the Supreme the town of Chelsea has been distinguished Court, and it is among his papers that the as the county seat; and although no railroad earlier letters herein referred to have been train has ever ventured nearer than thirteen found. miles and the village is shut in by high hills, The then presiding judge of the County it seems likely to remain the seat of justice Court was the Hon. Jacob Collamer, who so long as the present county lines of V>.rlater became widely known as Postmastermont are maintained. Ordinarily the most General and United States Senator. Nine placid of rural communities, when Chelsea days after Peake's death, Judge Collamer semi-annually entertains the Orange County wrote the State's Attorney: Court, it attains to something of the swirl "In relation to the case of Mrs. Peake, I and excitement of a metropolis. Whih the answer: You will summon the witnesses and court is in actual session, every day pursuits have the case fully prepared for the' next are at a standstill, and the village inhabit stated term of the County Court. It is not ants, male and female, flock to the Court the practice to appoint a special session or House, to augment the goodly delegations to call in another judge until a bill has actu already in attendance from other towns in ally been found; but it is right that the attor the county. ney should keep the judge advised of the Some seventy years ago, this worthy town state of circumstances that there might ar had a narrow escape from the disgrace of a rangements be made that a judge should be public execution, and while the story is in readiness if called on. As there is no press familiar in th:se parts it may be of interest j of business in your court, it is probable, if a bill were found, the trial could proceed the to outsiders. An aged fiend named Rebecca Peake, same term; but on that subject I have nothing at present to say, as 1 know not living in Randolph, was convicted of murder who will then be judges." in the first degree, at the December term, 1835, of Orange County Court. We learn The respondent was duly indicted, and was from the indictment that on August 12 of that tried from the twenty-third to the twentyyear she commenced mixing white arsenic in sixth days of December, 1835. The trial was presided over by the Hon. Charles K. a "certain hash," also in a "certain drink," to be eaten and drunk by one Ephraim Williams, Chief Judge of the Supreme Court, Peake, and continued so to do for four clays; and with him sat Judge Collamer and the and that in consequence of this course of two assistant judges of the County Court. The respondent was defended by the Hon. domestic science, said Ephraim ate, drank, languished and died, the latter stage being William Upham of Montpelier, subsequently United States Senator and one of the most reached August 20. powerful advocates of his day. It is now currently believed .that the vic As the court room was not large enough tim was the husband of the respondent, but to hold all who desired to attend the* trial. from certain parts of the correspondence