SUIT OF LONG STANDING FINALLY SETTLED
Caledonia County Grammar School Case in Which Towns of Hardwick and Concord and the University of Vermont Were Involved
After being in the courts for a dozen or more years, the Caledonia County Grammar School case has been settled, and the towns of Hardwick and Concord and the University of Vermont paid $7,609.74, divided as follows: One-half by Hardwick, one-fourth by Concord and the other fourth by the University of Vermont. This was in the final settlement. Previously, Hardwick paid $2,000 in costs and altogether the expense to the town of Hardwick was reduced the fund left for the support of the library about one-half.
This case of first H.H. Powers and H.S. Peck, executors of the estate of Alden Jeudevine and others, against the trustees of the Caledonia County grammar school for bill and injunction. The case was first entered into court in November, 1912, and has been there ever since, until its record from term to term had come to cover two pages of fine type in the printed docket. This last November, almost 13 years to the day after its original entry, a decretal order for the defendants was entered and the case was left with Judge Julius A. Wilcox of Burlington as chancellor to issue the final order.
This order was received by County Clerk Albro F. Nichols, with a check with which to make the final distribution and Mr. Nichols is proceeding immediately to act the part of a veritable Santa Claus in sending out the amounts of the award to rightful owners.
The original suit was for $2,500 and the final award was for this amount in full, with simple interest from January 1, 1898, to December 1, 1925, together with attorney fees and costs, amounting in all to $7,609.74.
In this award, Peacham Academy gets $2,000, the heirs of the late Elisha May of St. Johnsbury and Mrs. Ida C. Bullard of Hardwick, as administrator and administratrix of the estate of the late B. E. Bullard of Hardwick, for attorney fees and costs, get $1,300. 50. Judge Harland B. Howe of Burlington gets $455.66 for attorney fees and costs. This make the total expense of the case in all its transactions in court amount to $5,609.74. This leaves a net award to the Peacham school of $2,000.
The case is now entered by Chancellor Wilcox’ order in Caledonia county court as settled and discontinued, and the chancellor’s order also stops any further suits by any of the parties in the suits over the matters now settled in this case. The case grew out of the alleged trespass of the late Alden Jeudevine in Hardwick, and later of Hardwick which had been set aside by various other people on lands used for school purposes, the avails from which were for the benefit of Peacham Academy. Suits were originally brought to recover the value of lumber alleged to have been taken from these school lands on West Hill in the town of Hardwick. Before the first suits were settled, Mr. Jeudevine died, and the late Judge H. Henry Powers of Morrisville, and H.S. Peck of Burlington as executors of the estate, entered the prosecution.
Back in 1913, the case was left with Charles D. Watson of St. Albans as a special master to find the facts and resort. In the presentation of the case before this special master, Judge Powers of Morrisville, Alexander Dunnett of Hardwick appeared as attorneys for the orators, while Elisha May and Hardland B. Howe, then of St. Johnsbury, and B. E. Bullard of Hardwick, were attorneys for the school. The late Z. S. Stanton of Roxbury was the chancellor at that time.
Long hearings were held at Hardwick, Peacham and elsewhere and the finding of the special master were announced June 29, 1914, and the first decretal order was made by Judge Fred M. Butler of Rutland at the next term of Caledonia county court, in June 1914. Later on the decree was reversed and the case remanded at the February term of the Supreme court in 1919, and has been footballing back and forth since that time, until its final adjustment which has just now been affected.
Since the case was first entered in court in 1912, at least a dozen prominent people connected with it, either as principals or as attorneys, have died, and the necessary complications of having heirs and others drawn into the controversy, has, of course, led to considerable and probably unavoidable delays.
Raymonda Parchment is a Hardwick Gazette reporter. She recently graduated from Vermont State University - Castleton with a Bachelor’s Degree in English. She is a strong supporter of freedom of speech, and the right to publish information, opinions, and ideas without censorship or restraint. She is a lifelong lover of the written word, and is excited to join the team as a staff member.
