History of Saginaw county, Michigan; together with ... portraits ... and biographies ... History of Michigan ...

318

HISTORY OF SAGINAW COUNTY.

Davenport. This was done in the mildest manner and without all
the formalities which now characterize its administration. It is
said that even the revenue officers, stationed in the district to prohibit the introduction of contraband stores, paid less attention to
the duty which they owed to "Uncle Samuel" than to that which
they considered due to the little commonwealth of Saginaw. Consequently they received rare presents from the captains of Detroit
boats and were always far away, when the wily Detroit man sailed
up the river to land his cargo, or, if present, merely took a cursory
glance at the ship, pronounced it all right and left the lake captain to pursue his way unchallenged. Neither did the law preservers regard those proceedings with any great disfavor. They
shared in the hospitality of the revenue officer, and the result
was such as might be expected.
The Court journal begins with the chronicle of the October session of the Circuit Court in and for the county of Saginaw, held
at the school-house at Saginaw City, Oct. 24, 1837, Hon. George
Morrell, Circuit Judge, with G. D. Williams and P. J. Gardner,
Associate Judges.
The first grand jury sworn comprised Eleazer Jewett, Jas. J.
Malden, Geo. Davis, Obadiah Crane, Artemus W. Bacon, A. F.
Hayden, Eleazer Miller, Sidney S. Campbell, James Frazer,
Thomas Simpson, Harvey Williams, Joab Lull, Humphrey McLean,
Asa Hill, Duncan McLellan, Roderick Vaughan, Phineas Spaulding, John Brown, Nathaniel Foster and Geo. Youngs.
Edward McCarthy and Anthony R. Swarthoutwere summoned on
this jury, but were not present. Thomas Simpson was appointed
foreman, and as such was empowered to subpoena and swear witnesses. These preliminaries having been observed, the jury retired to consider presentments in charge of Deputy-Sheriff Allen.
The petit jury, sworn the succeeding day, comprised John
Simpson, Peter Guillott, J. B. Truesdell, Charles A. Lull, Benj.
McLellan, Benj. Cushaway, James McCarthy, Thomas McCarthy,
Stephen Benson, Harvey Rumville and Weston G. Elmer.
Albert Miller, John B. Desnover and Benway Tromble were
summoned, but did not appear.
The first cause brought before the court was that of Humphrey
McLean vs. John B. Desnoyer represented by Attorney. G.
Watson; the second was that of John Todd vs. Moses Maynard, jr.,
in which Attorney Watson represented the plaintiff. On the
second day of the term Samuel G. Watson was appointed district
attorney pro ten. The causes presented for trial on that day were:
Joseph J. Malden vs. Elisha Rice; John C. Tibbetts vs. Nath.
Bennett, Gardner D. Williams and E. S. Williams; Isaiah Hall
vs. Duncan McLellan; John Brown vs. same; and Harvey Rumville vs. same. Those law cases were simple in character, yea, a
few of them were continued from session to session until the
most ardent lover of legal delay was disposed to retire from the
court and forswear all litigation. During the early years
there is not one case of a criminal character on record; but as