New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-06-06
THE RIOT AT PORTLAND.
TRUE VERSION OF THE AFFAIR.

ing. that the riot in Portland is strangely mis-
represented. The facts are briefly these; On
May Committee was appointed by the Board
Of Aldermen, consisting of the Mayor and two
members Of the Board, to make the necessary
arrangements to open the Agency for the sale OF
LIQUORS in accordance with law. The Commit
tee accor dinghy made the arrangements and pur-
chased the liquors.
The Argxs and State of Maine of Saturday morn
ing stated that Mayor Dow had purchased these
LIQUORS without any authority, and that the po-
lice ought to seize them end spill them In the
streets The inlammatory appeals Of these two
papers excited the mob which, set on by these
papers and the remarks Of some men of inhu-
ence. rallied to destroy, as they said, Neal
Dow's rum. Meantime the liquors were seized
by an officer Of the City, be having received
warrant from the Court for that purpose Inc
,iouors were in the custody Of the ofiicer, but
This did not satisfy the mob; and they accord
;nelv assembled and assaulted the building,
broke the windows and attempted to force open
the door. They were repeatedly warned to de-
sist for the space of two hours or more. The
riot act was read, and every effort made to dis
suade them from their course. The military
were called out, and the mob assaulted them
with stones and brickbats. 1t was found impos-
sible to quell the tumult, and the order was
given to FIRE. One man was killed and severai
were wounded. The rum-papers of that CITY
have greatly misrepresented the material facts
in the case, but you will find true statement
in The Advertiser Of Monday. have given you
the facts substantially; and it will be seen that
the liquors were not purchased by the Mayor
on his own account, but strictly in accordance
with the law. AN EYEWITNESS OF THE RIOT.
Es,e- York, June 5, 1885,
The Portland (Me Advertiser Of Monday morn
ing, June a, contains the following particulars of
the late liquor difficulty in that city;
The STATE Of Maine of Saturday had an article
which pretended to give report of the proceedings of
The Board Of Aldermen 1t stated that Alderman Ring
announced the arrival of liquors for the City Agency
which had not been established, and inquired who the
purchaser was-tbat Mayor Dow acknowledged he
had purchased them for 81 600, which he had paid
that they were his private property and did not belong
to the CITY, and so were liable to sezure-aDd that
appropriation had actually been made and the liquor
was ia the sole ownership of Mayor Dow and in his
possession.
These are the assertions of the editor, given in the
inaammatory style which he has seen fit to indulge in
for some time past.
Now these the FACTS:
Ar early as the third day of May, the Board of Al
dermen parsed vote appropriating room IN the
City Hall building TO the of the Agency for the
sale of liquors. and chose Committee OF Three con-
sistipg of the Mayor and Aldermen Brooks and Garlic
ton to make oil the necessary arrangements forputtng
the Agency into operation. To facilitate matters
against the time when the room should be ready, and
as being strictly within the line Of their duties, the
Committee negotiated with an importer in New-fork
for the purchase of liquors in the original packages
stating in what capacity they acted The liquors were
finally sent, invoiced TO the "City Agency OF Port
Gland" which invoice has been accepted by the Alder
men, Whatever has been done by Mr.. Dow, has been
done under this vote of the Board Of Aldermen passed
May g. 1858 a member OF the Committee appointed
by the Board and in conjunction with the other men,
bers He neither bought the liquors ON his own ac-
count nor paid the money for them kept thom In
his own possession-but he acted throughout as
member Of this Committee regularly appointed by the
Board Of Aldermen. Thus the liquors were obtained
in the manner required by law, were received and
taken in possession the law provides, and for the
use and benefit of the city.
The assertions Of The State of Maine therefore as far
IA they conflict with the above, utterly groundless
and false.
But in the present state of the public mind it was
natural that they should be seized hold OF by those
preiudced and personally interested against the Liquor
Law and made the basis Of a strong excitement. Such
persons were given to understand that Mayor Dow,
while enforcing the law against them and their friends,
himself violating lite provisions IN buying liquors
on his own account, receiving and keeping them with
the intent Of unlawful sale-was, in fact assuming the
business of rumselerl This announcement, follow
ing the inamatory acSounts OF seizure and outrages
which had appeared for some time IN that paper
calculated to stir the disseminated element of pop
ulation TO dangerous pitch. The Argus also Sat
urtay morning made similar assertions ia too much Of
no same spirit eymeed by The State Of Mare, and
10 seize Neal Dow stock OF liquors aud pour them
1" INTO the street,
We sincerely hope that these journals were free
from any conscious design tn bring on the fatal catas
trophe OF Saturday night but in the canness OF SOL
emn conviction we must place the above published
assertions in the train OF events which led step by step
10 that catastropheand leave every reader TO esti-
mate their importance according TO his own Judgment.
Another fac; must not be overlooked. The records
of the Police Court show that the business of rumsell
ing is mainly confined TO our Irish population.
As the enforcement of the law has narrowed the
Der engaged and threatened the probable extinction
Of the traffic, they have begun attempted resistance 10
the officers who were acting in the discharge of their
duties And Saturday forenoon there three cases
of this kind before the Police Court in which the de-
fendants bound over TO the Supreme Court. The
Irish were present in large numbers and manifested
much excitement of feeling though nothing was done
70 break the peace at that time.
In the afternoon Immediately the opening of the
Police Court, Royal Williams; Joshua Stevens and
Alvin s. Dyer appeared before the Court for the pur
pose Mr.. Williams stated of making complaint
hs possession They were accompanied by officer,
lMr. Brady and there soon appeared in the Court
room dozen fifteen of citizens well known as
bitter opponents Of the Liquor Law. But the Judge
looked into the law and Satisfied himself in moment
that his duty under the circumstances was explicit and
tlprpforp mt he cnro-