Smyrna times., 1855-06-13
THE PORTLAND RIOT.


that many of them published CARRIED accounts
of the affair, evidently with the intention of
the minds of the people against the
law and its great advocatc-Neal Dow. Mayor
Dow has been tried and honsrably acquitted.
The liquor was purchased in accordance with
The whole affair was caused by the papers 10 |;
the interest of the rum fraternity. The Arg rus
and State Of Maine. published infamatory
articles against the Mayor and what they term
ed "his speculatons in whiskey," and thus ex-
cited the opponents of the law until they be-
came riotous and uncomfortable, A carefully
compiled account of the transaction is given in
the NJ Y. Tribune.
The Prohbitory Law. as it now exists in
Maine, provides for the establishment by each
town, of a municipal agency for the supply of
liquors for mechanical, medical and sacramental
purposes. In compliance with this provision,
the Common Council of Portland on the Sd
ult. or a month before the riot, appointed
committee consisting of the Mayor and two
Aldermen to procure the requisite stock for
resolution appointing the committee was passed
by the Mayors casting vote, but we do not see
that this fact if it be fact, is of any great
Importance. In the discharge of their office,
the committee bought from an importer in this
City quantity of wine and liquor in the orgi-
nal packages, and had it duly forwarded to Port
land. The purchase was consummated and
the invoice was made in the name of the City
Agency of Portland, Mr.. Dow having no per-
soral interest in the me chandize whatever; !;
but the two chief rum-selllng journals of the
town, The Argus and The State Of Maine,
seeing in the arrival and presence in the city of
these liquors, an excellent opportunity to assaH
both Mr.. Dow and the Prohibitory Law, did
not hesitate to assert that the purchase had
been been made by him for his private account
and with the intention of selling the liquor TOR
his own profit in violation of the law, with
whose origin and execution he has become
identified. These assertions they backed up by
violent appeals TO the passions of that ignorant
and rejudced part of the community-chiefly
Irish, as we are toldz-whose trade of rumsel-
ing Mr.. Dow and the Law had essentially in
terfered with. To the inaammatory course Of
these journals the subsequent occurrences are
in great measure to be attributed.
On Saturday afternoon one Royal Williams
appeared at the Police Court, with two Other
well-knOwn foes of Prohibition, and made aft
davit that Mr. Dow had these liquors in hi.
possession, as they had reason to believe, will
the purpose of selling them in the State con
trary to the law. Hereupon the Judge issued /;
warrant. and an officer proceeded to the base
ment of the City Hall where the liquors wer,
stored, and seized them Irbeng now late il
the afternoon the officer did not arrest tn,
Mayor for trial, but left that part of his duty t,
be discharged on Monday morning.
AS the officer took possession Of the liquor
: noisy aud violent crowd assembled around th,
City Hall. demanding that the liquors should b.
delivered to them. This the officer of cours
refused to do. But the crowd increasing an,
becoming more excited, at about 8 o'cocl
a small force Of policemen, armed wit
pistols, entered the room where the liquor
v were. The mob had now begun to break tn
windows, and though repeatedly warned I
desist and dsperse by the marshal. the Sheri
and the Mayor, who told them that persstenc
in the attack on the building would endange
their lives, and though the riot act was read
they continued their hostile demonstration
: rushing at the door with a view to break
:. down and get at the liquors. After the FIRE
rush upon the door, which proved too strong t
: be shiveted by the assault the police fired thei
pistols over the heads of the assalants. Th
reply to this discharge was Of course a secon
. onslaught upon the door, which was met wit
genuine bullets from the Police But this di
not suffice 10 disperse or repel the infurate
rioters, aud at about III o'clock or after, whe
the riot had been in full progress for three hour
!. and further delay would have been culpable,
company Of rifemeA were brought up, Ii
), Mayor at their head. They fired in squads
- tour, and not more than three or four such vo
. leys were required to scatter the mob and su
n press all attempts to break into the City IIai
Z At midnight the whole affair was over. Or
s. man only appears TO have been killed and seye
II or eight wounded
Such are the simple facts of this affair as v
IL have them on the authority of eyewitness
nv and from the calm and unimpassioned report
he The Portland Advertiser. II does not appe
". that the Mayor was in any respect guilty
or hasty, injudicious or cruel action during al
a part Of the proceedings. Indeed, if the auth
er rites erred at all. il was in the lack of decis
ch severity at the outset. The firing of pistC
he over the heads Of the mob seems to have be-
in an ill-judged measure, and 10 have stmuat
to rather than checked the attempt to storm 4
m. City Hall. When riot has got 10 such pa
be that the disposabe police force are not suficie
Dr.. TO arrest and imprison the ringleaders and
By disperse the mass, it is not well either TO i
- blank cartridges or % shoot over the heads