Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1855-02-17

and his relatives were wealthy. lie was also
Treasurer Of the County Bible Society, and
kept Bibles as well as barrels Of rum for sale
in the same dsiillery. There were other cir
cumsiances which awakened suspicions in the
minds Of the friends Of Mr. Stone, that he was
the person indicated by deacon Giles
There had been religious controversy carried
on for some time before between Mr. Cheeyer
and one Of the Unitarian clergymen in Salem,
which was supposed by some TO have influenced
the dream, or which at least, added fuel 10 the
FIRE.
The dream itself, whatever truths and facts
may have been here and there in,erspe rsed.
was highwroughi fiction of several columns
length. The distllery, the old building, was
pretty truly described, as being hideous witt
blackness, saturated with the fumes Of the in
fernal manufacture, so that the poisonous liquid
would oOze out in large standing drops from
all the iinbers, the sight Of which would
strike the beholder with terror. The use of
the distilled liquor was represented as having
made sad inroads upon the family Of the Dea.
con, one Of his sons having in state of intox-
ication been drowned in one of the vats.-
This. was one Of the strongest facts, dwelt up
on at the trial, as being literally applicable to
Deacon John Stone. In the dream, it was
represented that strolling company Of devils,
in the shape of men, presented themselves to
the deacon, who gladly received them as the
very company he wanted, to keep the fires go
ing night and day, Sundays and all, and pro-
posed to pay them partly in money, the remain
der in the manufactured liquor, as much as
they could drink They consented, but the
deacon's proposals went so much beyond their
views Of deviltry, that they concluded among
themselves not TO take any money in pay but
in lieu thereof they ingenionsly contrived to
play several tricks upon the deacon, which
would be sure to do him more injury than all
their labor was worth. Accordingly they so
prepared the Internal spirit, that when il was
sold and deposited 10 the store Of the purchaser,
each barrel would break out upon its head with
living letters of lurid light, in words substan-
tally like these-"Deaih and damnation for
sale-inquire at Deacon Giles Distillery," thus
frightening everybody from the store, till the
barrels Of rum were returned to the Distillery,
where they had to be empted-a dead loss to
the deacon.
The Dream was published about the middle
of the week-say Wednesday. Immediately
the numerous friends and relatives Of Dea. Stone
were in rage; and the principles Of Mr.
Cheever, moral and religious, being unaccepta-
BILE TO large majority Of the inhabitants Of Sa-
lem at that time, the newspapers all united ia
raising clamor, representing the Dream as
being one Of the vilest things ever published,
and the author hardly &, for civilized society,"
Although they did not openly and pretessedly
invite mob, they did the same thing in man
ner no, to be sunderstood-somewhat in this
style 1--WE should greatly regre, to have the
peace and good order Of our qniot town dis
tuTbed by mob, but il man will persist in
such daring manner to outrage truth and JUS
tice to the injury Of our most virtuous citizens
and the feelings of all--who could blame them
If they "a mob) should, in their honest indig-
nation, assail the offender and administer Justice
in summary manner Who could or would
do anything to prevent it :"
Thus they continued 10 fan the fame till Sat
urday, when the plan for mObbing was matured
and executed thus
Dea. Stones foreman, Ham, young man
Of giant size and strength, was selected as a
leader, to be accompanied by several others,
who accordingly, in the public street, in open
day, with canes or other weapons, attacked Mr.
Cheever, a snall-sized, infrm and feeble man,
who besides being clergyman, was profess
ed non-resstant, knocked him down and repeat
ed their blows till interrupted by others. The
excitement through the whole town was elec-
ltrcal and universal, and was mol luo,led, and
scarcely received any abatement for several
days. The Office Of the Landmark was attack
ed, and an attempt made to burn il down even
the editor of the Landmark seemed greatly in.
timdaied, and as an excuse denied that he had
ever read the Dream before it went tc
press.
Up TO the next Wednesday, not newspa.
lper had taken any notice of this extraordinary
and reprehensible movement except the Bos-
ton Recorder, which barely and timidly men.
toned, that there had been such an excitement
in Salem, and intimating that possibly the agi-
tators were carrying matters too far.
The Lynn Record was published the mex
Wednesday, four days after the attack. Tn,
editor, before writing on this subject, reflected
a moment with heavy heart on the crimina
cowardice, and remsness Of the newspapers, in
passing unnotioed snch an act of violence ane
breach of the public peace, and the heavy re
sponsibilily which might fall on him alone
and reasoned with himself thus-SiaH d
my duty on this trying occasion, or inglOriOus
iy shrink from IL, as all The Others hare done
TWILL DO IT--"fat justitia, ruat coelum."
With these views, after deciding to publisl
the Dream, in spite Of all the threats Of pros
: ecution, he sat down and wrote nearly col
umn and half, viewing the subject on all sides
and treating the representations and argument
of the Salem papers, sometimes seriously
sometimes ironically and sarcastically, and il
such manner as to make them appear irresst
: IDLY, and in high degree, ridiculous. Thi
d leading editorial was headed, "The Salem Out
: rage" thus throwing the responsibility on th
e fown Of Salem, and not merely on Ham am
$ his comrades, as the Salem journals had de
5 clared, that all the people there were of on
b mind on this subject.
I The article is too long for insertion here, bu
= something of the style, manner, and spirit Q