Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1867-05-17
The Homicide in Montpelier.

We call it a homicide, or the kill
ing OF a man, because we are certain
that a man has been killed here; but
we are not certain that wilful. ma.
licious murder has been committed.
1t is proved that two or three Irish
men, and three Boston Drummers
were in small row near the door of
the Village Hall. One of the Boston
chaps threw chair at the Irishman,
and snapped pistol which did not
go off. This was done, it is said, to
frlghten the Irishmen who were drunk.
The Boston men ran. Gibbons and
his comrade followed. 1t was very
dark. In a few minutes Gibbons was
stabbed in the side with dirk, going
entirely through his heart, and cutting
into the liver. He died in few mo-
ments. Who killed him? That's
the question. He was one of two or
three men. Most likely it is case
OF man-slaughter. There was no laid
plan, no money, no premeditated NAL
ice. The Irishmen were just drunk
enough to be ugly, to fight. One
might have stabbed the other, think
ing it was the other man. 1t was
simply a drunken row, in the dark,
just past midnight But, Patrick
Gibbons is dead-his wife is left a
widow with four young children, to
buffet the world alone, without hus-
band or father! there is a great
wrong-a great evil somewhere. No
doubt, Mr.. Gibbons himself, was in
the wrong. He is dead, and we would
tread lightly on the ashes of the~de
parted; still, if he had let Rum or
Whiskey alone-if he had transacted
his business here and returned home
to his family at early evening, in good
season, as it is every mans duty to
do-if he had kept good hours and
been at home with his wife and family,
instead of haunting these mean, low
groggeries, drinking and carousing at
midnight, &c, &C., he would now be
alive and well to enjoy life and sup
port and take care of his wife and
children. IF Costello, his comrade in
that night revelry, had been sober and
had gone home at dark, the fatal re-
suit might have been avoided. 1t was
late hours, midnight reveIing, rum
and ruin! Somebody. too, sold these
men the liquor they drank. and by
which they were Observation-Disclosures
ing that they were drinking men, and
disposed to fight when excited with
liquor Who are these men that sold
this liquor in violation of law, knowing
that it was to be drank, and that the
consequences would be evil and aw-
full? They knew that the OK was
wont to push with his horn, and yet
they turned him loose for the paltry
consideration of few cents, anticipat-
ing evil consequences. How can
these men who keep rumshops and
tippling houses, be held guiltless, in
the midst of such appalling evils ?
They know the consequences of rum
selling and rum-drinking, and yet to
crafty their avarioe and cupidity, they
sell that to their neighborS, which
does them no good, but much hurt !;
and all for the purpose of making
themselves richer, while those who
buy and use the liquor grow poorer.
Indeed, this entire liquor business is
carse, an abomination, as it is car
ried on. Ii has no parallel in the
world. Shut up the rumshops in
Montpelier and no such cases of mid
night rowdyism, revelings, drunken
ness, murders, and such like, either
would or could occur. "Know We not
that the unrighteous shall not inherit
the kingdom of God? Nor thieves,
nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor ex-
tortioners, shall inherit the kingdom
of God" l Cor. vi 8, 10, i. e.
while they remain such. They car
come into this kingdom only by re
penting and forsaking these, theil
sins. #ag M
i tits, indeed, matter of deep regret
that at the Capital of the State, where
there are no less than six Christian
churches, and as many pastors, some
influence can not be brought to beal
sufficient to shut up dozen or more
, liquor shops and groceries-some of
which are mere low groggeries! NJ
more than three or four grocerie;
ought to be allowed in the place
They are all that the public require
, At present, we do not know OF an,
, more than one or two reaL genuine
, temperance groceries in town. Will
: this state of things is permitted an
, encouraged, we must take the evi
> consequences of our wicked course.
We do not approve of the hal
: dance of that evening-not that W
think dancing wrong-but there hav
t been balls enough and dancing enoug
. during the winter. There was n
j. call for, no propriety in having
s ball at this season of the year. 1t
h the whole system OF grog shops
t dozen of them in the place-the nigh
revels and rowdyism, that we con
plain of. Every grocery in the plac'
) over three or four places for lunch,
i nuisance, and ought to be suppressed
f What can be the use or utility of NOR
d than three or four eating saloons
r such place as Montpelier? Gro'
le shops and drinking are a thousan
=, fold worse than dancing.
ls8 Since writing the preceding, "
learn that the Boston drummer
Swasey, has been liberated, and th
20 Costello, is held for trial on a chars
of manslaughter or murder, we do n
Eno,r, xr,h.ob bu tho ctranr f.o of a 4 u