The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-08-06

The Enforcement Of the Liquor Law Resisted
by an Excited Mob.
An officer Beaten Almost to Death and His As
sailant shot and Arrested-Heavy Seizures
Of the Ardent by the State Constabulary.
LOWELL, Mass. August s, 1871.

LOWELL, Mass. August 6, 1871.
The "Spmdle city" IS just now considerably agi.
tated over a wholesale raid OF the STATE constabes
upon the liquor dealers. The excitement has not
been equalled since 1865, when the DrOhbitory law
hrst went into effect, and when $50 prominent liquor
dealers were brought before tho Police Court and
hneo Then, as now, the lower strata OF the pOpu-
la'ion were much excited by the proceedings and
threatened summary vengeance upon the officers
engaged IN enforcing the law. Early IN the present
week ConstabIes Morse, of Boston, ana Souther Of
Charestown, were directed to proceed 10 Lowell and
make certain seizures OF liquors They went armed
and equipped with papers pistols and pluck, first
calling at the largest liquor establishment in the
CITY OF Lowell or the county or Middle
seX-that Kept BY Patrick Dempsey, IN Lowell
strce.. Mr. Dempsey was absent but his
employees very civil to the officers
and made no objection to their proceeding with the
execution OF their warrant, which they did, SEEING
IN all some eight hundred gallons OF distilled
ifluor. But outside 1t was soon rumored what was
up, and crowd OF roughs collected, ready for a
row fight They began first TO pelt the
officers with stones, Mr.. SOuther getting hit
the neck and somewhat injured. Then the
driver OF the wagon containing the c0nfscated
property got pelted and Knocked or OF his seat.
OAiccr Morse went for the nan VINO hit the driver
and collared him. Then the crowd came uD pell
nell, breaking Morse's hold upon his prisoner. BY
tins time Soutier had come to his brother officers
assistance, aud just as he came fellow by the
name OF Michael Pender hit sou;ner over the head
with large hoe, the blow taking effect upon the
right side OF the face. AS he Eel his pis-
toll dropped and exploded. Morse quickly
seized the pistol ana for few minutes made things
red hot That crowd, he had In Others like 1t.
Drawing bead on the man Pender, who was rall-
Ing back after his assault on Soutner, he fred, the
ball entering the flesh or his right breas, ana pass
ing through his right arm near The elbow. The
crowd being al bay the JOB Of SEIZURE was completed,
ana at u later hour Pender was arrested for an as
saalt WIN deadly w 1o brongh; before the
Court. Ban furnished, for it soon got mOoted
about that all his family were down with the small.
pOy The prison folks didn't care 10 have 1t
spread over their walls very thick. IA fact, there
was something OF scare on this point and every
body gave Ponder wide berth. That ended the
give Birth to Subsequent proceedings stilI more
exquisite. Mayor Jones' Cnicr OF The ,onstabuary
force. was no, to be caught mapping. He was
sea meant big Sot law s sna one big s sas
understand that law could be enforced. lie ac-
cordingy detailed force OF fifteen Of his best men.
and accompanying them himself he Proceeded to
terday. He had previously notified Morse by
ior '' making seizures Ut number Of places.
and he was on hand with the documents.
In the city. 1t had become very generally known
That there was large force OF State cons.abIes IN
WouI;, not Know who stood next MIN Ia the crowd
Shortly after one O'Clock the Major breaks his de-
tail up INTO sezIng squads and they proceed, having
first been assured ny the City Marshall the MAYOR
Is proud to say that ne and his men should be fully
protected by the police force OF the city the
ton OF the law they had come TO enforce. Tins was
more than the Major expected. He was not accus.
toned to that sort OF Offical courtesy; hut what
took him back even more than this il possible, was
exnortatOu from large delegation of the best
otti Of Inn N n In
they would be at his right hand IN the courts"
Thus armed and protected he did so in. The
six OF the largest and most Gourishng es-
tabshmen.s III the city. were visited, ana
barrels, cans ana masks were seize tncrerrOm and
carted OF to the state storeroom Opposite the Wash:
Henry A. Moves, I5e Central street. wen-np-
Samuel d. Billings 100 Central street. another
well.iurnished barroom; liquors seized valued ut
James Collins. 6s Market street, bar and cigar
store: value Of liquors seized $3.50
Patrick Cummisky. 81 and SO Market street,
seizures amounting to $3.50.
valued at S225.
And last but not least, Charles w. Cheney, No. s
Middle street. whose place was gone through" for
an assortment OF intOXicants valued at $500.
Alter u twenty-lour hours Interruption the war
officers, who made seizures IN half dozen more
places. A portion or the officers an not assist IN
the except 10 IHIURlc III IHt CfpWu IOr inc
purpose OF arresting any persons VINO offered f0rci-
ole resistance. ne places visited were those
OF Jonn Fariin, Merrinac street; Charles W.
Cheney, Middle street; S. ID. Billings and
Henry w. n yes, Central street; John Wat.
son, Patrick CuIa:Isky and Patrick Lynch, Market
street. The largest seizures were made at the places
Of Mcssrs. CumInsky and Cheney. over 500 worth
was taken, the officers state at eacn place, AID
average OF $500 worth at all of them. NO OrciDle
resistance offered. The officers returned to
Patrick Dempsey's store, where the seizure was
made Yesterday, tor pair OF s6ids, when crowd
collected lng the entire street Tor long distance.
hOOting anu shouting. evidently ranking that
another seizure was to be mace. The liquors selzed
taken 10 stOrenOuse at the corner OF Central
and Church streets.
These will be followed up with the regular
prosecutions IN various forms AS lar as the law Will
60 Officer Morse beng lett on the grOund TO push
them FORWARD, lie, by the way. being strongly en-
dorsed, the Major says by many citizens.
He also adds that his men were warmly
seconded IN their efforts by the girls and
women IN which the city abounis, who
greeted the Officers with hu2zas and waving
handkerchlefs every time they approached the
house with confscated liquors. For the time this
Will probably DO. 1t Is enough at oil events to snow
that Major Jones intends to enforce the law In
Lowell, where he Is so well backed if In no other
cities or the Commonwealth Perhaps the Chief
Constable has selected Lowell for the purpose OF
holding his Office under Butler II that gentleman
should ever become Governor OF Massachusetts.