The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1873-11-13


Gin PAlacss and XIII Its Proprietor.
Correspondenee'oethe New York Sun,
WHITEHALL. N. Y, Oct. ga
large number of laborers are employ
! ed in building the new railroad from
| here to Rouse's Point, and, gathered
from eYerywhere without reference to
1 morals, they embrace large proper
iHtien of drinking men. To their sur
prise and annoyance they found them
selves ia a position of enforced tenn
fperance, the se@eion Of country in
I which they work being governed by
rigorous pFohibifory laws. The an
supplied demand for liquof was very
lgreat, until Seymour BasseIt of White
Greek, Washington county, conceived
la plan for deliantly and probably
meeting it. He procured raft, upon
which he erected q hut. In this hut
he established q bar. fsThe Floating Q
Gin Palace, has the craft soon became
known, was fitted out about the first
! of September. and thereafter on every
pay day it was floated as near as pos
sible to where the Workmen were en-
gagged Bassett defied the Vermont
authorities, claiming that his craft
while floating on Lake UhampIaini
was not within their Jurisdiction. So
he drove a lucrative business, the
Iaborers crowding the raft whenever
it made lis appearance, aud drunken
broils always ensued. BY shrewdIy
thinning his trips he absorbed a great
/ portion of the mems pay and eluded
arrest. About two weeks ago the
raft was partially burned, presumably
l-by somebody who saw no other Way
to end its evil existence but Basset.
promptly rebuilt it, aud soon had it
/ in operation again.
To-day CORONER CLARK was summon
/ ed to hold an inquest on the body of
Bassett, who had been killed near
what is known as Fifteen lighthouse,
/ q dozen miles up the lake. The story
of The killing is this: After dark a
/ party of disguised men fowed silently
/ to Bassett's craft, which was anchored,
and boarded it. They found the bar
tender, George Wood, asleep. Before
! he could Offer any resistance or Fecoe-
/ nize them, they had bound and blind
folded him. After putting him into
their boat they fired the craft, which
twas soon ablazei with its cargo of bad
44ieuoTs, and commenced to row to the
shore. The lake at that point is mar
Nrow, and they had barely started, in
Il tCu04ns5 W lC0NC w OOu On L4O ShOE0,
when they were met by Bassett in a
boat. While at Renson's 4anding, on
the Vermont side, he had seen the
light of the burning raft, and had at
once started for the scene. Upon get
ting within range of the party of vig-
ilants, who were doubtless the same
who had partly destroyed his craft be-
fore, he fred several shots at them.
At last he came to within six or eight
rods of their boat. From the now
fsbrightly burning craft the Vigilants
had taken afloaded shot gun. One OF
them now fired upon Bassett with it.
He cried out that he was shot, and fell
back into the bottom of his boat.
They tEeRarowedI hdrFiedly to the
shore, frightened at the result of their
adventure, and went away, leaving
Wood behind. pThe latter finally sue
eeeded in liberating himself, and reach
ing Bassett, whom he conveyed to
Bens0n's landing, where he died the
next morning. e ~
The bafkeeper says that more than
one shot was fred at Bassett, aud that
he can identity three of the party, who
numbered fourteen and were all
masked. Bassett was twenty-six
years of age, and had amassed con-
siderable sum by his illicit liquor traf-
| -ie with the WoFkmen on the railroad.
No arrests have yet been made.