Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-03-27
Fight Anon. Odd Fellows.

The controversy which has been going on
for year or more between the Belfast and
Waldo lodges of Odd Fellows of Belfast over
the possession of Odd Fellows Hall in that
city eliminated last FRIDAY night in a fight.
in which weapons of various kinds. including
reviewers and cayenne pepper, were freely
uscl. On the evening of that day, between
the hours OF six and seven. civil writs of tres
pass were served on thirteen of the members
of Waldo Lodge who had possession of the
hall. The writs were issued on account of al
legged tre>paSs committed Il year ago; the
amount sued on e,ch is $500 Thns the lead
crs of Waldo LODI were temporarily gotten
out of the way, and the keeper of the hall
was arrested on a Justices writ of trcspass.
During the brief time that the Waldo men,
bers were in the officers charge. nine MEN,
hers of Belfast Lodge. armed with imple-
mcnts of destruction. went up the first stair
way in City Block and cut through the wood
en- door and made hole in the iron door
large enough to allow a man to pass through.
The man who thus gained an entrance re-
moved the braces. props. etc, that had Sc
cured the door, and the men passed through
the pas>ag '-wavs and up The next stairs until
;hey reached Il wooden and an iron door lead
ing to the ante-room; they broke the locks
and entered the anteroom. and from there
passed through into the hall. They next re-
moved the barriers that had been placed at
the UPPER door and erected barrirade.
Sheriff Baker now appeared on the scene
with writs of malicious trespass, and called
nut the names OF ten persons TO arrest them.
With the exception of two or three the men
appeared one bv one at the door and he took
the personal recognizance Of each to apper at
the police court Saturday at ten o'clock \.
VI. All but two of TIE Belfast Lodge men
got back into the hall one of those left out
was the General leading the forces: he was
prevented from entering by the sudden ap-
pearance in the passage of large number of
members of Waldo Lodge. The door had to
be closed up quick. and the siege began. The
sheriff demanded to go into the hall. and this
refused. At about 10 o'clock the "outs"
undertook to effect forcible entrance. They
beat against the doors with axes crow bars
/ etc . etc. and AS fast as a hole was made the
be,irgcd garrison treated the attacking
party to clouds of cayene pepper. shot from
an insect bellows. and to concentrated ammo
MIA elected from "A syringe. BY means of this
novel ammunition the outsiders were kept
from entering. And the sneezing in the pas
sage was appalling. At last the Waldo men
procured tack screw and braced it against
/ the door. and finally succeeded in making an
/ opening \ foet and a half wide. The lights
were turned down in the ante-room and the
| inside party could be seen but impertectly
| The bcsieyed party broke up stove and
some oyster bowls and used the pieces as
missiles. \ piece of iron came flying through
| the air and struck the sheriff IN the nose
cutting that organ somewhat. Sheriff Baker
/ then fired four shots from a revolver into the
/ room. but luckily hi. no one. The balls land
Ell acrn>s the antc-room from two feet to
breast high from the floor.
! At midnight the Navor and Citv Marshal
reached the scene of hostilifies and through
their influence the sheriff left. Thirty OF for
" members of Waldo Lodge were now sta.
toned rs guard in the passage to prevent in
grrss or cgress. The Belfast Lodge men
tack down their barricaie and went out and
captured the jack-screw. crow bars, &C. They
! then took another irun door and made bar
ricade stronger than the first The seven
men inside had kept out hundred men
headed by the sheriff and his deputy. When
the sheriff Withdrew. the intention was
"starve out" the garrison. But the two men
left out>i ie. who had been unable to get back.
found a way to communicate with their fel-
lows. The hall is in the fourth story, bur
one of the two men. during the night con-
trired TO throw ball of twin into the hall
Through fourth story window. and by the
lud'cinus use of clothes lines Geographic COM
municaiion with the defenders was opened.
and the belvaguered garrison was repienish-
Ell With provisions and more cayenne pepper.
There were no firearms on the inside. the
only ammunition being concentrated am
monia- CAYENNE pepper. old stove plate ana
crockery ware.
During the night there vas large crowd