The People's vindicator. [volume] (Natchitoches, La.) 1874-1883, 1881-10-08

An enterprising resident of Petersburg,
TO meet the wants Of his neighbors across
the mountains, leased q small strip Of
ground from the owners of the land
which cornered at the stone spoken of
and erected \ three-cOrnered shanty
thereon, the stone being in the center OF
the building. He then put up a bar in
the shape Of . triangle, one side of which
was in Vermont, another in Massachu-
sets and the third in the State of New
York. To save expense he took out
no license in this State, but laid in a
good supply of liquors. which he sold
by the drink or jugful, according to de-
mand. The fact that he was violating
the laws Of the commonwealth of the
old Bay State was reported to the au-
thOrities in due time, and a Constable
armed with warrant and a pair of
handouts was sent out from Williams.
town to arrest him. When the officer
arrived at the shanty he found a num-
Der OF the residents of Massachusetts
standing at the bar on their side of the
line, treating each other in true Yankee
style. The Constable stepped up to the
bar, and, pulling out his legal docu-
ment, hurriedly read the contents to the
dispenser of corn-juice, and added: II
arrest you in the name of the common
wealth Of Massachusetts and by virtue
of this warrant The bartender,
pointing to the corner. stone which stood
inside the counter, laughed in the face
of the New England peace preserver
and replied: "That's all very fine, old
man; but it strikes me that your war;
rant doesn't reach q man in the State of
Vermont, and l call your attention to
that official certificate that I'm out of
your jurisdiction" A few days after
the bartender received an official visit
from Vermont Constable armed with
warrant for his arrest for selling IL
quOr in that State. But the same tao
tics were employed as on the occasion
of the first COnstable's visit. The two
Constables not long after the last visit
happened to meet, and a plan was
agreed upon for the capture of the de-
fiant run-seller. The Vermont officer
appeared at the mountain top in dis
guise, and remained about the shanty
during the forenoon, drinking now and
then with those who came in to replen-
ish their jugs. About noon the Massa.
chusetts Constable arrived, and pro-.
ceeded to again read his warrant
and reached over the bar for his man.
The latter stepped into the Vermont
corner of his dOmicile, and just as he
did SO was seized by the Constable from
that State, but while the latter was pull
ing out his warrant and handouts the
New Yorker broke away from him and
got over into the State of New York,
where he was beyond the Jurisdiction of
both. After time, however, it came to
the knowledge of the authorities on this
side of the line that the man was selling
liquor without a license, and the war
rant was obtained for his arrest for vio-
lating the laws of the great Empire
State. When the Petersburg Constable
appeared upon the scene he found that
the man had removed his stock to the
Vermont side Of the house, and was re.
failing drinks in the State of Massachu.
sets. OF course, the officer was power.
less to 90 across the line to arrest him,
and he again escaped. The affair was
the talk Of the country for miles around,
but finally the officers of the three States
moved upon the shanty at one and the
same time, and the defiant rumseller
was now in hot water. He carried on,
the ''joke'' to the end, however, for
getting on top of the stone which stands
partly in the three States, he shouted
"Come on and divide me into three
parts, but III make it hot for the on,
that takes the two.thirds of me tha
don't belong to him!" He had, how
ever, taken too large a quantity of hi
own medicine to enable him to preserv,
! his equilibrium on top Of the stone, and
while still defying the Constables, h
fell off and role over into the State o
Massachusetts,, where he was secured b.
the officer from that State and taken Il
; Williamstown in triumph. The othe
two Constables concluded that tn
> liquor was partly in the State of Yer
mont and partly in the State Of New
York, and they made an equal division
each confiscating one-half of the stool
. in trade in the name his State.-Tro
Telegram.
\ q