Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-10-19
A WHISKY WAR.
Serious Trouble in a Canadian Town Over
the Sale of Liquor.

Serious Trouble in q Canadian Town VSet
the Sale of Liquor.
ToRoNTo, October l8.-J. NJ. Hamilton,
the County Crown Attorney of Sault St,
Marie, has been instructed to levy and
transport an armed force of sufficient
strength to oyerawe the rioters at MichIp,
coten.
The roughs who have caused the disturb
ance are employed on the Canadian Pacific
Railway construction. Wherever work on
that line is in progress the public works
act, which prohibits the sale Of liquor, is
enforced. The nsvies object to this and
aid the whisky peddlers in openly defying
the law. On an attempt being made to
suppress the traffic the liquor sellers called
in the assstsuce of the
Roughs and whisky Men
from Peninsula Harbor, and by their as
sistance the stipendiary magistrate was set
at defiance and serious riot had occurred
IN which revolvers were freely used and the
constables were shot. On the night Of Oc-
tober 9 several shots were fred after dark
near the quarters occupied BY Captain Bur
don, the Ontario magistrate, and those Of
Alexander Mcdonald, agent Of the railway.
No great importance was attached to the
fact but on the following day notice was
found posted in the neighborhood OF the
railway office, threatening death to McDon-
aid and other persons supposed to De con-
nected with him in the suppression of the
whisky traffic The notice was signed by
order of
The Vigilance Committee"
On the evening of that day simultaneous
attacks were made by about thirty-6ve men
upon the quarters of the magistrate and the
headquarters of the railway. Some two
hundred shots from revolverS and Winches-
ter rifles were directed into the building.
Some of the shots passed through the win
lows and lodged in the logs at the back Of
the house occupied by the magistrate. I'm
mediately afterward an attack was made
upon the lookup. The front door
vas forced open and three cell doors
wrcnched off and the prisoners set at lib
erty. Three newly appointed constableS
who were obnoxious to the whisky gang
we're shot at and two OF them wounded, per-
haps fatally. Notices were found placed in
positions where they would be surely seen,
announcing that the three newly appointed
constables would be killed unless they left
by the next steamer TOR Toronto. On the
next day another demonstration was made
Another intimation was given to the Cana.
IIan Pacific railway agent that unless he
opped his opposition to
The Whisky Traffic.
he woull be shot, No confidence could be
placed in any Of the constables on the spot,
and large majority OF the inhabitants, the
teamsters and others were in ysmpathy with
the Molly Maguires,' as they called them
selves. Even those not in sympathy with
them were afraid to come forward and give
evidence. As the local authorities were un-
harmed it was deemed advisable that the
local government should be appealed to.
The facts were duly brought to the notice
OF the local government at Toronto, by
Capt. Burden, who arrived here last night
and armed volunteers were sent TO Michipi-
coten As it is three days journey from
here; il is feared that blood may be shed be-
;ore assistance gets there.