The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1886-07-08
THE Shackers. I"

Hunter, of MachaS, in Forest and Stream.
| Dr. Hunter is one of those who believe in pre-
serving game for the sport of men who do not
need it. He hates 'Shacker' or anybody
who kills a bird or an animal for any other
reason than mere sport. This is his story:
Wesley is situated 20 miles northeast from
Machias, on the border of the great Machias
woods, the best deer park in Maine Tradition
tells us that turbulent spirit was early deyel-
oped in one portion Of Wesley, and this spirit
has steadily increased with the growth and
decay of the town until the present time One
of the first acts of awle>sness was the attack
ON sheriff Iapgood by several men dressed as
Indians, who fired several shots at him, one
bullet passing through his hat, and clipped his
horses name and tail and then burned prop
erty in his custody which had been taken for
debt. Years rolled on, and the better portion
of the community formed church and had
good schools. and the town prospered. Smart
| men and women were reared in this town, an
honor to county and state; but many of these
sought their fortunes in other lands never to
return, while on the other hand, those of the
lawle>s party were sure to return, and in some
The population in 1880 was 1872; now it is
about 30. This emigration has changed the
! character OF the town, throwing the balance OF
power, by small majority, into the hands of
the !awless, or as they say, 1.-The Shacker's
rule" Better families cannot be found in
Maine than some of those living in Wesley,
but al this time they are at the mercy of their
fraternal enemies.
SCORE OF YEARS AGO
! this turbulent spirit. which was continually
warning with the better element of society,
came prominently TO the surface at the break
| ing out of our civil war. They formed com
/ pany. drilled, and prepared to resist recruiting
and the draft-to use force if necessary. The
draft came. and they resisted, killing Lieut..
Edwards. deputy provost marshal. while in the
/ discharge of his duty. and then they fled into
/ New Brunswick. This was the most cruel
murder in Maine during the war, and showed
depravity of hearts not equalled or surpassed
/ by any criminals in the United States. No
effort was made to hunt out and punish these
/ criminals; officers died or moved out of the
state. witnesses were scattered, and finally one
/ by one the outlaws returned; but they We're
not good citizens, for they We're even ready to
engage i'll any pursuit laWless or otherwise,
that would give promise of remuneration.
| They made most adroit smugglers, and gave
much trouble to officers of the government.
! They plundercd the land owners. taking vessel
| knees and >hingle rift wherever they could
lind 1t. They set fire to timber and through
malice. plundercd logging camps, and, when
ever offended, set fire to mills, barns. houses
and such other property as the torch would
destroy. This is the history of that lawlcss
spirit as it comes down through the different
generations to the present time, and now for
the first time has the law stepped in to restrain
or quell 1t. Formerly, whenever the law was
| invoked, perjury would clear the criminals;
for that reason honest men stunned the law.
and matters We're allowed to drift on to de-
>truction. as the rapid depopulation plainly
! demonstrates. In 1884 complaint was made
that Wesley parties We're killing deer for the
! market NllmOt Thompson caught WILDER
| Day and younger brother in the act and made
complaint. Day was indicted, but escaped
arrest until March. 1880, when two wardenS.
Pcttin@a and Mun>on, succeeded in arresting
and putting in Jail this most accomplished
poa"hcr. lie was tried at Calais, convicted.
and gave bonds for his appearance at court at
Maclla> the following October. This made the
| Stacker band furious, and they determined to
use their own language. TO 'clean out the
whole thing at any cost The two active
leaders, Wilbcr Day and DeyereauX FenaSon,
ravcd about town like mad men, armed with
rifles, pistols and knives, hunting, they said,
| for the I'd wardtns.'' Others met them at
night and made plans for mischief.
THE SEARCH FOR THE sIACkEHs.
Complaint was made in May that parties
4 We're hunting and killing deer on the Race
1 grounds, selling them for one dollar each to
! broil for feed for hens and to make into com
| post Warden> Thompson and Munson were
| sent to catch the villains, and We're attacked in
the woods by Fenla>on and another Stacker,
1 VINO Is now good protectionist. The war
/ delS, being well armed. escaped uniniured.
| These two fellows We're arrested, tried before
Justice Wilder of Machias and put under bonds
| to Keep the peace. Soon after demonstration
WAS made on Munson's house. next his garden
was DESTROYED in the night and his apple trees
| girlled. Then more threats were made On
July Il, Mun>on had business at Machas.
| Which would take him from home over night.
! ME-. MunSon. a> USUAL when her husband was
I absent, was expected to stop at her fathers,
| Mr.. John IL. Gray. about one-half mile from
| her own house. After milking the cow, feed
liz the pig. and locking up the barn and the
| house. MIS-. Munson went to meeting and from
! there 10 her fathers house. This was the OPP
portllnity for the Shackers. They put out their
guards. and after they were sure all was quiet,
! Day and ' ance broke open the door, drove out
| the COW and fed her with Paris green and meal
! then left for home, about three-fourtiS of
| mile from MunsOn's. Then Fenlason left his
| beat and touched Il match 10 hay in the barn:
others had previously keroscned the house and
| shed. 1t was proven at the trial of both Day
and Fcnlason that about one hour elapsed after
the fire WAS discovered by the two nearest
| neIghbor> before the alarm was given. While
the buildings We're burning, WILDER Day, at
David Nance'> house, assisted by Vance, wrote
| this letter:
| TIE fun and shall follow our hand on +. NJ. smith
! X Son and Hunter the davvail and W. T. and Hill.
FROM FRIND.
! This note was found the next morning on
/ the doorstep of Warden lima Pencil. at Whit
| NEVILLE II miles from Nancc's house. Nun
sons family being burned out, John II. Gray
| gave them shelter and Machias friends assisted
! by presenting Mrs. Mun>on with a purse of
500. Mrs. Munson was the only daughter of
| Mr.. John III. Gray. an old and most worthy
citizen of Wesley Eated by the prospect of
| driving Mun>on out of town. the Shackers left
this note for Mr.. Gray:
MIR. JOHN GRAY: If you keep that damned
black Fred Mnson round your place you will have
roast pig, too. Get rid of him soon as YOU can,
for II y"u don't you will be burnt out before Il
month goes by We have started the fun and we
VIII Keep It up BY - we mean it. Get the damd
cuss out and your all right if you don't, down it
burns. We will take some of your cattle as !.
| proof by -. REMEMBER.
This convinced all that something must be
done. and the best citizens Of Wesley petition
ed GOV. Robbie for aid. lie responded at once
says Or. Hunter. who wrote the article from
which this is derived: ''My property and per
SON being threatened, assisted the officers As
much as my time and means would allow. |
was Obliged to hire special watch for my
| home when out of town for the greater part of
the season. The story proceeds:
GALL WAS CHAOS IN WESLEY"
Il never witnessed such scenes-frightened
women and children, all work nearly suspend
| ed. Every one, save the Shackers, felt that
help mus come from some source, or ruin was
at hand. In the mean time, one of the advis-
cr> OF the Shackers was sending letters to
papers in different parts of the state, trying to
give the impression that James GRAY. uncle of
Mrs. Mun>on. burned the buildings for the in
slrancc This was a most cowardly attack
upon Mr.. Gray, because he held IA mortgage of
the property, and there was a chance to make
up suspicion. in the calumniator's opinion,
against most exemplary and valuable citizen.
Mr.. Gray was sick at the time, and, in conse-
quence of this worry and the constant fear for
his property, as well as for the safety of his
family. his reason failed and he died last
March," In about three weeks after he had
received the second letter, third one was
sent, the Shackcrs being impatient:
| 'Alr. John Gray You was warned once that if
you kept that id black Fred Munson at your