The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1888-03-01
A Cowardly Crime.
RUMSELLERS AT GREENWICH, II. L., USE DY-
MANTLE AND ARSENIC AGAINST TEMPER |
ANCE PEOPLE,

:
East Greenwich a determined fight against the
rum traffic. About three years ago Law and
Order League was organized, at the head of
which was Rev. o. II. Still of the Baptist
Church. The league did effective work, sciz-
ing liquor right and left and bringing Il large
number Of offenders against the law to the bar
of justice. The town council then in office
favored Il rigorous prosecution Of the law, and
directed Samuel Ward and King Allen to pre-
pare the cases and try them. There were 12S
complaints, of which 125 were pressed to a con-
vlclion in the Justices court. From the SEN
tencc of the court appeals Were taken, and with
the binding over of cases the papers were sent
to the court of common pleas. where in the
course Of few months, and AS a political exi-
gency, the whole batch of complaints was nolle
pressed, and the guilty men escaped by pay
ment of costs.
The next town council was favored with
rum, 50 the residents assert, and. as a consc-
quence. the illicit traffic was increased and no
efforts were made to Keep it down. Again the
tide was turned, aud prohibitory council was
elected. ana under their directions Rev. Mr..
Still, whom they appointed as constable under
the prohlbitory law, began preparations for
VIGOROUS WARFARE
on the liquor dealers. Mr.. Allen was once
more called upon to prepare the cases as fast
as seizures were made. Both men We're advs-
ed by their friends not to engage in the tenn
perancc work, for fear Of bodily harm. Not
heeding these threats. but determined to do
their duty. the gentlemen began their work
last saturday afternoon. They visited Michael
ConHcry's place, near the depot, where they
made the heaviest raid ever known i'll the town.
At the time of the raid large crowd gathered.
and one man became so offensive in attempting
to interfere with the officers Of the Jaw that he
was arrested and taken to the Jail.
AS soon as the officers left with the contra
band goods Conyery stocked up again. One Of
the officers had occasion to 20 back to Con-
Nery's. and detecting that Il new supply of liq-
uor had been placed behind the bar seized that
also ibis caused excitement among the rum
>NmpathiZcrs in the crowd, which was famed
into fame of fury when the raidinS party
went to John Quinn's place and cleaned that
out. After storing away the liquors, and mark
iilg each package for future identification, Mr..
Allen and Rev. Mr.. Still went home.
Early Sunday morning Mr.. Allen discovered
a large quantity of arsenic in his well, but in
tine to prevent any serious results, and the
same morning dynamite cartridge was eX-
ploaed under the steps of Mr.. Smiths house,
but owing to the ignorance of those who plac-
ed it there. little damage was done.
While the explosion virtually announced it.
self and became town talk during the day, it
was not until evening that general publicity
was given the attempted poisoning of Mr.. Al
lens well. At the evening service conducted
by Rev. Mr.. Still at the Baptist church, sam
pies Of the arsenic were exhibited by the pas
tor. Who spoke in the strongest terms denuuci-
atory of the outrages, placing them in the cate
CORY of anarch>tc methods.
REV. MIR. STILL RESIGNS.
Mr.. Still created surprise at the close of his
remarks, when he rendered his resignation as
pastor of the church, and stated that it must be
accepted, he proposed to enter the cct-
ure field and devote his whole energies to the
advancement Of the cause of Temperance.
III ihe evening Rev. Mr.. Blake>lec delivered
Il sermon at the Methodist church. At the
close of his discourse the speaker showed Il
dish of the poison, rtmarking at the same time
that there We're no lions deu> in town, but we
had hyenas Skukiug about our streets, and con-
spirator> as de>picable and desperate as those
who >warmed around the Medo-Persian throne.
lie called upon all good people to rise and
unite i'll putting down this outlawry, and an
nuuHrcii a meeting in the interest of law and
order to be held in the mathematical room of
the academy Tuesday evening at 30 O'Clock.
Another seizure of liquor was made by
Me>>rS still and Allen at the railroad station
to-day,
MEETING OF THE TOWN COUNCIL.
At 30 O'Clock Monday night a special meet
in" Of the town council was held for the pur-
pose of considering what action was best to be
taken III the premises DIR. James III. Eidridgc
the president, addressed the other members.
and told them that the allegations were of such
serious character that some action ought to
be taken hy the town to determine the truth or
fai>ity Of them. He then called upon Prof
BlAkc>lcr. principal of the East Greenwich
academy. who said that lawyer Allen came to
HE school at 10 o'clock Sunday morning, and
showed him Il quantity of fine white powder
that he had gathered from the stones in his
well. He advised Mr.. Allen to have it analyzcd
and with Allen went to DIR. +. c. Carpenters
Office and left Il portion of the powder with
him, taking another portion to the scientific de-
partment Of the school, where Prof Packard
ana Nzed it. Both Packard and Carpenter re-
ported i'll the afternoon that they found the
powder to be arsenic.
Samuel W. X. Allen Informed the council
that he could not place any of the powder be
fore then for the reason t,lat he had taken it
to Providence and left it with the state assay
cr, who was to make a complete analysis.
President Ehsrilge asked Mr.. Allen if it was
true that certain paper had been found bv
him. and if he would produce it.
Mr.. Allen said that he had the paper, but. in
the interests of justice, he would not want to
produce. it in the presence of the large number
of persons then in the co,'ncil chamber.
DR.. Eldril@e then produced a package of ar
>enic and asked that live coal be brought to
him from the stove. There was simple test
said he. which would show whether a suspect
ed powder was arsenic. If it burned, it would
give out garlicky odor. The test was made
and the smell was waited through the room.
Then the Herald correspondent produced
cured from the rope on the drum Of the well
curb this morning. nr. EIdrdge called for a
fresh coal, and burned part of that powder,
! and the smell was Identical with that emitted
by the first power, known to be arsenic.
Rev. Mr.. o. III. Still was asked to explain
what he knew concerning the attempt to blow
up his house. lie said that there was Il rum
bling noise, and then his dwelling appeared TO be
| lifted bodily from the ground. Then came the
jinglin@ of the glass. lie would have got up
fh.n lint
expressed the fear that he mighl be injured,
| that he waited until morning before making
any examination. At da, light he found five
windows had been blown out, the glass falling
both in ana outside. whicl precl led the first
| theory, that some miscl.ievou, person had
| punched the windows in with Il stick. The
| front doorstcp> We're moved out and the turf
| blown off where the cartridge was placed. one
| piece being thrown into the street. 4 picket
was also blown off the front fence.
REWARD OF $500 OFFERED.
| Dr. Eldridge suggested that the council
| should take some action.
Councilman Landers said that he was con-
| vinced that the town SHOULD offer the reward
allowed by the statutes, to wit, $500.
| The following resolution was then adopted
| unanimous y: Voted, that a reward of $3.50 be.
and the same is hereby, offered for the detec-
| ton and final conviction of the person or per-
sons who. on the 18th or 10Th OF February. 1883.
in the town of East Greenwich placed, or
| caused to be placed. arsenic in the well on the
| premises of Samuel W. X. Allen; also voled,
| that reward of the same amount, $3.50, be,
| and the same is hereby, offered for the detec-
| ton and final conviction of the person or per-
| sons who exploded. or caused to be exploded,
| dynamite, or some other explosive substance,
| on the primiseS of Rev. o. ii. Still of East
Greenwich, on the 18th or 10Th of February
| 1888
The council then adjourned.
| 1t is learned tonight that about three weeks
| ago an attempt was made to burn the barn of
| ;. \. Edwards, one of the men identified with
| Rev. Mr. Still in the liquor prosecutions. The
| barn. which is situated OF Crompton avenue,
was fired from the outside, and the incendiary
| act was discovered in 10 minutes, and Just in
time to save the building
| The paper referred to by Mr.. Allen was
found by him Sunday morning floating in the
well. 1t is the paper IN which the arsenic was
| done up. and pasted to it is the usual label,
| with skull and cro>sbones, the word ''Poison'
and the full address of the pharmacist who
sold it. The address is suppressed for the
| present.
| PROVIDENCE, II. L., Feb. 81, 1883. The citi-
| Zens of East Greenwich held mass meeting
| at the Academy this evening. and formed Il
new law and order league. The meeting was
attended in part by some of the rougher
| elements of the town, who We're dyised by
the speakers to go back and tell the liquor
dealers that determined war would be Wagetl
against them. Lawyer Allen announced that
the state chemist had completed his analysis
| of the powder found in his well. and declared
| it to be arsenic beyond shadow of Il doubt.
The liquor dealers were warned that every
1 i I J.