The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-03-27
DODGING .DEV ICES.
rhe Ingenious Methods Resorsed to 10
che Prohibition Districts of Con-
necticrt TO Avoid the Law
and Sell Liquor.
MORE YANKEE TRICKS.

NORWICH, Feb. 25.-The livliest dissi-
nation that is practiced in good old Wind
ham county, in Northeastern Connecticut,
is the church social, and now ard then
conference meeting, and nowhere is the
iron-c.ad license law of the State more
sternly and persistently prosecuted. The
pillars Of the community may take nip
behind the pantry door in their own homes
if they are very secretive, but society
frowns on open bar-rooms. SO there is
never-ending war between the officers OF
the law and the vendors of prohibited
ardent beverages who undertake to fur
nish them to thirsty customers in the vii
lagos and rural hamlets. The contest
that has been going on for thirty years
has sharpened the wits of the law
breakers into almost phenomenal acute
ness, and extraordinary are the articles
they use in carrying on the illicit.
They sccrcte liquors behind false panels
that are known to the customers, in bar
rels that have false bottoms, between the
floor and ceiling Of rooms, in underground
recesses with pipes leading thence to
closets, and in score Of other odd hooks.
For several months Prosecuting A. ). Us
good, of the big village of Putnam, be-
lieved that Henry Duhamel was selling
liuuor in the old Leavitt building on
Front street in that place, but every
attempt on his part to catch Henry at the
traffic was defeated by the willy vender.
Twice he searched the ancient building
from cellar to roof, and Henry went along
with him, chatting merrily, and helping
him to pry into all spicious-looklng
places, but found nothing to indicate that
a criminal business was being done in the
dwelling. Henry rubbed his hands, smiled
blandly, and waved the detective jovially
out of the house Then the chagrined
officer vainly searched neighborinG
building, hoping to discover barrel OF
whisky with pipe leading underground
into Duhamel's house. Still people con-
tinued to drive to the old Leavitt building
daily, looking weary and lOrn, dsap-
peared within, and an hour later reap
peared with rosy faces and jaunty
step.
Osgood continued to watch and cogitate.
At O'Clock one morning last week, while
the stars still twinkled, officers Park and
Arnold acting on the order Of Agent Os-
good, lurked in the shadow of the Lcavitt
building, and pretty soon man carrying
q pail slipped out of ncighboring house,
crossed the street and doged into Du-
hamel's place. A few minutes thereafter
the officers followed him in a rush. What
did they find?
There was Duhamel and the stranger
standing quietly in the middle of the
kitchen, talking together By the dim light
of lamp, and in one corner of the apart
ment was a barrel Uplifted on & stand.
Officers Park and Arnold examined the
barrel at once, turned the spigot of it,
and very good old cider gurgled out; but
it was not cider they sought. They were
non-plussed and disappointed at first, and
then bright idea flashed into Arnold's
brain. He investigated the barrel closely,
and finally penetrated Duhamel's trick.
The barrel had been sawed in two, tight
diaphragm of wood inserted at the place
of division, and then the halves skillfully
Joined together again. A stout hoop had
been driven about the middle Of the bar
loI nj % n
parts were united In the lower half of
the barrel was cider; in the upper one,
fine old rye whisky. The upper half
opened on hidden hinges.
On the same day the same officers had
equal success in raiding Eli st. Georges
place on Pomfret street, in the same viii
lage. First they searched the whole
house without finding signs of any crim-
nal work there, and were about to depart
when one OF the officers tapped board in
the deep wainscoating and it gave forth a
hollow note Sticking his knife blade
into the wood he pushed the panel easily
and noislessly to one side and wide,
deep cavity, handsomely and s0lidly
framed, was revealed behind the board.
The hidden chamber was crossed by
number of neat shelves, on which stood
bottles Of whisky and beer, glasses, and
other belongings of saloon-keeper's
layout The officers got twenty-nne bot
quarts of Bourbon whisky.
A day or two later Duhamel was brought
before Justice Cheschro. He pleaded
guilty to the charge that he had violated
the license law, and was fined $50 and
costs, which he paid. ST. George is i'll
and Justice will attend to his case later. A
day or two later Officers Park and Long
den, of Putnam, raided Steve Byan's
house in Rhodesville, which is kept by
David Miner. Word was brought to Dave
by breathless messenger that the officers
were coming and when Park and Longden
rushed into his home Dave was emptying
lager out of a window with dexterity
and energy. All the beer the officers
saved was about four quarts.
John Paine, the fish man of Putnam.
drove about the country with neat little
cart, blew a tin horn Justify, and sold fish
to every one, for everybody said that John
Paine was "the honest fish dealer" But
not long ago Prosecuting Agent Osgood
noted that Paine's trips to the historic
rural town of Pomfret were inexplicably
frequent, and that he seemed to be making
money wonderfully fast in the fish bust
ness So he had Deputy Sheriff Park
watch him, and that officer decided that
Paine's actions were suspicious. One
day while Paine was jogging leisurely
along toward Pomfret, officer Park stopped
him and searched the shining fish cart.
In a skillfully concealed and locked
locker in the front part of the cart the
officer got five quarts of whisky and lot
of empty bottles. Honest John Paine
was tried and fined, although he remarked
to court spectator that it was "pretty