Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-07-21
ltmtlnnl's Riot.

The riot at Rutland on Tuesday evening
was a disgrscn to the town in which it oc-
CURED and Il blot upon the fair name of our
State. 1t was wholly without excuse and
it stands unparalleled in the history of Yer
mont. 1t is probable that it could not have
taken place in any other town in the state
beside Ru4Iand under similar conditions,
and it is one of the legitimate results of the
attitude OF the local press of Rutland
toward the prohibition law in general and
the local prosecutors in particular.
ia describing tho riot the Herald refers
to the affair as "boysh" and says that it
"vas more Of demonstration Of popular
feeling than anything OF more serious no
ture' 1t admits, however, that tho crowd
twas ripe for deeds OF violence" Under
the circumstances il is not strange that the
Herald should sesl to Dalittle the disturb
ance, but it will strike the average reader
that breach Of tho public peace 10y mob
in which the officers OF the law as well as
objectionable persons are assaulted with
stones and eiIeto eggs, is decidedly serious,
not to say criminal. IA support of this
opinion Wa reproduce the Herald doscrip-
tion of the riot after Prosecutor Franl;lin
and bis two assistants had leen driven into
b. W. Marshall's store. 1t says:
Chief OF Police Woodward then jumped
into a team aud went for Sheriff Peabody.
lie was back with him in few moments.
The sheriff mounted the seat OF the wagon
and ordered tue crowd to djsp9rse and so
home, They simply fell back to the side
Of the street and waited. The street was
nearly bIockGded aud teams and the horse
cars could not pass until Il way was cleared
for them. The police and shor.lTs by hard
work managed to scatter the crowd little,
but they would not go home. Bring them
out, " OVEN wait all night" "Iaug the
dirty crew." cried the crowd.
After waiting nearly an hour a move was
made. Sheriff Peabody consulted with
Franklin and b. W. Marshall, and in a few
moments Franklin and the two spoilers
came out with Officer Elworth and Deputies
Stearns and Whitaker Gs a guard. The
other officers hold back the crowd AS best
they could, and the march up Broadway
began, A few eggs flow, and the backs CT
the officers and their charges showed that
the crowd had some good marks
men. Part of the crowd that managed to
Slip by tue officers followed on up Broad
way. The rest went up Cottage and Pine
streets to head off the party. When the head
Of Maple and Williams streets was reached
the crowd that had gone around closed in
and stones began to fly. No ono was hurt
however, ana Frankliu'5 house was reached
IL safety. Franklin and the spoilers made
Il Jump FOR the door, slamming it after
them and The riot was practically over.
The Herald evidently sees that mistake
has been made on its part, FOR it declares
editorially that tho disturbances were dis
graceful, and says that every man in the
community Ia discreIited by such a thing. "
THIS is the plain truth, but in the next
breath the Herald INDUCES in a diatribe of
an inceudiary against nature prohibition
and prosecutors similar to those upon
which it has been feeding its read
ers for many months past. Forget
ting that IL has repeatedly asserted that
the sale OF liquor il Vermont is not d crime,
tho Herald says the spoilers "acmally IN
duce men to commit the crime The Her
aid las also said that il would favor the en-.
| forcetnout Of the Law, but it throws off its
mask in the following statvmont:
| Now, the Herald wants the community &c
! remember that the responsibility for all this
| ltldlhS business IesLs primarily, NOT Will
! franklin and the spoilers, but with the fan
atical or other prohibitionists back of them.
! Franklin and the spotters but act as I'll.
their nature TO. The prohibtionists indi
Gated, Of course, profess to be acting for I'll,
public good aud 1t is no mere than right
that they should have the fun credit of tLeiI
good deeds The Herald invites them uC
come out from under the barn, 1t reminds
them that il they are right aud the rest o
the world wrong their action III hiding put
| them in false position, and viii surely pre-
vent thor gaming glory No man ever got
glory hiding undor a barn 1t somehow
happens that men who hide that why do no
ordinarily deserve glory.
Fow men enjoy being abused, and ia view
Of tho treatment accorded by the Herald t,
residents Of Rutland who have attempted t,
aid IN enforcing the prohibition law in tina
town, it is not strange that those engage,
in the present crusade stay under tn
barn" as far as possible. 1hoy would b
foolish, under the circumstances, TO d