The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-09-13
RRATTI FBORO VERMONT FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1895.
WATSON FRENCH IN LIMBO AGAIN.
For violating the U. $. Revenue Laws -
How He Has Been Operating 10 scoop
Another Mans Misfortune Money.

For violating the u. :. Revenue Laws
How He Has Been Operating 10 scoop
Another Mans Misfortune Money
Tuesday morning United States
Marshal Clark Campbell and Sheriff
Rixford of Winchester raided the Wat
son French road house IN North Hins-
dale and arrested French and Michael
Fleming. and arraigned them before
u. S. Commissioner L. b. Crawford
at Manchester, n. H., for selling Ii
auor without government license.
The prosecution was conducted by
Dist. Atty. o. f. Branch and French
and Fleming were represented by law
yers Shea and +. NJ. Topliff. French
was held in S400 for appearance before
the December term of U. s. court and
in default was locked up in Manches-
ter Jail Fleming was allowed to go on
his own recognizance in the sum OF
500 on the understanding that he is to
quit the place and business, as he
claimed not to have fully understood
about such business being carried on.
1t is believed that French is planning
to get away from Fleming the money
he is to receive from his case against
the railroad for the loss of his arm in
the accident of two years ago. The case
is understood to have been settled for
somewhere between 5000 and $1,000
but the money is not yet turned
over. and French has got very intimate
with him over the prospect. At any
rate Fleming told Sheriff Rixford We'd
nesday night that as soon as he re
ceived the money he should 60 and get
French ont If he does SO, it will of
course be permanent investment.
Moreover. it is the determination OF
the New Hampshire officers not to let
up on him either if he persists in aid
ing French.
The case was worked up by u. s. of
ficials and LAWYER Geo. b. Cox of the
New Hampshire law and order league
upon numerous complaints OF citizens
in the vicinity Of French's place who
are disgusted at the way the traffic is
being conducted. Several warrants are
now in the official hands to promptly
arrest French on state process for sec
ond offences of liquor selling should he
obtain bail in this ease. There Is
plenty of evidence of numerous sales
and several samples of the fire water he
has been selling to exhibit to the court.
In fact two detectives have been here
several weeks watching them. Ihe
movement is started with the de
termination to abolish the notorious
road house and others Of like kind and
if the owners do not Immediately clean
ont the gang proceedings are contem.
plated under the nuisance law and
close them up.
All honor so far is due to Lawyer Cox
of the Law and Order league, but the
state may also take "A hand in the game
by arresting the persons attending the
vile place. under the law against DIS
orderly places. The capture was ef-
fected Tuesday by the officers making
a descent from the hill back of
French's house so suddenly sn5t they
had no chance to escape.
French was first known to history
up in Londonderry but his chiefest and
widest fame was won in Townshend,
where he got into a complication OF
troubles and litigation, being charged
with horse stealing in the mess and
also jailed for selling mortgaged prop
erty. While in Jail he got pious and
interested a number of good people in
him 20 that after series of meetings
in which he prayed and cNhousted
unctuously several Townshcnd men
helped him out, and he afterward had
a law suit with every one Of them.
Not far removed from this episode
was his adultery business, making
one of the foulest stories ever told in our
county court. He was indicted for it but
escaped conviction by tie witnesses dy-
ing before il came To trial. His wife got q
divorce from him and the custody of the
children, but he managed later to get
that part of the decree reversed and had
the children with him in bis house of
i'll fame at No Hinsdale, until he got
into Jail at keene when they were
taken away and places found for them
by the authorities. and it is to get
them back again that he has been pre-
pairing another litigation and engiged
in the recent assault at West Brattle-
boro. His incarceration at heene was
on charge of liquor selling but he
convinced the authorities that he was
close to death with heart disease and
was released. Then he served his time
in the Vermont House of Correction
for liquor selling, and now comes this
present case. There has not been a
time for eight years when he has not
had criminal or a semi-criminal
case hanging over him.
He is a remarkably innocent looking
man. and it is not till one takes a sec
ond and careful look into his eye that
il would ever be imagined what sort
of a biped he is.