Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-04-16
TWO SMUGGLERS CAUGHT.
WERE DELIVERING VALUABLE DRUGS
IN ST. ALBANS.
United States OGiolsls Proved Too Aptivs
For Them-One Held In jail tho Other
Gut on Dail--A Suicide In Nor
rIstown.

st. Albans, April 1o-An important cap
ture of government swindlers has been
made here by Special Inspector V. A. Bull
lard of Burlington, United States Marshal
Emery Harris of Bennington, Deputy Col
lector G.. W. Burleson of st. Albans, and
Deputy Timothy Hinman of Derby Line,
who captured two men in the act of smus-
Cling phenacctine, and while one of the
party escaped two were safely landed in
Jail, with enough evidence against them
TO Keep them in prison for q term of years.
The story is as follows:
Some time since Hon. B. p. Smalley
learned that there was considerable smug-
Cling of drugs principally phenacetine
and sulphona along the Canadian border,
particularly at points outside the distpict
of Vermont Special Inspector V. A. Bull
lard was put ON the case and soon dis
covered that different parties in Canada
were engaged in this business and learned
that two different parties had agreed to
deliver certain quantities of phenacetine
to parties In st, Albans, and knowing that
these parties would readily know any OF
the customs officials attached to the GUS
toms service at St. Albnns, Collector
Smalley secured United States Marshal
Emery Harris of Bennington and Deputy
Collector Timothy Hinman OF Derby Line
to assist Inspector Bullard in the matter
ON April Sth, one William Huhn, of St.
! Johns, p. O., took the New York express
| that evening to St. Adams, having con-
cealed on his person n quantity of pheua-
| cetne. on arriving at St. Albans, he left
| the train and paying no attention to the
| custom house, which is in the depot. he
started for the business portion of the
! town to deliver the goods, being closely
| shadowed by tho officers above named
| When he got on Kingman street near the
store of j. w. Ryan, he was accosted by
! United States Marshal Harris, who ac-
ah al hpi rya.l ia, Inc
| This he denied and the other officers now
stepped up and he was searched but MOTH
ing found upon him. but during his con-
versation with Marshal Harris he was
seen to drop two small packages which
were Immediately picked up by a customs
| officer. and proving to contain phenace-
tine he was arrested and placed in jail to
await the action of the proper authorities.
| on the evening of the ninth. man call
ing himself Charles Allen and afterwards
| by the name of Herbert Backus of Bed
ford, p. O., which names are probably
fictitious, drove into the village of st. Ale
bans with a stranger, about half past
nine at night. Driving at once to that
portion of the town known as the Western
Reserve, and at point near what Is
known as "the blocks" he left the team
with the man that was with him, and tax
ing from the wagon good sized package
which proved to contain phenacetine.
started to deliver the same In a building
near by when the officers'who were lay
ing for him, came out on him and told him
he was under arrest The man made a
movement as though to draw a gun, and
was ordered by Marshal Harris to throw
up his hands. and on taking in the situa-
tion, and seeing how useless resistance
would be- he did so with III grace, and was
handcuffed at once A six shooter was tar
, ken from him.
: When the officers started with their
, prize toward the main village. the on
quired of him where his team was and he
, informed them that he had none, but had
come on foot. A team was seen a short
, distance away standing In the road, and
, the officers surmising that this might be
his team started towards It, and as they
did so the prisoner yelled to the driver to
git" and the driver did so at very rapid
gait, although ordered by the officers TO
halt and not doing so, was fired at sew
eral times, but got away.
The prisoner was taken before Y. s.
Commissioner McGettriclS, where an eX-
animation was had and he was held TO
await the action of the grand jury at the
May term Of the United States Court un-
der bonds of $500, in default of which he
was committed TO the Franklin county
jail for safe keeping. Friday morning
, William IIuhn was brought before Com
i missioner McGettrck and in like manner
, held to await the action of tho grand jury
under 5000 bonds, Whlch We're iurnlsheu
, during the day and Iiuha left for Bur-
lington in the evening.
In these two arrests the officers secured
p pounds of phenacetine. 1t Is thought
that by the quick and successful action Of
the officers in this case, 1t Will be
sometime before smuggling will be at
tempted at this point again.
A great deal of credit is due the officers
, mentioned for the splendid ability and
energy displayed in the case, which was
so promptly brought to a successful issue.