Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-06-16
Found by the Officers in
House at WiIIimantic.
Sensational Arrest Of Edward
Arnold, After Clever Work
oy Man Who Suspected Where Trouble
Observation-Disclosures Made by Deputy
U. S. Marshal Norton-ArnoId Held
and Committed.

Something oe a sensation was caused,
Wednesday afternoon. when Edward
Arnold Of Willmantic. was taken into
custody by United States Deputy Mar
shall Burns o. Norton on a charge of
alleged Illicit distilling of liquor at
his home in Willimantic. This all
came about right after Arnold had
plead not guilty in the municipal court
to the charge of intoXication and cauS-
ing disturbance at his home in Wilt
mantle during Sunday and Monday.
Sentence was suspended by Judge
S:nith and then came the surprise of
the day. No one outside of the court
officials had any idea that there was
anything further against Arnold, other
than the charge of drunkenness. He
was taken to Bangor on the afternoon
train. where he was arraigned before
United States Commissioner Hamlin to
answer to the charge brought against
him by the federal authorities. He
waived examination, pleaded not guilty
and ordered to furnish $500 bail. He
was committed.
The entire story of the affair is
something as follows: During the
past winter and spring and in fact for
several years the people of this part of
the county have been suspcctinS among
themselves that something crooked in
the way of furnishing Intoxicating
liquors to lumbcrmcn was being carried
on at or near the settlement which is
known as Willimantic. Just what it
WAS no one knew, but they did know
that Il urge amount of liquor was be-
ing consumed at Willimantic and the
county officers could not seem to find
out from where it came although strict
watch has been kept.
it has been the custom for sometime
past to run Saturday night dances at
the Wilimantic hall and during the
I,ast few weeks these have most gen.
orally ended up Ill diSgraceful drunken
rows in which poor rum played Il very
prominent part Several of these rows
have been Of u very serious nature but
WilIimlrtic being away back from the
rest of til. world they nave not been
bIough- to the notice Of the officers al
though vague rumor5 OF queer GoinES
on at Willimtntic have reached the
ears Of the Dover officers occasionally,
but thinking that they were nothing
out OF the common nothing has been
done.
During the past spring, however.
there were several crews of lumber
men chartered i'll camps near Will
mantle ana Il is now understood that
during tlr,ir stay there some hot old
times" cHsucd. Rum flowed freely at
III times and the officers Of nearby
towns got wind of what was taking
uI,cc and nlIdc several excursions to
the camps.
Each time the officers arrived at the
camps everything was peaceful and
serene although it was evident that
there was rum around and where it
came fiom was what the county Off
Gers were, trying to find out. Strict
watch wae kcpt on all sides but 1t was
inaccessible for the officers to get clue
rs to where all the fire water came
from. They satisfied themselves that
il did not come either by express or
freight and they also satisfied them
selves that it was there and that it
was being used freely by many Of tie
residents.
At about this time il was suggested
hv someone that perhaps an Illicit still
was in operation in the county. but
II the same time many laughed at
the thought.
ono man. however. had his own
J.. to himself and
started in when he had some spare
time 10 look into the thing and to at
lcast satisfy himself that there was
or was not something doing in the
",uoonshining" line. He made several
private excursions tn Willimantic ana
was unable to discover anything
crooked He then thought that perhaps
Tho seat Of the mischief might possibly
be at Onawa, SO to Onawa ne went
and remained for several days. He sat
isficd himself while there that nothing
ont of the way was being carried on
in that locality.
He then went back to Willimantic
to make more thorough searches and
IN keep his eyes and cars open for
ANYTHING suspicious. He heard or saw
-0~
If is understood by the Journal man.
that he got wind that while Edward
Arnold had been on prolonged drunk
he had made several disclosures which
were of damaging nature. All the
talk which was caused by the remarks
which Arnold had made was quickly
hushed up by Willimantic people. but
the man who was doing the detective
work had heard enough to satisfy him.
self that it would be we'll to have the
affair looked into at least.
1t is understood that the federal au-
thorities at Portland were notified of
the suspicious and that Deputy Mar
shall Norton has made frequent visits
to the vicinity of Willimantic. but
nothing definite was done until Tues
day. when Deputy Norton arrived to-
gether with Deputy Collector of In