The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1905-06-20
ISLANDERS IN RIOT
Faction Rivalry on Block Is
land Reaches Climax.
POLICE ROUTED AND HALL WRECKED
oa TasFth Attempt Ca carr, noad
Proposition two nuaaFed nase
Men Attacked seaRtsr Champ
iin's supporters.

BLOCK ISLAND. A. l., June 81
Tho Intense rivnlry between two fac.
iinus of New Shurrhnm voters. the one
lui hy State senator Christopher y.
thnmpln. the other hy Samuel NJ.
Rose. reached q climax herr when u
dozen sperlnl conslnhlrs said "a have
brn hIrd iu Providence ~ the
thnmplln element Ia keep order nt the
town meeting rallied 10 authorize q
town bond issue Wcfc attacked by 9pn
of ihe Rose supporter, and completely
routed. after which the flushed viciors
returned 90 ihs town bail. wrecked H.
interior AMI prevented the holding ~
tile meeting
This was ihr fourth attempt uf ihe
Be cnllu' Chnmplin faction 10 bring h,s
fore ihe voters o. proposition a. bond
ihr town Tor Si52.iN0 10 discharge the
Existing debt. % measure which had
h,on introduced hy Senator thamplln
90 the last session NJ the general as
ionhly and which hocumc law.
Three meetings had been cailcl on
H. same question ln the last two
months. hui before nny conclusion
could bo reached conditions developed
which nearly resulted ln pitched bat.
Ties between ibr two mcilons. The
feeling between the warning elements
IL nt fever heat and especially 80
among the Rose party. The meeting
bad heru called Tor o'clock nf the
town hall An hour earlier some 80 ~
the Rose supporters gathered near the
buildings armed with slungshois.
hlncklnrks. STONES and other nipple.
mont- ~ primitive warfare
They had h"rn waiting in battle az.
ray about half an hour when the
twelve special cou-iahlcs from Provl-
icncc In uniform put ln an appearance.
marching in military fashion 90 the
town hnil. with Lieutenant james T..
SCOTT 10 command. Lieutenant Scott
had the key 10 the building. hut just
as the constnhles werc about a. enter
the Rose followers advanced 10 the ~.
'ack, shouting aud yelling defiance ana
N'lNNiNA NAh hhiNtNh Wl--lfH IA wv
constables. Sg-E,G 80
AZ the ar-t onslaught the officers
pushed their way into the building. but
the Rose forces suon gained an en-.
trance and literally kicked and dubbed
the consiables out again. who retrcatcd
with bruised bodies. torn uniforms and
smashed helmets.
The Rose element then turned their
attention TO the Wreckng OF the I'm.
terror OF the ball. and twenty minutes
later when they had finished the dc.
structivc work. hot q window pane
was left intact. while the furniture ana
fittings were thoroughly demolished
While all the constnbles bore marks
81 the ARRAY. the only one seriously In.
jured was Ernest Olney Of Providence.
who sustained several bad gashes ON
the head Lieutenant Scott was kick.
ed several times In the abdomen
Finally the town moderator and
few more peaceably inclined citizens
arrived at the hail. with Sheriff james
Anthony OF Newport county and thir.
teen deputies acting as an escort. The
futility Of attempting TO hold the meet.
ing was at once apparent. and the
moderator adjourned the meeting sine
die.
II IS said that the Champlin leaders
will make still another effort to obtain
n vote on the bond issue.