Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1907-05-17
BELLOWS FALLS NEWS
TAUNT'S HOTEL IN DREWsVlLLE
BURNED.
It Was an Ancient Hosiery Built orlsl-
naIIy at Large Expense-Proprleto Had
Skipped owing to Cooking Main.

1t Was an Ancient Hosiery Built orsl-
nalIy at Large Expense-Proprletor Had
Skipped owing to Cooking Main.
What was in earlier generations known
as "Taunts Hotel" at Drewsville, four
miles from here in the town of Walpole,
was burned Tuesday night, and many
rumors of incendiarism are in circula-
ton. 1t was a brick building with frame
ell and barns, erected about 1910 or 1911,
by Col. Thomas c. Drew, for whom the
village was named. In staging days 1t
was a prominent hosiery, and on what
was known as the old Cheshire turnpike
between Burlington and Boston, a sub
stantial and extensively built structure,
costing from $4,000 to $4,000, with it's
outbuildings. Thomas Taunt operated it
long term of years late in the last CEN
fury, and six or eight years ago it was
bought by John j. Pierce of Bellows
Falls and was still owned by his estate
or his heirs. During the last five years it
has stood vacant nearly half the time.
A year ago the first of this month it was
leased to David B. Reeves, who came
here from Claremont, but who was in it
some months two or three years earlier.
About the first of March an occurrence
there of a much talked about cock fight
of almost national Importance is by some
limited as possible reason for the fire,
but in what way these influences affect
cd it would be hard to explain.
Late in February a stranger came to
the hotel and arranged for the entertain
ment over night of a large party of sports
upon named later date. Fifty dollars
was paid for the use of the buildings that
night, and arrangements for from 80 to
90 suppers were made in addition at 81
each, besides other perquisites of adj
vantage to both parties to the trade. The
evening came and the party came to the
number of between 100 and 200, gathered
from all quarters. Keene, Fitchburg,
Boston, New York and even as far as
Buffalo and Chicago sent representatives.
1t was a quiet gathering, the neighbors
in the village not knowing anything I'M
usual was occurring, only that party of
some kind was being held BOOSTERS from
many places, with great records for val
or were brought, ii being understood that
Fitchburg alone contributed 80 birds. The
details of the nights entertainment are
unknown, and before daylight all had
departed as quietly as they came, but
words dropped by a number, supposed to
have been there, indicate a time of rare
sport for those interested in that variety
In some manner the bare facts of the
meet leaked out and a number of citizens
of the village and others were summoned
before the grand jury in Keene, result
ing in an indictment being issued for Mr..
Reeves as the only available person to
make an example of. OF this he got
wind and left the vicinity and has not
been back since, the place having since
been run by his wife, a son and a daugh-
ter. About midnight of Saturday, April
q, the ell of the building was discovered
to be on fire by neighbors, who sum-
moned help and extinguished 1t, when 1t
was found that a hole had been cut from
the outside into what was used for a
granary, and a quantity of waste satu-
rated with kerosene placed inside and set
on fire. The waste is still preserved as
evidence.
The lease having expired Mrs. Reeves
and the rest of the household arranged
10 leave the premises Monday night of
this week, and they were brought to Bel
lows Falls about 9 o'clock on their way
to reJoin Mr.. Reeves. They were taken
TO the home of a sister of Mrs. Reeves,
at Gageville for the night. About 1890,
or three hours after the buildings were
left, they were on fire, it having evidently
originated in the barns and all were de-