The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1907-04-19
BY Officers Ralding Line
House Yesterday
CONFRONTED BY WEAPON
Vermont and Canadian Officials Get
Huge Haul at Beecher Falls--E. P.
Chouinard Pleads Not
Guilty.

Canaan, April 1o.-In one Of the most
exciting raids ever made on the Cana
dian frontier the famous line house in
Beecher Falls, VII, ana IIerford, r. q,
was put out Of business yesterday af-
ternoon.
The proprietor, E. p. Chouinard, was
arrested by this Vermont authorities
ANA about $500, worth of liquor found
on the United States side confscated,
while Canadian officials took possession
of nearly $500 worth more which had
been stored ii the province Of Quebec.
ghouinard made desperate resist
ance and attempted to shoot Constable
Charles E johnson Of Brighton, who
was the only official Of the state present
ait the time. 1t was only after 4 long
struggle that the constable secured the
revolver and succeeded IN putting hand
cuffs on the prisoner. In the mean time
he suffered several severe bruises and
was badly scalded BY hot water which
was poured on him by the irate spouse
Of the captured hotel proprietor
The raid was engineered by County
Attorney Harry B. AiMey of Island
Pond, who for long time has endeav-
ored TO drive Chouinard out of bnsines.
last fall Deputy Sheriff Elias A. Beinis
81 Island Pond made a search Of the.
establishment, bnt the proprietor sue
ceeded in getting into Canadian terri
tory before the handouts could BE placed
on him, and thus escaped capture.
Constable johnson at once tackled
Chouinard and terrific encounter en-
sued The Canadian officers could not
lend q helping hand to the Nermonter,
but their presence undoubtedly pre-
vented q rescue by number of hangers
on about the place. Chouinard excitedly
declared he would pay $500 to any man
who would take hold Of johnson and
. TINS enable him to get over the line,
but none dared TO move with the Do
Iniiiion representatives looking on.
Then Mrs. Chouinard took hand
with hot water, and when she was no
longer permitted to Use that, grasped
poker and belaborcd both combat
ants Only when she was entirely ex
haustel was johnson able to haul the
hotel man into chair and hold him
there until the arrival of re.cnforce-
ments When he relinquished his hold
on the handouts he was unable to move
for several minutes
The search for liquors then proceeded
The Canadian officers broke down the
doors on their side and thus reached
the portal in Uncle Sans territory
Hero the Vermont sheriffs went to work
and entrance was gained TO the en-
closure where the bartender stood. The
trap door opening into the cellar being
IN Dominion jurisdiction, was broken by
the Canadians, and then both sides en-
tered the basement and. coniiscated the
goods coming under their control BY
virtue Of location.
Prisoner Dragged Through Window
Ch0Iinard was under Arrest IN the
hotel Office on American ground. but the
only entrance to the apartment was
from Canadian domain. 70 get him
outside without tearing down one Of the
walls appeared for a moment a difficult
problem until It was aseertained that
about foot Of one Of the windows was
OH the American side. County Attorney
Ainey ordered the panes removed, and
Chouinard was unceremoniously hauled
through the opening.
The prisoner has openly deilcd arrest
by both the Canadian and American
officers and has frequently declared that
he never would be taken alive. He had
expressed confidence on numerous oc-
cRsions that tlege was no means by
which his apprehension could be accom-
piished Besides the revolver which
Constable Johnson wrested from him
during the fight in the hotel Office, the
searching officers found loaded rife
behind the bar This was uploaded and
taken possession Of by Mr.. Amey.
Without block and tackle it was
found impossible to lift the heavy bar.
rels of beer and ale from the cellar,
md this was left in charge Of Deputy
Sheriff Bemis, while Chouinard and the
bottled goods were brought to Canaan.
Trial Justice Green issued an order for
the destruction Of the liquors at the line
house, and i is proposed to pour them
into the cellar.
A hearing was given Chouinard last
evening He pleaded not guilty to the
charge of selling and keeping for sale
Intoxicating liquors. He was held in
bonds Of 5000 for appearance before the
present term Of The Essex county court
IL Guild Hall, which has been adjourned
to April 30.