Connecticut western news., 1911-01-05
BELL WAS "SWIPED"
Sam Eddy Has Good Ground For Questioning Historical Statement.

Sam Eddy Has Good Ground For
 Questioning Historical Statement.
 The historical accuracy of The News recent statement that the old school house bell hung in the old school-house belfry from 1898 until the building was torn down, in 1884," is questioned by Samuel A. Eddy, who, by the way, is grandson of William Adam, the original donor of the old bell. Sam is quite sure. if his memory is not at fault. that the bell disappeared from the belfry couple of years or so before the school-h house was torn down; and, tax ng his memory still further, he seems to recall that the removal of the bell was considered at the time an act of bold and mendacious vandalism. per petrated in the dead of night by some person or persons then unknown and that said bell, detached, was put to diabolical use by said Yandals. in making one night hideous for the sleep ing dwellers in the community, against the peace and happiness of the common wealth, and contrary to the statute in such case made and provided. Taxing memory farther yet, he recalls, with fair distinctness, certain details of the flendish conspiracy, and finally even remembers some of the conspirators, one of the ring leaders being none other than 15Y1Bf Iaur sN, hundred guesses. Sam Eddy, him self l!
 The conspiracy which resulted in the unhorsing of the old bell from its place in the school-house belfry, which it had occupied for over a half fcentury,w was not, strictly speaking, a premeditated one It was matched up on the spur of the moment, as sort of consolation prize, after another conspiracy had ingloriously fizzled out. And both conspiracies were born in the spirit of unconquerable patriotism in the breast of Irrepressible Young America.
 It all came about this way: Ever since the dawning of the centennial year, 1876, it had been the practice of certain enterprising youths to ring the Methodist church bell and the old school-house bell and explode all sorts of heavy and light artillery at midnight of the Fourth of July. The. practice was objectionable to some of the con- servative and sedate residents, ard year after year precautions were taken, at the church especially, to thwart the mid night celebrators, generally without success.
 On the year in question-Sam thinks it was about 1879 or I890- the patriotic conspirators laid their plans as usual. for ringing the church bell. Sam and Charlie Marvin undertook to look after that end of the celebration. As mid night came on they stealthily approached the basement window through which entrance was usually made on such occasions. It was locked and nailed down. After some difficulty they effected entrance by some means, and bCu 1O1 bhO btchll way 1Cau- ing to the main floor where the bell-rope was pulled, but at the head of the stairs they encountered an obstacle they couldn't overcome. The trap door was not only fastened down. but was further secured by means of the big belfry lad der, which had been placed on top of it. making an effective barricade, com-' pletely baff1ing the designs of the mid night patriots.
 But they were resourceful patriots, and when this other plan came to Sam like an inspiration they lost no time in putting it into effect. Sam knew where they could find a ladder and such tools as were needed, and they promptly set to work away up in the school house belfry, unharnessed the bell, lowered it to the ground, strapped it to a pole, and with all the help they needed from other youthful patriots, started on a triumphaI and deafening midnight parade through the main street, pound. ing the bell with hammers and coupling pins all the, paying particular attention to the neighborhood of the anti-celebra- tionists, VITO thus got a worse dose of nerve-racking persecution than the regular ringing of the church bell would have given them.
 For long time after that the where abouts of the old bell was a mystery to most people. Later Johnnie Robin son found it carefully concealed in ono of the buildings on the Adam place, though nobody in that neighborhood could explain for long time how it got there.