Norwich bulletin., 1916-12-16
WHEN NORWICH FOUGHT SMUGGLING

orally of a cheaper kind, and not
coyerfly offered for sale in various
places, or distributed by pedd;ers, was
obtained by secret and unlawful in
tercourse With the enemy.
The coast of Connecticut being
girdted by Long Island and New
York, and the British and Tories hav-
ing these wholly under their control,
it was very difficult to prevent the
secret intercourse and traffic OF the
two parties through the Sound.
In the later years Of the war es-
Cling trade prevailed to great ex.
tent, which was emboldeped by the
Indifference or connivance of the local
authorities, and stimulated by the
readiness of people to purchase cheap
goods without asking whence they
came.
Remittances for these goods must be
made in coin: therefore they were sold
only for cash, which, finding It's way
back to the eneHy's lines. iupover-
ished the country according to the
historian. Thus the traffic operated
against agriculture and manufactures,
against honest labor and lawful trade.
But worst of all, it nullified the laws
and brought them into contempt
Against this Illicit traffic a strong
association was formed in Norwich
in 1882. The members of the organ
ization bound themselves by solemn
pledges of life, fortune. and honor to
support the civil authority, TO hold nc
intercourse, social or mercantile, with
persons detected in any evading OF
the laws; TO furnish men and boats
for Keeping watch in suspected places
and to search out and break up all
deposits OF smuggled goods such
goods to be seized sold, and the pro-
ceeds devoted to charitable purposes.
The vigorous manner in which this
company began to carry on. its prin-
ciples caused great connmotion IN the
ranks of the guilty. Suspected goods
suddeniy disappeared, sales Were post
poned, stock which before had beer
openly exposed, Withdrew into cellars
or -meal-chests, or was concealed in
barns. under the hay, or in hollow
trees thickets. or ravines.
Several seizures were actually
made: but the Treaty of Peace soor
put an end to this cla1destine traffic
SO the Norwich association had but a
brief existence.
Summing up it's morale and effects
the historian says, It's object however
was creditable to the patriotism ant
efficiency OF the inhabitants: and 6
list of the signers gives us the names
OF slSty-eight prominent men whc
We're on the stage IF life at the close
of the War, and all within the bounds
OF the. present town.
The Connecticut Gazette, Vol. 1e
contains the following list of thoss
banded under the title of The Associa-
ton Against Illicit Trade:
Samuel Abbot. Elijah EAckus
John NJ. Breed, Shnbael Breed, Sam.
uel capron. Eliphalet Carew. JOSEPH
Carew, Simeon Carew, Thomas Colt
William Colt. John Crazy, Jacob De-
Witt. Michael, Dumont, Thomas Fan,
| ming. JabeZ Fitch, Joseph Gale. Jo
Ellphalet Huntington, Jonathan Hunt
lngton, Joshua Huntington Lev
Huntington, Simeon Huntington. vii
| liam Hubbard. Russell Hubbard &
Son. Ebenezer Jones, Joshua Lathrop
Rufus Lathror.
Christopher Leffingwel. Benajai
Lefirgwell. Jopathan Lester, Elih,
Marvin, John Mccall, Lynde McCurdy
Seth Miner. Thomas Mumford. Ma
thaniel Niles, Robert Niles Timoth,
Parker, Asa Peabody, Nathaniel P
Peabody, Joserh Peck.
Andrew Perkins, JabeZ Perkins ia
beg Perkins, Jr., Joseph Perkins. 10
seph Perkins, Jr, Erastus Perkins
Hezekiah Perkins, Levi Perkins. Dan
lei Rodman, Theopl,ilus Rogers, Z1b
del Rogers. Ransford Rose, Androy
Tracy, Jr-, Mundator Tracy. Sanue
| Ira cy
Asa Waterman, Jr, Samuel Wheat
Joseph WhitmarsE. Renajah Williams
Joseph Williams, Jacob Witter, Dud
ley Woodbridge, Samuel Woodbridge
Alexander Youngs.
There is no other instance in tn
| history of Norwich where smusglin,
| is referred to: so probably this is TIL
complete story of local effort to chea
| the country, at least in such n whole
sale and for a time almost scandalou
| fashion.
| Following the privations of the earl
years OF the Revolution, and the re
action resulting from rigid self -denia
on the part of the townspeople. it i
| perhaps easy to understand how an,
why the weaker ones fell into thf
| shady practfce-which, happily did no
THE DICTAGRAPH.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR