The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-07-08
BIG BOOZE HAUL
IN BENNINGTON
TrucklOads of Spirits Are
Seized, Valued at
Over $5,
WINDHAM COUNTY
OFFICERS ASSIST

Outsiders-Various Clubs Raided and
Several Arrests Made-Governor En-
ploys Detectives.
One of the biggest liquor raids ever
pulled off in Vermont took place in IL
cense Bennington Saturday night, when
eight places, including the well-known
club rooms of the village were visited
by % officers from Windham and Wash
ington counties. Liquor estimated to
be worth from $4,000 to $1,000 was
seized and at least one arrest was made
in each place.
The raid was brought about by At
| torney General H. G. Barber of this
place with the cooperation of Governor
| Fl. F. Graham, and it took Bennington
| completely by surprise. Bennington of
ficers made no attempt to disguise their
Indignation because of the visit from
outsiders and in some instances the
| village police undertook to show their
| authority by ordering the visiting of
fieers about, although with not much
success.
| Several weeks ago complaints
reached Governor Graham that wide
open traffic in booze was being conduct
ed in Bennington by persons not hold
| ing licenses and he turned the matter
over to Attorney General Barber The
latter called the attention of States
| Attorney Frank Archibald of Manches-
ter to the situation and suggested that
it be cleaned up.
/ As nothing seemed TO come of the
complaints Governor Graham employed
detectives to locate places where the
law was being violated and two weeks
ago Sheriff Frank L. Wellman of Brat
tleboro was called to Springfield (Vt.1
for a conference with Deputy Sheriff
| H. j. Slayton of Barre for the purpose
of making plans for big raid. Sheriff
Wellman took along Deputy Sheriff Fred
Cressy of Brattleboro and Deputy Sher-
iff ". M. Sparks of Townshend.
On Saturday morning Harvey w
Goodell of Montpelier, secretary of civ
il and military affairs. came to Brattle-
boro. Complaints were drawn up in the
: office of Attorney General Barber and
Mr. Goodell and Sheriff Wellman went
to North Adams, Mass, where they met
Municipal Judge Edward Holden of
r Bennington. The three motored from
r there to Stamford (Vt.) where the COM
plants were signed.
} On his return to Brattleboro Sheriff
, Wellman got together a company of
nine officers, including two private cit
liens who were deputized for this par
ticular event. The eight besides the
sheriff were Deputy Sheriffs Fred Cres-
: sy of Brattleboro, Fred Rand of Bel
a lows Falls, w. NJ. Hosley of South Lon
. donderry, w NJ. Sparks of Townshend
and Walter Howe of Wilmington, Po
ieeman George Bower of Brattleboro
and Solon A. Richmond and Clifford A
: Baker of Brattleboro.
! The Brattleboro party left here about
Z clock Saturday evening in two au
tomobiles, going through Wilmington Il
9 Bennington, where they met a party Of
u Is officers from Barre and Montpelier
9 in charge of Deputy Sheriff II. j. Slay
= ton of Barre The II besides Mr.. Slay
ton in the Washington county part,
n were Deputies Sheriffs w. E. Bixby
L Dennis Donahue, Henry Lawson, Ed
5. ward Gill; Arthur Emery, Samuel Sin
n, clair, Frank Baldwin, Theodore Sloan
John Jerue, John Campbell, George I
d Rock and Frank o. Lee.
3, The meeting place was near the Sol
h diers' Home, and there final prepare
re tions and assignments of the officer
were made. At just 10 clock the OF
m fcers descended simultaneously upo
y the Moose club in No. Bennington an
r. the following places in Bennington vi
: lage: Canadian club, Bennington clul
Elks. Eagles, Foresters of America,
poker joint and the private house q
e. Peter Longtin at 800 Grove street.
- From 10 to 40 persons were found
-. rd each place, including some of the prom
~ inent citizens, and in all the place
liquor was found except the poke
rooms. In the latter place a game W;
m' in progress and the officers seooped
ay the cards, chips and money and mat
W two arrests. The custodians in all Il
-" clubs were arrested, also Peter Longti
~, '.h Sheriff Wellman led the raid on II
Bennington club, accompanied by Dep
- Lties Howe and Sparks. They took Il
- names of II men there. Many nam
80 were taken also at the other places.
aS In some of the places booze was b
y, ing served, and search brought lar
~ quantities of stuff to light. Each {
80 ficer made a careful inventory of VIII
'oh he seized and the entire haul was TAX
- to the Bennington county jail in aui
mobile truck loads, and there the sht
iff of Bennington county was requir
to receipt for all the captured goot
'ne In the haul there were several 81 g
adj lon barrels full of whiskey and g
a number of barrels of Budweiser, 20