The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-10-01
VIGHANT CUSTOMS
MAN FOUND DYING
Ralph B. Flanders Had Just Returned
from Arresting Party Charged with
Smuggling Liquor Into
Vermont.

Island Pond, Oct. United States
Customs Inspector Ralph B. Flanders
was shot through the heart and killed IN
his room at the home of Captain II. E.
Randall between the hours of 4 and 5
o'clock yesterday morning, following his
return from what is known as the Iron
Bridge" road, where in company with a
brother inspector, II. P. Belknap, he had
arrested four men and confiscated an
automobile loaded with smuggled liquor
which had been run over the border from
Canada Whether the shooting was aeci-
dental or the result of deliberately laid
plan to get" Flanders for his activity
in the prevention and catching of liquor
smugglers will not be definitely deter
mined until the completion of a rigid in
vestigation by Sheriff Il. A. Powell
The shooting of Inspector Flanders oc-
Cured soon after he had returned from
his duties after lodging the four occu-
pants of the car in jail and placing the
confiseated car in a garage for safe keep
ing, the time being about 4:30 O'Clock
as near as members of the Randall fam
ily can determine. The first that they
knew of anything unusual was when
Mrs Randall heard Flanders cry out,
Pm shot" she and her husband being
asleep in an adjoining room on the sec
ond floor of the house.
She awoke Mr.. Randall and they in
vestigated Upon opening the door into
Flanders room they discovered him on
the floor semi conscious. Mr.. Randall
picked him up while Mrs. Randall ran
for the telephone to get physician.
Before she came back Flanders had died
in Mr.. RandalPs arms, never speaking
another word
The man was fully dressed with the
exception OF his coat which he had taken
off and put over the back of chair.
On the bed which had not been disturbed,
was rifle, revolver and his cap. The
rifle was loaded and all cartridges in it
were undischarged. The revolver was
likewise Near where the body lay was
Il second revolver, also the property of
the inspector, and one discharged shell.
Sheriff E. A. Bemis OF this town ar
rived at the house soon after o'clock
and took charge OF the situation The
body was taken TO the local undertaking
rooms where late yesterday afternoon
an autopsy was performed by Drs. Bing
ham H. Stone and Charles f. Whitney of
the state board of health According
TO information gathered at the autopsy,
the bullet pierced the heart almost in
the center and on the vest which Flan-
ders wore were powder marks which in
dicated that the bullet had been fired at
close enough range to burn the cloth.
There were no other marks OF physical
violence on the body,
1t is possible that the activities Of,
Inspector Flanders, who was regarded
by the government officials as one OF
the most trustworthy and efficient in
spectors in the service in Vermont, may
have been the direct cause of his untime
ly DEATH for it would not have been a
hard thing, according to information re-
ceived here, for a person 10 have shot
the man by standing on a ladder or a
she'd roof which was directly under one
Of the windows in the Randall home.
The four men who were arrested on
Monday night by Inspectors Flanders
and Beknap were G. II. Bryan Of Coati-
cook, P. O., the driver OF the automo-
bile a Chevrolet touring car; John May
of the same town, who was a passenger;
DR. Pierre Guertin and A. Bealieu of
North Stratford, n H. The two latter
claimed TO own the whiskey found in
the car and they we're arrested on the
charge of conspiracy against the gov
ernment and with violation OF the fed
eral smuggling laws.
All four men were brought before
United States Commissioner William II.
Cleary at Newport late yesterday aft
ernoon, DIR. Guertm and Mr.. Bealieu
waived examination and were held in
$500 bail each. The driver of the car
and Mr.. May We're released after hearing
as it was found that they were not i'm.
plicated in the deal, Bryan being only
the chauffeur and Mr. May friend of
his companion. The Bryan car was con-
fiscated under the laws however, and it
will be disposed of later.
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