Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1919-10-08
MYSTERY CLEARED UP
Officer Flanders of Island Pond Acct
dentally Shot.

United States Customs Inspector
Ralph B. Flanders, was shot through
the heart and killed in his room at
the home of Capt. III. E. Randall in
the early hours of September 30th,
following his return from what
is known as the "Iron Bridge" road,
where in company with brother in
spector, H. P. Belknap, he had ar
rested four men and coniscated an
liquor which had been run over the
border from Canada. Whether the
shooting was accidental or the re-
suit of a deliberately laid plan to
"get" Flanders for his activity in the
prevention and catching of liquor
smugglers will not be definitely de-
termined until the completion of a
rigid inspection by States Attorney
Powell.
The shooting of Inspector Flanders
occurred soon after he had returned
from his duties after lodging the four
occupants of the car in Jail and plac-
ing the confscated car in a garage
for safe keeping, the time being about
4.30 o'clock as near as the members
of the Randall family can determine.
The first that they knew of anything
unusual was when Mrs. Randall
heard Flanders cry out, "I'm shot,"
she and her husband being asleep in
an adjoining room on the second
| 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
! put over the back of chair. On
the bed, which had not been disturb
ed was a rifle, revolver and his cap.
The rifle was loadned and all car
/ tridges in it were undischarged. The
revolver was likewise. Near. where
the body lay was another revolver,
also the property of the Inspector,
and one discharged shell.
Sheriff E. A. Bemis arrived at the
house soon after 5 o'clock and took
charge of the situation. The body
was taken to undertaking rooms where
an autopsy was performed by Drs.
Bingham Fl. Stone and Charles F.
Whitley of the state board of health
According to information gathered
at the autopsy the bullet pierced the
/
vest which Flanders wore were pow
der marks, which idicated 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.
It is. possible that the activities of
Inspector Flanders, who was regard
ed by the government officials as one
of the most trustworthy and efficient
inspectors in the service in VermC at,
may have been the direct cause of his
untimely death, for it would not have
been a hard thing, according to in
formation received, for a person to
have shot the man by standing on a
ladder or a shed roof which was di-
rectly under one of the windows in
the Randall home.
The four men who were arrested by
Inspectors Flanders and Belknap on
Monday night were c. H. Bryan of
Coaticook, P. O., the driver of the
automobile, Chevrolet touring car;
John May of the same town, who was
a passenger; DR.. Pierre Guertin, and
A. Bealieu of North Stratford, n. III.
The two latter claimed to own the
whiskey found in the car and they
were arrested on the charge of con-
spiracy against the government and
with violation of the federal snug
Cling laws.
All four men were brought before
United States Commissioner VIM. I'll.
Cleary at Newport. DR.. Guertin and
Mr.. Bealieu waived examination and
were held in bail of $500 each. The
driver of the car and Mr.. May were
released after hearing as it was
, found that they were not implicated
in the deal, Bryan being only the
chauffeur, and Mr.. May friend OF
his companion. The Bryan car how
ever, was confscated under the laws.
and will be disposed of later.
,, Full investigation by Mr.. Powell
and Attorney General Archibald
! shows that the shooting was acciden-