The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1919-10-02
death MYSTERY
In ISLAND POND
MAY GO UNSOLVED
Officials Have no New Clues
Upon Which to Place
Solution of Crime

ISLAND POND, Oct. "A death
mystery that probably will never be
solved is that of Ralph B. Flanders,
the athletic young U. S. Customs off
Ger, who died of a bullet wound
through his right chest an hour after
he had rounded up a party of liquor
smugglers near the Canadian border
State investigators are mystified
the total absence of clues that would
lead to the solving of the mystery.
1t is known that the sudden death
of Inspector Flanders brought no
sorrow to the gangs of liquor SNUG
glers who have been working daily at
the border getting large stores OF
"hard stuff across the border into
the United States. Customs officers
know of huge stores of liquor that
have been shipped down from Mon
treal and Quebec to farms along the
Canadian side. A recent visitor
across the border said he had seen
200 cases of whiskey stacked up in
farmers barn awaiting the activity of
the smugglers to get it across the bor-
der A hotel keeper in house near
the border was waited upon by two
Canadians who said they had 500 gal
Ions of whiskey which they would
guarantee delivery of within three
days.
The one man who was serious
thorn in the side of the smugglers
was Inspector Flanders, 27 years old,
a keen alert and fearless customs
officer who let nothing stand in his
way of running down the law break
ers. That he had earned their emnity
is beyond doubt and that he was a.
marked man among some of the
smugglers is also known.
Flanders was catcher for the Is
land Pond baseball team. He played
against the smugglers just as he did
against the opposing team, he was
out to to beat his opponents.
Only week or SO ago Inspector
Flanders had rounded up two men
from Berlin, N. H., who had many
cases of whiskey and gin. These
two men, Oscar A. Dupont and Fred
Nadeau are now out on S1,000s bail.
Shortly before that he rounded up
party from Canaan, N. H., who were
crossing the border
There are but three ways that the
young Inspector could have come to
his untimely end-homicide, suicide
OF accidental death.
The homicide theory is dwelt upon
because of the fact that Inspector
Flanders by his activities against
smugglers had earned their enmity.
Monday night Flanders attended
local motion picture show. He was
in specially jovial spirits. 1t was
after the show that he suddenly de-
parted from town in his Ford car ac-
companied by Inspector H. P. Beik-
nap. If there was anything troubling
the young man at that time he GER
tainly did not show it outwardly. He
joked as he drove off onto the dark
and forbidden iron bridge road which
is less frequented thoroughfare
used by those who would elude Off
GERS to get goods across the border
by automobile and across the north
ern end of this state into New
Hampshire. Once across this stretch
of road the, smugglers might go their
way unmolested and unsupported.
The officers took up their vigilance
near the bridge. 1t was after O'Clock
in the morning that they were re-
warded for their efforts by holding
up a touring car with four men in it.
A search revealed several cases of
whiskey. The men proved to be
C. H. Bryan of Coaticook, P. Q,
the driver of the Chevrolet touring
car, John May of the same tiwn; DR..
Pierre Guertin and A. Beauieu of
North StraffoFd, N. H. The men
were taken into town, locked up and
the officers started for home. Young
Flanders lived with Capt. H. e. Ran
dali in pretty cottage house oppo-
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