Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1921-05-11
TRAIN CREW INVOLVED
Grand Trunk Employees Charged
with Bringing in Booze

brought before United States Com
missioner Walter III. Cleary Friday
afternoon, when the entire crew of a
freight train on the Grand Trunk
railroad were brought to Newport
from Island Pond by United States
Custom Officer L B. Jones and United
State Deputy Marshall Henry G.
Egilton.
The train crew, which were charged
portating importations of Intoxicating
beverages, consisted of engineer,
James Toland, fireman Paul Verrill,
conductor, Henry Danforth, and
brakemen, William Riggie and J. p.
Cole.
At the opening of the court Com
missioner Cleary explained that the
purpose of the court was to fix bail
for appearance at the United States
court at Windsor the third week of
this month, to which the entire crew
expressed to desire to have hearing
at that time. None of the arranged
desired to employ council. Customs
Officer l.. B. Jones acted for the gov
ernment in examining the witnesses.
He outlined the case against the five
men, and brought with him four ex-
pert witnesses, Deputy Collectors H.
c. Belknap, w. w. Thurber, C. S.
Foster and H. E. Harvey who were
the men who figured in the appre-
hending of the train crew in their
attempt to transport the liquors.
Deputy Harvey was the principal
witness, and was on the stand at some
length. During the hearing the men
of the train crew were privileged TO
ask any questions that they desired
or take the stand in defense, but they
were willing to rest the matter with
the court and only one or two ques-
tlons were asked The story of the
attempt to get away with the liquor
as told by Collector Harvey was as
follows:
To check the passing of smuggled
goods which officers were suspicious
was going on over, the railroad freight
lines, and at the order of Deputy
Jones, Officers Belknap, Thurber. Fos-
ter, and Harvey started out on q
still hunt on the afternoon of May
Ord. They procured a boat and rowed
to the lower end Of the pond where
they took the railroad track. After
going ine the direction of East
Brighton about two miles, they con-
ceaied themselves in the woods where
they, could watch the highway, their
location being on the Jake Barnes
farm and about $50 yards from the
railroad. About 6:30 their attention
was attracted to an approaching auto,
which in the dusk they described as
a touring car with. yellow wheels.
The car stopped not far from where
they were in hiding. One man
al1ghted, going through the woods and
IN doing this passed within a couple
OF feet of the officers. He was later
identified as Guy Waldron.
The auto passed along a short dis
tance, then returning. The officers,
who were stationed in pairs
about 100 yards apart, then had
long wait, as it was not until about
8:15 that their attention was at
tracted to what they thought was the
same auto again approaching, closely
followed by another car When near
the same point where the first car
stopped each car gave a signal of
three blasts of the auto horn. A few
minutes after, a freight train was
heard approaching from Island Pond.
When nearly opposite the point where
the autos stopped, the officers heard
the breaks applied, and the train came
to a stop. Officers Foster and Har-
vey hastened to the railroad, where
Harvey in walking toward the rear
end of the train met Conductor Dan
forth going towards the head end
on the opposite side. The officers
followed apd when near the fifteenth
car from the engine, which was No.
14118 A. R. L., consigned to Berlin,
N. H., he saw three men on the
ground, one on the side of the car,
and another on top, busily oading
sacks of what proved to be bottles
of liquor and cans of alcohol When
about thirty feet away he turned his
f1ashlight on the parties, calling for
them to hold up their hands, at which
in the darkness. Harvey fired three
shots but it failed to check the irflight-
The conductor, who passed by the men
when at work, was near the head end
of the train, and upon the report OF
the revolver the train started.
Deputy Harvey, having at one time
been railroad man, used his flash
light as signal to stop, without re-
suits. He then quickly pulled an
angle cock which set the brakes on
the forty cars at the rear end of the
train, bringing the train to a stop.
He mounted the top of the car calling
for his assistant officers. When
Thurber and Belknap arrived, they
nad with them Carl Peavy, who they
in the road as they
started for the railroad. He was
placed on top of the car and in COM
oany of two officers and the seizure of
liquor remained until Officer Harvey
entered the car of the engine and
ordered the train returned to Island
Pond.
Peavey, who was claimed to be the
man on the top of the car, was the
only one of the five men who were
loing the loading that was captured,
The other four making their get away.
Peavy was brought to Newport
Wednesday and placed under tempo
-ary bail of $500 for his appearance
again Friday, when he had for counsel
Attorney Powell of Island Pond and
!. Rolf Searles of st. Johnsbury. AT
he conclusion of the hearing Commits
'ioner Cleary continued his bail e.
$500 for his appearance at the next
session of the United States court.
Bail being procured, he was released.
Out of the train crew Engineer
roland, Conductor Danforth and
Brakeman Cole were placed under
$500 bail each for appearance at the
United States Court at Windsor this
month, bail in all cases being sfur