steps a
miniature coffin, which bore an ominous inscription, giving his name
and the record of his death (without date), and calling him a "Sutton
Junction detective." Also, anonymous letters were reported to have
been received by two men in the same vicinity, viz.: N. P. Emerson,
Vice-President of the Alliance for the township of Sutton, and J. C.
Draper, President of Brome County Agricultural Society, who was also a
member of the Alliance, bidding them beware lest they also suffer in
the same manner as Mr. Smith.

It may have afforded a degree of satisfaction to a certain class of
people to thus add fuel to the fire already kindled by the liquor men,
but their cause will certainly never triumph through any such acts as
these, for there will always be some in the ranks of the temperance
party who will be willing to work the harder the fiercer roll the
flames of opposition.

CHAPTER IV.

PROS AND CONS OF PUBLIC OPINION.

As may be supposed this assault case became the subject of a great
deal of discussion and controversy, not only in the vicinity of its
occurrence, but also in places far distant, and among people who had
no personal knowledge of any of the parties especially concerned in
it. If the assault upon Mr. Smith had been committed for almost any
other reason than the one which really led to it, it would probably
have caused less intense feeling than it did. But an assault of such a
serious nature, made on account of a man's temperance principles and
practices, appealed to the public sense of right, and seemed the
signal for a war of pens and tongues between the opposing parties of
temperance and inebriety. Very few of the latter party proved brave
enough to have their opinions submitted to the press (or else the
press would not accept them), but doubtless those opinions were freely
expressed in private.

We purpose devoting this chapter to a few of the views of societies
and individuals respecting this affair, as they were published in the
columns of certain newspapers. The following from _The Templar_ shows
the feeling of the Alliance in a border county to that in which the
deed was committed, as expressed just before the opening of court:

"The Missisquoi County Alliance, at a meeting held August 28th,
passed the following resolution, which was unanimously adopted
amid applause: '_Resolved_, That this County Alliance now
assembled desires to record its deepest sympathy with