account by
the liquor sellers in considering his treatment of them. They appeared
to have altered their opinions as to the enforcement of the law, and
their anger waxed hot, while many, often ranked with the temperance
people, were in sympathy with them. Divisions occurred in temperance
societies, because some of the members had friends who were made to
suffer by the imposing of fines on the lawbreakers, and members of
secret brotherhoods, who felt it their duty to uphold their brethren
in good or evil, complained of the injustice of thus depriving the
hotel-keepers of the property they had earned; some even declaring
such transactions to be on a par with the meanest theft. Meanwhile the
liquor sellers and their allies, who had already by the recent trials
been shown to be a company of lawbreakers, seemed to be forming plans
of their own. Many dark whispers floated through the county to the
effect that W. W. Smith had better look out for his personal safety,
and some declared with an air of wisdom that they would not like to be
in his position, while a suspicious looking stranger, said to be a
horse buyer, was noticed by some to be frequenting the hotels at
Sutton and Abercorn, and attending the horse races in the vicinity.
However, Mr. Smith had not the spirit of fear, and believing, as he
said, that "the Lord will take care of his own," he continued as usual
to go from place to place on errands of temperance, or any other work
which he felt claimed his attention.

CHAPTER II.

THE MIDNIGHT ASSAULT.

Thus matters went on until the night of July 7th, 1894, when Mr. Smith
drove out from his home and returned somewhat late. After caring for
his team he went into the station. It was afterwards told that some
young men had noticed a stranger at the depot that night, who had
appeared to be waiting for a train but had not gone away on any. After
the crowd at the station had dispersed, and the inmates of the
building had retired, as there was little night work to be done, Mr.
Smith went into his home in the station, where his brother's family
were then living with him, and having obtained a pillow for his head
went back to the waiting-room, where he lay down upon a settee and
dropped asleep.

An article published in the Montreal _Daily Witness_ soon after this
so well describes some of the circumstances which cluster round the
events of that night at Sutton Junction that we give some parts of it
here. It says: