The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-01-17
THE NEW STATE LIQUOR LAW.
The First Prisoners convicted Under it Re-
ceive Liquor Selling 20 an Habit
nal Drunkard Clearly Legal Crime

ual Drunkaru VAedKAJ d AobeA SAA10'
The cases of Michael LAWN and Andrew
Helm. the saloon keepers convicted of a
violation of the new State temperance law
in relation TO selling liquors to minors and
to habitual drunkards, again came before
Judge Booth in the Criminal Court, yes
terday morning at II o'clock, upon motions
for new trial and in arrest of judgment
Mr. Woke appearing for the detenaahVs,
1t will be remembered that DaIih' whose
saloon is on the corner OF VHa D9 m ana
Canal streets was convicted OF selling liq-
nor 1' 10 Isaac Holmes. an old and we'll
Known e;tivnn and stated by witnesses to
bayc been an babitual drunkard at the
t;me Iavin had sold him liquor. Helm
was WINS, also found guilty of violation of the
law in furnishing Louis Ledermann, an
alleged habitual drunkard, with intoxicat-
ing drinks, The Temperance Bureau was
mainly instrumental in instituting the
trials
The Court could see no ground upon
which the motion could be sustained, and
the prisoners being arraigned for sentence,
the Judge stated to them that they had
each been convicted of violation of the
law by selling liquor to persons in the
habit of getting intoxicated So far as he
was aware, 1t was the first conviction under
the new temperance act He supposed
| they had been aware of the law, and it
seemed that they had acted deliberately
and defantly in violating it. The two
sections bearing on the case met his most
! hearty appreciation, and he believed there
was no section in the criminal code that
should be better enforced, He had nc
vindictiveness TO express nor vent at the
same time as this was the first case, he
thought that the lesson should be taught
that a violation of the law was a crime. and
should be punished He said the com
munity had rights which must be respect
ed. as well as those of the large class who
engaged in the liquor traffic. 1t was ;
crime to encourage young men to drink
and others 10 continue SO to do He wa,
of the opinion that the liquor dealer VIII,
sells TO an intoxicated man commits ;
crime. The penalty for violation of tn,
law was fine of not less than $50 mo-
more than 500, and imprisonment in iai
for not less than ten nor more than thirty
DAYS. Both must be imposed, but h
should not impose the extreme penalty
nor should he inflct the minimum penalty
because by so doing he would not express
the gravity of the offense He woulc
therefore pursue medium course The
prisoners had already been in confinement
six days, and with that fact in view, h
would sentence them to imprisonment il
the county Jail for ten days, and to pay
fine of $50 each and costs Of prosecution
Mr.. Woke informed the court that h
had prepared exceptions defining tn,
. meaning of the word and in the sixth
section of the law
The court received the documents, an,
informed the counsel that the States At
torney would be here to-day, and he woul,
submit them to him for investigation be
fore passing Judgment upon them
The prisoners were then remanded t
jail where it is likely they will remain IN
til their brief term expires. CAicdg
d Inter ocean, l6h.