The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-03-03
Report of the Attorney General.

In submitting his third annual report for the
year ending Oct. 81, 1875, Attorney General
Plaisted proceeds first to an enumeration of
the capital cases which have been person ally
attended to by him. In the county of Andro-
scoggin Rufus 81. Higgins and Thomas Lawler
we're tried at the January term for the murder
OF James Barlow, but after the evidence for the
state was out, put in plea of manslaughter,
and were sentenced, Higgins to seven years
and Lawler to three years and six months in
prison. Piscataquis has had one capital case,
that of Edward D. McCausland for arson, which
ended in plea of guilty to arson ia the second
degree and his sentence of five years. Penob-
scot has furnished two murders, Nehemiah
Drawn OF Oldtown, who was convicted of man
slaughter after two trials and whose case is
before the law court, and VIM. Panborn, who
murdered his wife and on plea of manslaugh-
ter was sent to the state prison for ten years.
These are all the capital indictments tried last
year, and no indictment of this nature Is now
pending.
A large part of the report is devoted to re-
ports from the various county attorneys on the
enforcement of the liquor law. These reports
in general show marked improve
ment in the enforcement of the
law. In all but the larger cities the traffic
has been virtually suppressed and in these it
has been driven to seek secrecy. The sheriffs
have generally been efficient and have pursued
the trafickers faithfully, while the temperance
revivals in various parts of the state have been
potent in awakening public sentiment and edu.
eating it up to full belief in prohibition. The
county attorney of Lincoln finds some hind
rance to thorough enforcement of the law in
the fact that witnesses are 10th to testify before
the grand jury and are oftentimes ready to
commit perjury to screen friendly Iumseller.
Protested temperance men, he says, who speak
eloquently in the cause are silent when the
time for action comes The county attorney of
Knox thinks prohibitory law is good thing
if the people are educated up to it. He ex-
expresses his preference for license law. The
county attorney of York expresses his opinion
that the penalties of the law are amply sufi-
Gent, From his county the sale of liquors has
been almost entirely banished and good effects
are seen in the elimination of petty crime and
pauperism. He thinks the people are well sat
isfied with the working of the law.
We subioin in full County Attorney Libby's
report:
$50 far as the enforcement of the law Is con-
cerned, 1 have not much to add to my last re-
port. 1t does not accompl ish in this city all
that its most jealous supporters desire; and yet
think it has done much to restrain the sale of
intoxicating liquors. Many old dealers have
been driven out of the business by the large
fines and imprisonment sentences imposed, but
their places have been taken by new offenders
While the number of open bars has been large
ly reduced. cannot say that the amount of
liquor illegally sold has correspondipgly d.
minished Liquor has been driven under COW
err, but not OUT of reach. The amount of fines
collected in liquor prosecutions during the past
year is largely in excess of that of any previous
year, amounting to some $4,000 in the Supe-
rior Court alone, while during the same period
there has been paid in the Municipal Court of
this city, (Portland) the sum of $4,000 The to-
tai costs of the criminal terms of the court dur
ing that time amount to little more than $12,.
O00'