Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1882-12-12
The Argus.
FRYEBURG.
SEARCH AND SEIZURE cAsr-NEw PYrH-
IAN LoDGE-OTHER MATTERS.

Shortly after | o'clock Saturday fore
noon, Seth w. Fife, esq, a we'll known
lawyer, and agent for the American Ex-
press Company, at Fryeburg, was brought
before Trial Justice A. o. Pike, in Court
Hall, to answer to charges Of violating
the Maine Liquor Law. The hall was
filled with an interested audience, which
included goodly number Of the fairer
sex. The State was represented by +.
f.. Hastings, esq. of Fryeburg, and Judge
A. II. Walker, of Bridgton. The res
pendent appeared per Sc.
To the first charge-:hat Of being q
common seller of intoxicating liquors
Mr.. Fife plead not guilty. waived exam
ination, and furnished sureties in the
sum Of 5000 to await the action Of the
Grand Jury at the next term of the Su-
preme Judicial Court, to be holden at
Paris. Tuesday, March Is, 1888. The
respondent alec plead not guilty to the
second charge, which came under search
and seizure warrant, but consented to the
imposition of the statute fine of $4,000
and costs, in order to avail himself Of the
right TO appeal; which he did, and this
case goes to the Supreme Judicial Court.
Some twenty or twenty-five witnesses,
who had been summoned by the State,
were dismissed without examination, af-
ter each had given his personal recogniz-
ance to answer to a summons to appear
before the Grand Jury at the March term
Of Court.
A representative Of the Argus was at
Frye5urg Saturday, and after the hear
ing, which resulted as stated above, he
spared no pains to learn from the prose-
cution the precise nature of the charges
preferred against Mr.. Fife, and from the
latter to ascertain the line Of his de-
Tense.
1t is claimed that since last June Mr..
Fife has been in constant receipt of pack
ages of liquor, shipped from one or more
wholesale liquor houses in Boston. That
these packages are marked with fictitious
names. That any one wanting liquor
has for months been able to get it by &C.
companying Mr.. Fife to his stable,where
the packages are stored, and paying the
price marked in pencil on the box. 1t
is claimed that this procedure is in open
violation of the Maine liquor law. That
the selling of the liquor thus coming by
the American Express to false names is
not done in Boston, but at Fryeburg by
Mr.. Fife, agent of the Express Company.
In short, that by letting anybody have
box Of liquor, arriving in this manner,
who will pay the charge thereon, with
out having ordered it from the Boston
house, Mr.. Fife becomes selling agent
of tn liquor firm. 1t is further claimed
that Mr.. Fife has had an understanding
with at least two Boston liquor houses,
and that he has made considerable mon
ey the past four months from the sener-
Gus commission he has received on liquor
sold in the manner stated.
Mr.. Fife told the reporter that the
greater part of the charges made against
him in the matter of these liquor packa-
pes. comes from those who are utterly ig-
norant Of the way in which the business
of the American Express Company Is
conducted. That boxes containing Ii
ouor. addressed to fictitious names have
arrived, but the true name of the party
ordering the liquor appears on the accom-
panying paper which is intended solely
for the eye of the express agent. So the
agent knows what he is about when he
tears from package the card bearing
the false name, and writes on the box
the true name known to him from the
private paper just referred to. Mr.. Fife
stated that whenever packages OF liquor
coming by express from Boston, marked
c. o. d., land all liquor packages are so
Marked and addressed to fictitious
names, remain uncalled for the usual
length of time, he at once notifies by one
of the Express Companys printed postal
cards, the firm whence the boxes were
shipped, of the fact. The Boston firm
then write on the back of the card, "De-
liver the boxes to w. +. or j. S., or to
any one who will pay the charges on
them" This card then goes to the Bos-
ton Office of the Express Company, and
the proper officer there stamps on the
card with the Companys seal instruction.
To comply in the disposal of the packages