St. Landry democrat., 1885-02-14
Hiding whisky in Connecticut

The evasion of the cast-irOn Connec-.
ticut license law, and the hunt-doWn or
offenders by the prosecuting agents,
greedy for the S. bounty paid in every
proven case OF illegal liquor selling,
furnish many novel episodes. To sue
cessfnlly evade the law the saloon keep
er must not only have his liquor hidden
SO as to defy the keenest search, both
day and night, but he must be constant
| ly on guard against spies IN the en-
DlOv of prosecuting officers. In spite OF
all difficulties, there is hardly village
| III eastern Connecticut in which there
are not vi0l tors of the law, who make
good living besides paying heavy tlnes
after the agents have hunted them
| down. The large factory villages I'D
which the no license system is in force
| are fruitful field for illegal liquor sell
| ing. The employees are crazy for al
| cohOlic stimulents, and any one who is
able to furnish it to them is sure of
| from $4,000 to $1,000 year. The busl-
| ness is sometimes done by the propr1e-
tor Of a village restaurant, but ottener
| by A mill hand, a free-and-easy fellow
with a large circle of acquaintance.
/ In Gecum, village a few miles north
Of Norwich, a jolly young Frenchman,
/ Moses Lam bert, was convicted III the
/ Norwich city court of sixteen distinct
violations of the liquor law in one year,
and was sentenced to pay fines and
costs in each case ranging from sou to
1890 LIN all his cases he appealed to
the Supreme Court, and nearly all OF
| them were marked off the docket OF
/ that court by the district attorney, the
usual fate of eases brought by prosecut-
/ ing agents. Notwithstanding bis draw
/ H,,o I
smuggles bis whisky into the village at
night.
The hunt for illegal dealers is going
on continually, the raids being made
generally just before day by
agents who have ridden in light buggies
all night Two men, the agent and his
deputy sheriff, ride together. The sus-
pected man is awakened by clatterin2
ut his back door. The demand fol-
lows: "Open your house. We are Ii
auor officers He hastily complies and
| the officers search the dwelling, by the
light of lamp carried by the owner.
| from cellar TO garret. Not Granny es-
capes inspection. Closets and pantries
are invaded, wearing apparel is search
ed, feather and straw beds are ripped
open, floor boards are taken up, tables
4 are sounded for double drawers, the
hearth stone is priced up, and the chin.
ney peered into. Next the barn and
horse stables, the hay loft and the well
are searched, and then sink drains and
stone walls are looked after, the pro-
Drietor assisting in the search and
cracking Jokes at the officers expense.
Often a cunning liquor seller will
hOoOdwink the agents for years before
the hiding place of his liquor is ferreted
out. 1t had been long suspected that
Eli st. George, of Putnam, III WIndham
county, was selling liquor contrary to
the law. His house was visited by
squads of men at all hours, w.lO appa-
rently had no business with him, but
several searches instigated by spies re-
suited fruitlessly. On last Saturday
/ Constable Davis and Herman Carver
entered St. Georges place, and after q
long search discoveFed pipe in the
ceiling of his reception room. By pull
ing up boards and tearing away plas-
tering they traced it to a tank contain
ing several gallons of whisky between
the floors in an upper story. On the
same day these officers surprised An
thony Murphy, in the same village
Anthony welcomed them with smile
and said Search all you want to
gentlemen you'll find no rum about
my plstCCs \ uClC 10 AOLutuG otAUHEOl
than cider here and that is in that bar.
I rel over there"
He pointed carelessly to cider Cash
i in the corner of the room. The officers
looked the cask over carefully and smell
of it.
Scot Il glass, Andy" said one Of
them. Andy got the glass and the Ofi
Ger turned the spiggOt. Out ran {
stream Of sour old cider. Next the Off
Ger got hammer and knocked out the
bug. He lowered his official nose int
the vent. "Cider, true's yer born 7
was his comment. Then he noticed /
peg in the rear end of the barrel
I"Might as well try this, too, Andy" HI
said. Mr.. Murphy's countenance fell
The peg was pulled out and the cOnsta
hle drew o glassful of Old Grow whis
key.
i Quite a barrel,n he said getting off BIZ
knees. did you invent it, Andy Go
ing to get a patent 7"
There were two apartments in thu
cask.
/ A few weeks ago prosecuting officers
after searching boarding house in th'
early dawn at Versailles, and decendiDt
to tire board kitchen, noticed that thu
i dining table was singnlarly corpulent
i They rolled it over two or three times
there was clashing of wicker-cOvereC
glass and gallon of whisky trickleC
ont on the floor.
BONE FELoN.-Of all painful thing
there can be none SO excruciatingl,
painful as bone felon7 We know Q