The Portland daily press., 1897-05-10
THE MUNICIPAL COURT.
John King Tried for Robbing Thomas
King-A Spotter Case Disposed of.

John King, aged % years, is a young
man who talks readily. Mr.. King posed
before Judge Robinson in the Municipal
court, Saturday, as a. Good Samaritan
who had taken Thomas Rings money
away from him in order to prevent others
| from stealing it. So praiseworthy were
the young man S intentions that he was
on his way to return the money when the
arm of the law reached out and gathered
him in Mr.. Joseph A. Craig, carpen-
| ter, figured as the arm of the law. Young
| Mr.. King will probably get q chance to
tell his story to a jury at the September
term of the Superior court for Judge Rob-
inson found probable cause against him
on the charge of having robbed Ring
The Judge rendered this decision after
listening to several witnesses who We're SO
unkind as to testify that instead of acting
as Good Samaritan, King himself stole
Rings money.
| Joseph A. Craig, Jr., told the court
that at about 1890 O'Clock Friday, his
attention was attracted to a connection
in a vacant lot on Cotton street. He said
that he saw two men apparently wrest-
ling and he saw the younger man of the
| two put his hand into the elderly mans
pocket and take out some bills and trans
| fer them to his own pocket. The young
man put some change back into the old
mans pocket. Mr. Craig judged from
what he saw that the old man was badly
| intoxicated.
| Ernest Maher, aged 10, Ella Coyne and
John Davis, children of about the same
age, testified that they saw King take the
money.
Thomas Ring was called, but all that
he could remember was that he had $50
on Thursday and $50 Friday morning
previous to the time that he claimed to
have been robbed. He admitted that he
was drunk.
Deputy Sterling and Turnkey Massure
testified to the finding of s23.42 on Kings
person and S23 IS on Ring.
Then Joseph A. Craig, ST., related how
he drove around after hearing of the rob-
berry and gathered in both men.
| At this point King told his story, which
he supplemented with plea for mercy on
the ground that he had a job in Lewiston,
had never been arrested before and did
not drink much except when on a visit
He admitted taking a number of drinks
with Ring.
| For the first time in many months a
"spotter'' case occupied portion of Judge
Robinson's time in the Municipal court
Saturday morning. Lewis j. Marshall
appeared as the complainant against
John A.. Clarity and Joseph j. Haley on
charges against each of search and seizure
and single sale.
| "On Wednesday evening of this week, y
testified Mr. Marshall, II visited the bar
that is run by these respondents and
asked for half pint of whiskey. This
(handing bottle to the COURT is what
was given to me. I believe it to be whis-
| key although have not tasted it,
"On Thursday" continued the COM
plainant, II again visited the place at
night. This other respondent was behind
the bar and when asked him for half a
pint of whiskey he gave me bottle of
liquor. In each of these instances I paid
the sum of 35 cents" Mr.. Clarity took
the stand and emphatically denied that
he had ever sold the complainant liquor.
Mr.. Dennis A. Meaher argued briefly for
the discharge of his clients
"The burden is on the state,'' he re-
marked, land the evidence is simply one
word against another -
Judge Robinson said that the only crit
| icism against the state was that the com
plainant was stranger. His testimony,
however, had been direct and positive.
| A fine of $50 and costs was imposed on
each respondent on the charge of single
sale. Clarity was also held on a search
and seizure. Appeals were taken and
bonds promptly furnished in all three
| cases.
Sons of the American Revolution.