Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-10-05
LIQUOR CASE ON TRIAL.
FIRST OF THE LONG SERIES IN
COUNTY COURT.
Seven Moro Holders OF Government
Licenses Furnish Bail-Allen Chess
more and william bradford of
Jericho Acquitted.


Court was held Tuesday afternoon and
so far as it has been conducted has been
found to be full of interest. The case ca
trial is that of David H. McC,uen against
whom the grand Jury found indictments
for being a common seller of lio,ior and
for maintaining a nuisance at No 81
North street McCuen is represented hy
]. f. Cushman and D. ]. Foster while
States Attorney Brown prosecutos
Altogether the dav in court was a nota-
lie one The Jury in the case of the state
VS.. Allen .rhessnore charged with intoxi-
cation, brought in a verdict of not guilty:
the Jury in the case of the state VS.. Or.
William Bradford of Jericho charged with
a breach of the peace with Georpc Till
son, found the RESPONDENT not guilty
pleas of not guilty to being common SELL
ers of liquor were entered by fourteen
druggists; deputy collector Of Internal
revenue A. l.. Weeks of St Adams re-
fused to testify on certain matters relat-
ing to his official connection in the case
of the State VS.. McCuen: Rev. George W.
Morrow, State sperin;endent of the anti
Saloon League was a witness in the case
OF McCuen; bail was given in the cases
of seven additional holders of retail lio-
nor licenses; the Champlain Transportd-
ton company were served with n copv of
grand jury for occupying a public street
and to close the day a divorce was grant
ed in the case of Edward Cady VS. Susan
Cady.
The case Of the State VS.. David II. Nc
Cuen on the charge of being a common
seller was taken up early in the after
noon. Jury was cmpaneled from which
George d, Wright of this CITY AMI G, II.
Hayden of Jericho were excused at the
request of the respondents attorneys Mr.
Hayden is prominently identified with the
Independent Order of Good Templars in
Vermont and Mr.. Wright is understood to
ne identified with the local branch of the
anti-Saloon League
The testimony of the first witness pro-
voked objection over which som, time
was spent, and this became q feature OF
the hearing so far as conducted during
the afternoon The witness was Arthur
L. Weeks of st. Adams. deputy collecto or
of internal revenue He was sworn and
testified as to his pcsition in the service
Of the treasury department and that tile
district in which Vermont was placed in
Icluded New Hamnshire and had it's head
quarters at Portsmouth n. H., where the
records were kept Mr.. Weeks was then
handed paper by States Attorney
Brown and asked If it was the printed
form used by the government in issuing
licenses
At this point the RESPONDENTS counsel
interposed an objection on the ground that
the matters to which the witness was
about to testify were of privileged
character. He cited and handed TO Judga
RoNcll the decision in the case OF n sim
liar character in which Mr. Weeks was
lplaced in contempt of court for refusing
to testify as to the matters of a similas'
character and finally upheld in his refu-
sal
Judge Rowell inquired Of Mr.. Weeks If
he had received recent rulings in the mat
ter from the treasury department and on
being informed that instructions had re-
Gently been received, allowed the witnes !,
to retire and procure them They Were
placed in the hands of the court and 8
the close of their perusal Mr. Weeks sta
ted that he was willing to answer the
question If allowed to do so and said chat
the form in question was not the one in
Iuse on July ! of the current year. II =
testified further that he delivered form
known as No. II to all who applied and
that it was used for various licenses.
With reference to the objections Judge
RoWell said that in his opinion the test-
mony of Mr.. Weeks was admissible if
the states attorney could get ii from the
witness. The objections made by the
counsel for the respondent was then over
ruled and exceptions noted
A form was then handed to the witness,
W hich he said was the last sent out from
the headquarters of the department. lie
a lso testified that during his term of sis
years service there had been, he thought,
a note at the bottom of the blanks eN-
lplaining the meaning of some of the alb
breVations used in the forms. Those who
desired licenses were obliged to make out
and file an application. The sum paid for
the licenses vas indicated by the statutes
and also printed on the back of the forms.
Mr. Brown inquired of the witness II
the authorizations h. l.. D., meant retail
liquor dealer to which Mr.. Weeks replied
that with all respect for the court he must
decline to answer the question az it was
with reference to matters Of Il direct Of
fetal character This ended his testimony
and he was dismissed by the court,
The next witness called by the State was
Rev. George w. Morrow of this city. State
superint endent of the Anti Saloon League.
He testified that he had recently been in
Portsmouth, n. H., ror the purpose of Sc
curing a copy of the records of special
taxes paid in Vermont and especially
those having to do with liquor licenses.
He was shown n buncn Of papers which
he said was "A copy of records made ty
him at the office of the collector of inter-
nal revenue at Portsmouth, N H. 1t was
q true COPY, he said, and It was offered as
evidence in so far as it related 10 the re
spondent's case
In response to uuestio, from Judge
Roweu Mr. Morrow stated that he made
two trips to Portsmouth. one on Septem
her 9Th and the other on the 18th of the
same month
The counsel for the RESPONDENT was al
lowed to question the witness as 70 tho
paper offered. Under mis- inquiry the
witness testified that the record was exact-
~ conied with tha evcantiore Of tho
I ,,ord, or,toa OF ~ a., - a. 800 "a