The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-08
RIVERS OF BEER.
Clinton Police Make
a Big Sunday
Seizure.
THE WIDOW COXINIT.
Peculiar Conditions Also
Discovered at Place Of
Pragler & Co.

Clinton, May 1.-THE police made
two Sunday morning raids with start
ling success. Tonight the cell room at
the station house contains enough ar
dent, spirituous and intoxicating bever-
lagos to stock small saloon. Most
of the stuff came from the premises
! formerly occupied by H. Pragler & Co.
! as a saloon. Seven cases of beer. came
from the two-room home of the Widow
Cox, who is often called cold Nary
Cox.
H. Pragler & Co. owned a license I'M
til May 1. The firm consisted Of Her
man and Rudolph Pragler and Mrs.
Louise Pragler. mother of the first
/ named.
Their place of business is at Depot
square. They live in rooms adjoining
the former saloon. Since they lost
their license, reports were received by
sChief Bates that crowds of men were
coming in and out of the Pragler home
The supposition was that the men were
buying liquor there Similar re-
ports were brought into the police sta
ton regarding the Widow Cox. Last
night Chief Bates determined to call at
both places. This morning he ordered
hack, and with officers Michael
F. Smith, William r. Earle and John
j. Michel, got into the hack. The
party was driven to the home of Widow
Cox, So Pine street This is a two
room shack with a loft overhead.
Chief Bates entered by the kitchen
door with his men. He found Is or
16 males drinking beer. The widow
was pouring
you've got me; I give up she said.
Chief Bates ordered the officers, to
take the names of every man on the
premises. There was a great scatter
ing The jewellers made their escape
by the nearest way, whether it was a
door or a window. Nevertheless, the
officer recognized several, and Chief
Bates can locate one or two himself.
In the cellar of the house were seven
cases of beer. Three contained but
empty bottles; four contained full bot
ties. The premises and the yard were
thoroughly seached for whisky None
was discovered.
Leaving Officer Earle in charge, Chief
Bates went to the Praglers. According
to the officers Herman Pragler saw
them coming and locked the kitchen
door by which the police were about to
enter.
Chief Bates instead of awaiting him
self of his right to force an entrance,
having a search warrant in his possess
sion, entered by an open window. There
was nobody in the place drinking, and
there were no liquors in the kitchen.
In the saloon annex, he found stuff
enough to load a small ship. There
were two half barrels containing whis
ky. There was a barrel containing sew
eral gallons more whisky. There were
two quarts of whisky in three bottles,
and a key containing 10 gallons of
rum
In the cellar was half a barrel half
! full of lager. This half barrel had two
/ faucets in it. 1t was connected with the
pump behind. the bar in the usual way.
It was fresh, bright and sparkling as
newly opened beer should be.
Chief Bates believes that the fresh
1 ness is evidence that the barrel had
K been recently tapped. One of the Praglerl
/ boys addressed the chief in language
calculated to anger an ordinary man,
but ceased when Mrs. Pragler ordered
him to shut up"
There was a wagon load of the stuff
1t was all taken to the station house
and piled up beside the cases of beer
taken from the Widow Cox.
Warrants will be issued for the ar
rest of Mrs. Pragler and Mrs. Cox.
! They win be heard in the district court
| tomorrow morning, The police do not
fear they will run away, and have been
in no haste to make arrests.
! Mrs. Cox is said to have grown up
children, who can support her if they
will. The Praglers are quite well-to-do
and have had some influence. 1t takes
some influence to get a license in Gin
! ton. The Praglers have been licensed
one year. They will claim the stuff the
police found was part of the stock on
hand when the saloon was closed. They
| claim they have been merely delin-
quent in getting it off the premises.
The police attach Importance to the
| effort to lock the door, to the men seen
entering and leaving the place, and to
the fact that the lager in the half bar
rel was fresh and the barrel connected
with the pump.
The raids have caused noslittle inter-
est here. Mrs. Cox and the Praglers
are exceedingly well known
The funeral of the late Samuel Mer-
rin took place this afternoon from his
| former home at Pearl and Water
streets. Rev. James C. Duncan read
the last service at 1.30 this afternoon.
The pail bearers were Frank Merrill
and Horatio Merrill, nephews of the de-
ceased, Oren B. Bates and George w.
/ Morse. The remains were inferred in
/ Woodlawn cemetery
The funeral of Peter A O'Toole took
place from St. Johns church at 3 o'clock
| this afternoon. The services were con-
Quoted by Rev. FIR. w. c. Mclaughlin.
The church was filed with. mourners
and friends of the dead man. The num-
Der and beauty of the flowers was un-
usual. The interment was in the new
St Johns cemetery.
Wednesday sealed proposals for max
ing the alterations in the police sta
ton will be opened by the committee on
police station, who are G. c. Stone,
Thomas Murphy and William G. Nc
/ Glinchey. Separate proposals for the
plumbing and heating will be received
and opened at the same time. The
bids will be opened at the court room
| at 10 a. m
The scaholding is practically all re-
moved from the new Congregational
church. The builders expect to have the
building ready for acceptance by the
building committee so that the dedica-
ton can take place during the last week
of May If the society desires.
The interior effect Of the church is
| very beautiful.
At the office of Bancroft and But
| trick, Saturday morning, Rev j. w.
@T~he Easy Food