Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-05-22
THE 100000 TRAP.
Bartender's "Reminiscences Of the Trap
Where Bottles Would MOI Break.


the trap when you were entering tn,
saloon where l was tending bar, mar.
shall" asked the ex-bartender Of Mar.
shall Morse, the other evening.
The marshal said he did remember
| membered that the rocks at the bot
tom of the trap did not accomplish
their work.
Yes, blame them" exclaimed the
man. Il thought l had the laugh on
you, and | never felt more disappointed
than when | looked around and saw
that you had me foul
What is that?" asked q lounger
seeming a good story.
why. you see it was back in the
early days of the time when the mar
shall was beginning his work. | was
tending bar for Blank on Water street.
We had nice trap arranged 50 that
when the officers came in we could
ties to the bottom of the place, where
they would be smashed on the rocks.
and the officers would not find the evil
dence they needed.
one day | was standing in front of
the place when I saw the marshal and
Officer Mckinney come around the
corner of the next building and / made
jump for the door. The marshal Just
cleared me as he jumped to stop me-
But ! was ahead OF him and slammed
the door in his face and sprung The
trap. | laughed too soon, though. fer
they lowered a candle into the hole,
and there looking saucily at me was
bottle Of gin still unbroken.
The boss was mad, but | told him if
he did not want the thing to happen
again he had better get two pitcher.
and we could keep the stuff for sale IN
that, and then it could be turned out
Not long after the officers made an
other raid, and deliberately threw the
only two bottles in sight, into the trap.
Well. sir. ! was a mad man when the
officers found one Of those two bottles
unbroken. Gould you break a bottle
with a hammer? my boss asked me
that afternoon when he returned. The
next time you visited us. marshal, YOU
got nothing. as the stuff was kept in
pitchers. and it was poured out, after
which we poured some kerosene into
the trap to Kill the scent.
Il remember well the time that
Blank said he never minded the raids
and took 1t coolly. He posted me in
the front Of the shop when he saw YOU
coming, and told me to whistle if yol
came in. After all was over he came
out, and he was as white as a sheet.
His hands shook like a man with the
palsy.
Il also remember" said the man as
he took a fresh chew Of Deputy Mar
shall Growers tobacco THE time when
built the hiding place for the man.
He told me to make some place o.. his
property where he could hide Is five
gallon kegs. He gave me the day to do
il in. and told me to so ahead. | looked
his stable over and went to work. |
entered the horse stall and taking up
two planks. cut through the lower floor.
and there made the hiding place. The |
ground was about two feet below tie |
floor and was Of hard sand. | dug
down in here and threw the dirt under !
the building all about the hole 50 that |
no one from the outside could see into !
the place. In putting down the floor |
ing | made a trap door. bevelling me |
plank so that it could not be seen. | |
covered it all over with the straw and !
told Blank ] had completed my task.
He undertook 10 find the place inside |
Of five minutes. and bet him he could |
not find it in an hour He didn't.
either That night | carried all the |
stock to that hiding place. and it was
used for the purpose for nearly two |
years. when he had the stable raised |
and spoiled it,"