The Portland daily press., 1899-11-06
FOB Run.



II has bean reported In the daily papers
that two wsstbrook women on THURSDAY
went on liquor hunting expedition with
. deputy sheriff. who served the warrants.
Saturday the ladies told PRESS report
or some things about their novel expsri-
enos. Mrs. &C. Phelan, wife Of the pas
tor Of the Methodist oh uroh. member Of
the w. Q. I. u, and woman Of sduca-
tion and refinement. said that her only
motive In participating In the expedition
Of Thursday night WAS to satisfy herself
ne wsll ~ to satisfy the public whether
the officers Of she law do their duty In
carefully searching suspected premises
II quest Of liquor. Mrs. Phslan said that
IL is often inainuatsd that the officers
do not search a. diligently ~ they might.
10 satisfy themselves she and Mrs. Neal
decided TO make the rounds Of the rum
shops with Deputy Sheriff Chuts.
"The fret place vis,tsd." said Mrs.
Pheian, Twas at the rear OF the West
borok depot Ct the Portland 81 Rochester
railroad. When We entered the building
there were SIX or eight men there engaged
In drinking, and the proprietor. Joseph
room and out of the building. We 80
oomps MED tine officer during his search
Of the premis s, lot nothing Of impor-
lance was found excepting two GASES OF
Uno beer.
AFTER this raid was complstsd, Mrs.
Neal and myself returned to the church
where we were interested In . supper
and social then In progress We remained
at the church until about O'Clock when
we accompanied Deputy Sheriff Chute
on another trip 20 the place kept BY Pstsr
Letarte. on Bridge street. and the shop OF
John Gaudet, on Main street. At Lstarfe's
We wsrs greeted very courteously BY the
proprietor, who offered every assistance
possible during the s~roh. He made
frequent declarations that he had with
in few months gone out Of the busi-
ness, 90 far a. handling hard stun was
concerned. Our next visit was ct
Gaudet's store on Main street. but here
the officer was not suooessful. Several
men were In the place. hut nothing In
the way Of liquor could be found on our
arrival"
MIRA Phelap said that she IL now satis-
fed thai the officers Of the Law, particu-
larly In westbrook, do their duty In their
epdeavor to enforos the prohibitory law.
"What tbs oniaers most need 10 public
sentiment back Of them," said Mrs. Phs.
Ian. at IL far from . pleasant task to
make the rounds Of the various dive
that the officers are compelled to when
complaints are made. ana this 10 made
doubly hard when public sentiment fails
to assert itself. Show the officers of tina
law that We endorse their efforts to sup
press the liquor traffio. and these officials
will take deeper interest In the work
Of seizing."
: Nra Phslau said she believed that pub
lilo sentiment In Westbrook was growing
stronger in favor of abolishing the sa-
loon, and that 1t was only q question Of
time whom the rum sellers would deem
10 wise to wind up their business.
Mrs. Elizabeth Neal. the president Of
the West End W. G. I. u, was also In.
tsrviewsd. Mra Neal referring to the
expedition Of Thursday evening. said
that the work done by her or Mra Phe-
Ian was not done to attract public attsn-
ton or praisa "we simply did It," she
,aid, Ito learn how faithfully the public
servants do their work. As Q union
We have always had conf 1enoe In them,
but shall have more now that We have
had an opportunity to see them at work
What the officers need most Is the whole.
hearted interest Of q portion of the oom-
munity. 1t 10 rather q thankl,ss position
for man to occupy who IL obliged T.
visit some Of the dives that exist.
especially when he realizes that he must
20 1t alone, and the public lying back,
and to all appearance showing NO inter-
est In the efforts of the officers to do their
duty. The ladies Of the West End W. Q.
T. u, for some months past have real
lied that thera was public sentiment
In favor Of the enforcement Of the law.
and accordingly petitions were circulated
asking signatures to the following:
eve, the undersigned citizens Of West
brook, Ne, are In favor Of the enforce.
inert of the laws IT the state, including
those against liquor selling and gamb
ling.
"Thsss petitions were signed ny about
60 of the business and profe men,
Us also three sx-mayors and othsr we'll
known citizens. These petitions were
presented to the union and 1t was then
decided that active work ought to be
taKsn up. The of1cials havs recently
been made aware OF the sentiment as
expressed by these petitions. ana have
assured us that every possible effort will
be put forth 70 suppress the intemper-
ause evil. We need, however. still more
public sentiment.'