The Portland daily press., 1899-03-10


MIR. Grams enforcement The Inv was
rigidly and honestly enforced and the fees
went up while the receipts decreased. In.
toxication increased. Tho ALLEYS and
wharves were the resorts of bottle ddlars
who sold stuff which would bore boles In
boiler iron. The men brought before the
court were wild. There was unusual
trouble for the officers and numerous
cases of resistance and violence on the
part OF prisoners IL seems TO me tina, ID
Is fair to approach this subjeet In the
light of what the sheriff is doing and
what he has pledged himself to the good
people of the county TO do. He was nomi-
mated to enforce the law fairly.
MIR. Chenery-when wore those pledges
madey .t..5ssa
Judge Could've had as exciting eau
cuses as l ever saw and this was the sub
jsot discussed and decided. Now, let us
see what is being done. Under Sheriff
Despeaux from tho first Of January to
the seventh of March 2i5 warrants have
been issued in Portland. he has directed
his officers not to take out dummy war
rants, although OF course IL Is impossible
to make seizures on all warrants. On
i65 warrants seizures have been made
In 81 cases persons have been arrested.
Six have paid fines and the other AS have
been held ana have appealed to the May
term of court. The lines paid amount to
5000, not including the costs. In addition
to the fines vessels in which liquors
were contained have been sold to the
value OF S2l9, and vessels are on hand to
further value OF $50. 1t is estimated
that there will be obtained for the alco-
hol from tho hard liquors seized sum
of $50. This makes n total of 81 ,029 80.
Tie total cost has been $647. leaving the
county a balance of $685. 80. Even If one
third of the appeal cases should be lost
which is not likely, there Will be 80 900
more coming to the county in fines and
COSTS The same evidence may lie used to
secure convictions under the nuisance act
as common sellers, etc., and that means
5000 OF $4,000 more In fin es and costs. %
Judge Gould argued that an office
deputy is necessity to do the clerical
work. U2der the act one could not be
employed without tho coz sent of the
commissioners. Discussing the effect of
the act, Judge Gould said: st Is ex
tremely dangerous TO make an officers
fees dependent on conviction because
II gives him the temptation to use I'M
fair means. l remember man once on
the Portland police force who, after
had ,aada, his dafanCa alxyays ra-
mem bered the one thing necessary to get
a conviction. He remembered these
things so often that paid little atten-
ton to his testimony in rebuttal. If an
officer brings a man in and knows that he
willsnot get his fees unless he convicts, 1t
will tend TO make his conscience a little
more elastic than others 1t puts q pre-
MUM on an elastic consciencs. The en-
forcement Of the law is not all peaches
and cream for the officers. Bartenders
shift from place to place and it is dill
cult to tell who is the guilty man. The
most effective work in tho enforcement
of the law in Portland has been done by
the seizure of large quantities of liquor
brought into the city Coy the transpor-
tation companies. l remember one case
where the cost OF hauling the liquors
to the police station was $40. Under
this law the officer would get no fees in
such case.
MIR. Ckenery was asked IL he had any
witnesses and said emphatioally: There
were a number of persons who did intend
to appear here, but they got frightened
off, and went home, ] guess. was the
only one who had sand enough to ap-
gear They said the bill would be killed
anyway; that is common talk in Port
land"
Sheriff Despeaux then took the stand.
He said that the figures quoted by Judge
Gould were correct. ~ know" said
the sheriff, THAT you can't make seiz-
ure on every warrant. but / told my
deputies that they were to steer as clear
of dummy warrants as possible. In the
last eight years there have been many
more dummy warrants issued than ever
before and this was the thing pledged
myself to stop. l have restricted the
number of warrants to be issued daily
because l do not believe that two men
can faithfully serve 20 warrants in a
single day"
Mr.. Despeaux told the committee that
the proposed law would seriously hamper
the county deputies who are often called
upon to travel many miles on complaints
which do not result in arrests Under
the act they could get no fees and the
sheriff might be called upon to Fay the
bills out of HE pocket unless the coun-
ty commissioners would allow them.
MIR. Chenery- 10 whom were the
pledges which you mention nadeP
Mr.. Despeaux-In /, my CANVASS ap-
pr reached men for their Friendship. This
was the theme uppsrmost'in their minds
and l told them that was no crank, but
l would promise to give to the people
of Cumberland country a decent anforoe-
ment OF the law and the fines should go
to the county. / make this statement