Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-12-12
SUPERIOR COURT.
Two Horse Thieves Sentenced
To State Prison.
Case Against Chester H. Beane of
Gardiner Mol Pressed.
Mr.. Beane Completely indicated from Charue
Of Violating Liquor Law.

In the superior court, in this city
Tuesday, George Butler for the larceny
of a horse and harness in China, the
property of John Il. Doe, was senten-
ced to one year at hard labor in the
State prison. An indictment for the
larceny of a wagon at the some time
the property of another party than
Doe, was placed on file. Butler is q
years of age and seems to have been
drifting round without regular employ
ment. He took the property in ques-
ton from the parties for whom he had
worked and went as far as South Ber-
wick where he sold the whole team for
$25 and then went to Gloucester, Mass.
where he had sister living. The gov
eminent did not discover where the
property had been left until yesterday.
William Young, recent graduate of
the State prison where he had been for
horse stealing, was again placed at
the bar for sentence in a similar case.
He hired team this fall of Cony Bros,
this city. to go into the country He
went to Belfast where he sold the prop
erty. A sentence of two years and
three months in the State prison was
imposed.
In the afternoon, the case of State
VS.. c. H. Beane was taken up for trial
TO the jury. 1t is a search and seizure
process and and comes by appeal from
the municipal court of Gardiner. G.
w. Heselton appeared for the State
and A. NJ. Spear for the defendant
The complaint was by Ryan Blenn. and
it was to the effect that he believed
the defendant had deposited in his
drug store at Gardiner Intoxicating
liquors intended for illegal sale. \
warrant was issued in November and a
search made. and four and one-half
gallons of sherry. two bottles of gin. a
pint of port wine and gallon of
whiskey were found and seized. Ex-
animation was waived in the lower
court and the question to be tried to-
day was whether the liquors seized
We're kept by the defendant in his place
of business with intent to sell the same
in violation of law.
Martin Burns. the first witness, was
one of the officers that made the
search, and he testified to finding the
liquors in defendants drug store. Also
that Mr.. Beane seemed surprised and
said: 1T is all wrong. We have no
liquor here. | don't sell any and never
sold any"
Henry King, special police. testified
that he was with the last witness at
the time of the search and seizure.
Beane was surprised and said he never
sold any liquor there.
James NJ. Rogers of Gardiner. testi-
fled that he was in the plumbing and
heating business and that two years
ago his little daughter was sick with
grippe and pneumonia and was getting
well when she suffered a relapse and
was in immediate danger of death. and
he went to Mr.. Beane on Sunday af-
ternoon and told him he wanted some
alcohol, stating the case as clearly as
ne could; that he was not expecting the
child would live an hour and there was
no time to be wasted. The reply was
Il positive refusal, but Beane said he
could prepare a compound. that would
answer the purpose for bathing, if that
would be satisfactory. He could not
tell what Beane put into the alcohol,
but something and then it was deliver
ed to him.
Clara Stanley testified that her son
was sick a year and a half ago and she
went to Mr.. Beane for alcohol with
which to battle him, but that he refused
to sell it unless it was compounded,
and he put in peppermint. She got it
there once or twice, but the peppermint
made her son so sick that she finally
bought the alcohol at another place.
Her son was afflicted with a fatal ma
lady She had done her trading at the
defendants store.
George H. Woodland, a resident of
Gardiner and farmer, testified that
his mother had been afflicted with two
cancers. and a year ago applied to Mr..
Beane to buy alcohol for bathing pur-
poses, and he refused on the ground
that he was not allowed to sell it. and
he didn't want to break the law; he
didn't sell it to anyone; told him |
wanted it for bathing purposes only,
and he could fix it so it would do that.
He pat some perfume in it and | told
him that would do as well. Got half
pint of him.
This closed the testimony on the part
IF the government and Mr.. Spear
opened the defense. He claimed that
the complainant in the case was in
spired by spite and a desire for re-
venge because Mr.. Beane had made
a complaint against Blenn for stand
ing his lobster cart in front of his
store door, and had finally got the city
government to prohibit his standing it
there.
Chester II. Beane, the defendant, tes-
titled that he was 90 years of age and
had learned the drug business in Gar
diner. He denied that he had said to
the officers that he had no liquor in
his place, but claimed that he told
them he had never sold it although he
had it in the store. He had never sold
any kind of liquor to anybody, and no
alcohol unless it was compounded. The
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