The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-02
As Result Proprietor Must Answer
Charges of Illegal Liquor Keep
ing and Keeping a DiSorderIy
House
THE RAID HAD
BEEN WELL PLANNED
Front Door Was Wide Open and
Officers Secured All Evidence
They Needed Before Their
Identity Became KnOWn-Sev-
eraI Women in the House

Special to the Spy.
Leicester, Dec. 1.-Five Leicester officers,
in charge of officer James Quinn, swooped
down on the Prior Farm" situated at
the Paxton and Leicester line, this after
noon at o'clock. They secured a guam
Itity of beer and whiskey, and as a result
the proprietor will be charged with illegal
liquor selling and keeping a disorderly
house
The Prior Farm has been a source of
much trouble to the police of Paxton, Lei
cester and Spencer. 1t has been raided no
less than a dozen times during the past
year. Yesterday the Leicester police had
a conference with Sheriff H. B. Draper of
Spencer, and today's roundup was
planned. This morning Sheriff Draper
was sick a-bed and could not make the
trip, and the Leicester officers, in charge
of Officer Quinn, visited the place, and as
result of the visit it is hoped that one
Of the most disreputable houses in the
vicinity has been broken up.
The officers left town this afternoon in
double teams, and when they arrived at
the Jerry Murphy farm, short distance
from the scene of the raid, they left one
team and went the remainder of the dis
lance in one double team, so as not to at
tract attention. When they arrived at the
place there were half a dozen rigs hitched
to trees along the roadside, and there were
as many more in the yard of the farm
house, The door of the house was wide
open, and it was the easiest thing that
ever happened to walk right in and seize
the beer and whiskey that was lying
about on the tables and chairs of the
house.
The woman who claimed to be the pro
prietor of the house gave her name as
Louise Jacobs. She is French, and at one
time lived in Worcester. The officers took
possession of q full bottles of beer and %
empty bottles, also two quarts of whiskey
and one quart of wine.
| There were four women in the house at
the time. All refused to give their names
The officers counted II men who escaped
over fences and through windows. Be
sides the four young women there was
an elderly lady, who gave her name as
Benway. She said she had been married,
and that she was granted a divorce from
her husband. Mrs, Jacobs claimed she
was living on the farm and that all the
people present were relatives and had
come to her place to have dinner, and
that the wet goods had been ordered by
them.
The officers did not swallow this story.
and when told that she would have to go
with the officers to Worcester she pro-
tested vigorously. She produced a bank
book. which showed that she had de-
post of nearly $1,000 in a Worcester bank,
and she gave this as surety that she
would appear in the Central District
Court Tuesday morning at 9 o'clock.
Inc place mas Oeen unuef the eye OIL lie
/ officers for some time. and only a short
4 time ago The Spy mentioned in it's col
umns the numerous complaints the au-
/ thorities were receiving from farmers
living in the district,
| The family of Joseph Koskv occupies
one tenement in the big farm house, and
the officers looked this part of the prem
Uses over thoroughly, but did not find any
wet goods.
There was present in the house at the
time of the raid a conductor of the Wor-
cester Consolidated Street Railway Com
pany. He would not give his name. but
the officers are sure he has an interest in
the illegal liquor traffic that has been
going on there, and he will probably figure
in the hearing and trial.