Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1901-11-28
Officials Charged with Drunken
ness and Furnishing Liquor.

Last Friday morning Sheriff Hoon re-
fused TO send the Jail prisoners to work
on the Poor Farm under Guard Orrie
Graham, giving as his reasons that he
I would not send the prisoners out except
I under a sober guard, that one of the
/ prisoners was drunk when brought to
the jail the night before. and that Orrie
Graham had been drunk on different
occasions; and Mr.. Graham in turn
charged that the prisoners had at differ
ent times been furnished liquor in the
jail by Deputy Sheriff Rainey Hoon.
Monday morning the Prison Board,
consisting of Judge Greer, Commission
ers Gillespie, McGarvey and Eichert
and Sheriff Hoon had a session to in
vestigate the matter. Superintendent
Joseph Graham of the County Home,
was not present.
The first witness examined was Geo.
Wick, the prisoner alleged to have been
drunk, Thursday evening. He swore
he had not tasted a drop of liquor in
Jail, on the poor farm or between the
two places since his imprisonment in
September That on Thursday evening
he was very angry at Ad. Fullerton,
another prisoner, and had called him
down because he had told Mrs. Brown.
the Sheriffs hired help, some lies about
him Wick, which had led Mrs. Brown
TO insult him. (At this point al girl
stories were ruled out of the proceedings
by the Court.) Wick, also, stated that
he had helped to carry some empty pint
whiskey bottles out of the jail but could
not state how they got there.
Two other prisoners, Kenneth Samp-
son and Ad Fullerton ana Mrs. Brown,
the waiter. then testified that Wick was
drunk and wanted TO fight, Thursday
evening, and that Graham had been
drunk III the Jail, about three weeks
previous Mrs Brown said that on this
former occasion Graham had brought
the prisoners in and then gone down
street and brought back a lot of pack
ages (Which Graham declares were
tobacco and store articles for the prison
ers) An hour or two later the prisoners
called her to let Graham out and he was
so intoxicated that he had to be helped.
Sampson said he saw bottles in the
jail and swore that on the day Forreste ter
and anol her prisoner escaped, Graham
had a bottle of whiskey in the poor
farm stable, where they were working,
and had given drinks to him, Strawick
and Shull.
Strawick was called and denied this.
George Birch, who was subpoenaed,
swore that he saw Graham taking the
prisoners back to jail, Thursday even
ing, and Wick staggered all over the
side walk, that Graham drank habitual-
" and that be had got the prisoners
drinks at the Hotel Bowman bar.
The har-keeper Larat, was called
and denied this.
Commissioners Eichert and Gillespie
stated they saw the prisoners on their
return Thursday evening and that Wick
was sober Sheriff Hoon stated that he
never knew Of or permitted any liquor
or any misconduct in the Jail and if the
prisoners had liquor it was smuggled in
by friends who came to visit them BE
has lately been searching visitors and
ordered several away because they mad
bottles of liquor in their clothes
Deputy Sheriff Rainey Hoon denied
that he had ever furnished or permitted
to be furnished liquor to the prisoners,
and stated he' did not know of empty
pint bottles being in the Jail. He re-
asserted Wick's intoxication, Thursday
evening.
Charley Kerr, who has been ditching
and sodding on the poor farm, said he
imagined Wick had something stronger
than coffee in him Thursday noon, but
QSQl6u UHdt OTdHdll udu ever uOu6 any
drinking with the prisoners or ever was
drunk
Guard Orrie Graham denied the
story of giving liquor to the prisoners
IN the barn, and said prisoners had told
him of "scandalizing misconduct" among
the prisoners in the Jail, but could give
no evidence.
This Fl iAished the evidence and the |
Commission adjourned. Further in
vestigation and action will probably |
follow
The affair, which was unfortunate in |
every respect, will probably be dropped |
as it now stands, Graham having re-
signed