Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1901-10-18
THE LIQUOR CASES.
A Correct Account Of All Court
Proceedings to Date.
The Facts about the Alleged Drunk
enness in the County Jail

at ANtWldlt uuIlub Ant past week are
given in our regular court report printed
on the third page of this paper. In view
of the interest aroused by the liquor
prosecutions at this term of court, we
present a summary of the facts in these
cases to date.
The arrest conviction and sentence OF
G. c. Miller, formerly of the American
House in Brattleboro, L. f. Wilbur, the
present landlord, and II. j. Ferrter Of
the Brattleboro House were announced
last week. c. p. Cotton of the Merose
House at West Brattleboro. against
whom an information was filed, but who
was not arrested because he was i'll in
bed, disappeared last Saturday, and when
last heard from was in the state of
Maine.
This week Frank E. Davis, who keeps
the Townshend Inn in Townshend, and
Howard NJ. Burke, proprietor of the New
fame House at Newfane, were proceeded
against by the states attorney by in
formations. When Burke was brought
into court he plead guilty to five first
offences, but at this writing his SEN
tence has not been pronounced. Burke
voluntarily went upon the witness stand,
and somewhat amusing colloquy took
place between him and the presiding
judge. Mr. Burke stated in substance
that he had never made a business Of
liquor selling, that he had no United
States license, and that he had only sold
occasionally to a few friends by special
request-he thought probably not more
than ten or a dozen times. Judge STAFF
ford asked him If he would swear that he
had sold not more than Is times, to which
Mr.. Burke very frankly said he would
not. The judge then asked him If he
would swear to not having sold more
than 20, Is and 30 times. and so on up to
90. Burke said NO" each time until the
80 point, when he said positively that he
had not sold than inc
Davis of Townshend at first plead mot
guilty. and the case was put on for trial
by jury Thursday morning. Fourteen or
10 witnesses were examined, none of
whom acknowledged to having made pur-
chases of liquors at his place other than
the Eddy hop or rice beer. BY consent
of the defendants counsel, the case was
then taken from the jury and Davis
plead guilty to being a common seller
and to keeping fermented liquors for
sale in public house with intent to sell.
For these offences he was fined by the
court Sl10 with costs, but in view of all
the circumstances. instead of exacting
payment Of the fine, Davis was placed
in charge of the probation officer, and the
fine is suspended during good behavior
The fact did not appear in court but 1t
is understood that Davis had a United
States license, which he has now surren-
dered.
c. NJ. Dawson, the landlord of the Put
ney hotel, skipped the state toward the
end Of last week. Dawson was undoubt-
eddy wise in time, for it is an open Sc
cret that a states attorneys information
had been issued for him. Dawson is
said to be in Massachusetts, with a prob
ability that he will be brought back to
take his medicine on a governors requi-
sition.
Landlord T. Frank Turner of the Brat
tleboro House has been out of town two
weeks or more. There was a report We'd
nesday that he had been arrested in Bos-
ton, but 1t was without foundation. It
has also been reported generally that he
Will be brought back to the state on
requisition papers, If found. Reference
is made elsewhere to the attachments
which have been placed this week on the
Brattleboro House and the Melrose
House at West Brattleboro.
Edward Gonyer and Peter V. circuit
have been convicted of perjury as stated
in our regular court report. The sensa-
tional incident of the week occurred in
connection with the trial of Orcutt,
which began Monday. Exaggerated ru-
mors were current and were generally
believed as to an alleged state of drunk
enness which was at that time revealed
as existing among the prisoners in the
jail. The facts are as follows as gath
cred from the court officials: When
Henry Eddy was sent for to give his tes-
tlmony he was reported i'll in bed. and
Dr. Roberts, the attending physician.
thought it not safe for him to be taken
out. States attorney Weston summoned
MIN into the parlor of the Windham
county house for a personal consultation.
Eddy was Enthusiastically in a state OF
nervous collapse. He did not appear then
TO be under the influence of LIQUOR and
he stated in the most positive wav that
he had not been drinking All that could
DE said was that he was in a state that
man might be in after he had been
drinking heavily and was getting over it,
But Eddy's general health and weakened
cohultlon would also account for such a
state OF collapse 1t is the belief of the
states attorney and the other officials
that Eddy was not under the influence
OF liquor on Monday. He went into court
Iuesday and gave his testimony with
great apparent difficulty.
On that day, Tuesday, Sheriff Wilkins
.iiaue thorough examination of the Jail
ana discovered two pint bottles hidden
there' each of which contained a small
amount of whiskey. How these bottles
got inside is not known, but several
Irlends OF the prisoners were at the Jail
ana conferred with the prisoners from
the corrldor last Friday. 1t would have
oeeh an easy matter for the bottles to
nave been passed in unobseryed at that
uine. ms is all that is positively known
OF liquor having been given to any OF the
prisoners.
II Is true, however, that a package of
Ilquor intended for T. J. Ferriter was in
tercepted last Friday The facts appear
10 De mat package addressed Spencer,
Wlhdham County House, Newfane" and
marked in the corner For Ferriter'
was brought up by the train last Thurs
uay night and put off at the Newfane
stauon' MI Ballou, the station agent,
states That this package lay at the sta
non during the day Friday, and when
1t was discovered it was given or sent
over 10 Mr., Spencer, the county house
Ianulord' Spencer showed it to Sheriff
NNklhs and asked If it was to be deliv-
ered' wilkins said, Not until we have
seen what is inside" and tore open the
package. 1t proved to be two pint bot
Ties containing whiskey. James Austin
OF Brattleboro and Frank Melendy, the
narrow guage express agent, were placed
uhuer arrest for supposed or alleged con-
mecton with this attempt to furnish
Hquor TO a prisoner in Jail. Austin Is
charged with furnishing, and Melendy
with aiding to furnish. Austin is under
pan OF $1,000 and Melendy of $500. Austin,
II Is understood, declares himself inno-
cent Melendy protests in the most posi-
i've way that he had no guilty connec-
uoh with the AFFAIR. He said this pack
age was simply an accommodation"
package such as is often placed In the
baggage car to be delivered en- route.
All ne knows about it is that he discov-