Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-10-02
LICENSES REVOKED.
Commissioners Decided the Law
Had Been Violated.
Eels G. Frost and Three Hotels
Stopped Selling Tuesday Night-All
Have Appealed to County Court.

company had violated their licenses was
taken Saturday afternoon, two days hav-
ing been consumed in the hearing.
Seven minors were examined with a view
to bringing out the facts with respect to
their having bought liquor at the places
named. They were Harry Benson, Is,
Guy Jones Is. Carl Ellis -, Raleigh Tim
son, 20, Clinton Pratt, 16 Frank Pratt,
% and Harry Gould. ~. All the boys
were on the stand Friday, when the cases
against Eels & Frost comprising the Val
ley Bottling company and I. Frank
Turner, proprietor Of the American
House, was taken up. With the excep-
ton Of Frank Pratt the young men re-
fused to answer the question put by Law
yer Z. G. Fits, attorney for the board Of
commissioners as to whether they had
bought liquor at those places. SIX OF
them refused to answer in one case and
four in the other. The board adjudged
them in contempt of court for refusing
to testify and fined them S2j each for
each refusal. The fines stood as follows:
Harry Benson. so; Guy Jones, SO; Carl
Ellis, $50; Harry Gould, so; Raleigh
Timson. S2j; Clinton Pratt, S25 The boys
were remanded to the custody Of Deputy
Sheriff L. S. Hall who was instructed to
hold them until their fines were paid.
They stayed with the officer at the Brooks
House over night.
Saturday morning the boys signifed
their willingness to answer all questions
and were put on the stand again. The
case against T. Frank Turner was taken
up first Harry Gould testified that he
had bought liquor of T. F. Turner. c. c.
Turner and Donahue. the bar tender;
that T. 7. Turner asked his age. and that
he said he was q. T. f Turner testified
that when he took out his license he in
structed his employees TO be careful not
to sell to minors, that ii was his honest
intent to live up to the law in every par
ticular, and that his employees never
knowingly sold to any minor. Bar Tender
Donahuei said he always inquired Of the
boys their ages when he was in doubt,
and that all those who had testified
against the house had said they We're p.
lie took their statement as the truth
nd never made any further investiga-
ton.
The case against Levi j. Strong, Of the
Melrose House was taken up next
Strong said he had sold to Benson. Pratt
Could and others, but was told BY all Of
the boys that they We're q. He said he
Lad no right to doubt their word. Re
lying to Mr. Fits Strong said he be
leved Clinton Pratt, 16. when Pratt said
he was q. Henry Stockwell testified
that he had worked for Strong. that he
was present when Pratt told Strong he
81 that he didn't believe at the time
tlat the boy was telling the truth. but
that il wasn't for him to interfere in the
matter. He said he had refused many
toys whom he knew to be under q. II. S.
Warren. a guest at the hotel. said he had
challenged many boys in Strong's alb
sence that some looked under q. but that
all said they were y and he took their
word for It. Charles Ellis said he remem-
bered hearing Strong ask Benson and
Pratt their ages and that the boys APP
peared to be mad because they were
asked
In the case against Sadie Turner, OF
the Bratteboro House. Raleigh Timsor
said he had bought whiskey eight OF
nine times of Harry Flood bar tender
He said he didn't remember that Flood
or any of the bar tenders ever asked his
age. Clinton Pratt said he had bough,
beer Of Flood that Flood asked his age
that he told Flood he was 81 and thai
after that there was no hesitancy about
giving him what he wanted. Harry Ben
son testified that he had bought whiske>
of Harry Flood, James Austin anC
Charles Houston, but that none of then
ever asked him about his age until aftel
the night the boys were summoned L
Mr.. F'ittss Office to make athdavits II
the case. Carl Ellis testified that he haC
bought beer of James Austin, telling hin
that his age was q. Harry Gould said III
had bought ale and perhaps whiskey o
James Austin, telling him that he wa
q. Guy Jones said he had bought bee
and ale of Austin and Flood and tina
neither ever asked him his age.
For the defense Miss Turner said sh
had nothing personally to do with tn
sale of liquor that she knew none of tn
boys in the case, but that she had give
all her employees particular instruction
not to sell to minors James Austin sal
he had turned down many minors, tina
Benson Ellis and Could told him the
were p and that he believed them II
said whenever he was in doubt about
persons age he endeavored to find out b
inquiry Charles Houston said he wa
not well acquainted in town and that al
the boys were strangers to him. He sal
he was careful about making sales an
had refused more than 400 minors.
Harry Flood said ne made practice O
asking young men their ages when
was in doubt, but that wnen ne was bus
he did not have as good an opportunit
to judge as to a PERSONS age. He sal
he once questioned Benson about his ag
and that Benson said he would produc
tax receipt If there was any dout
about his age. Flood said that " Toby
Bean was present and he looked inquirine
~ at Bean and then gave Benson wha
he wanted. Bean was summonded. II
said he remembered seeing Benson in III
hotel but did not remember any CONVEX
sation about a tax receipt.
At the afternoon session further test
mony in was taken the case against Ee
&, Frost. The testimony of the boys Wa
of the same nature as in the other case
some saying that they had been aske
their ages, others saying that their age
never had been questioned. f.. q, Eros
one of the partners, said he always aske
the boys their ages whenever he was
doubt. w. g. Shaffner and NJ. j. LAIR;
bees testimony tended to show that sue
was the practice of the proprietor
Raymond Frost, son Of f. G. Frost, hin
self a minor. testified that he had bee
employed by Eels & Frost as bookkeep'
and had made some sales. T. g. Fro
said he had no idea that he was violatir
the law to employ his own son, eve
though he was a minor.
In view of the fact that the witness
who were remanded to the custody
Deputy Sheriff Hall changed their att
tude and We're willing to testify II
board RENTED their fines with the e.
cepton Of IS in each instance of col
tempt which reduced the total fines
so. OF this amount r. G. Bacon couns
for the Brattleboro House, paid $50 al
f.. G. Frost paid 800, after which II
boys were declared purged Of their CO.
tempt and were released. The boa
gave f. w. Gibson, counsel for Mr.. Tu
ner, and r. c. Bacon until Tuesday noe
to file briefs covering law points involve
in the case.