Daily Kennebec journal., 1904-08-24
THE PENNELL PLAN.
New Wrinkle in Liquor Law Enforce
ment in Cumberland County.

Portland, Ne, Aug. 23.-The Even
ing Express says. tonight:
| a new and interesting phase of the
| pennelI Plan has transpired. 1t is as
I serted that the deputy sherifs are
| careful to avoid taking old Offenders
who are privileged to sell Intoxicating
| drinks. into court. 1t is said to be
| frequently the case that an old offend
er is or might easily be caught be-
| hind the bar of Il permitted saloon
| \ seizure is made in accordance with
| the plan, which contemplates the reg
| ular visitation of the officers to the
| permitted" shops. the taking OF
| enough of the stock to make case
| the ordering of the offender, or as il
develops of a vicarious substitute, into
court. and the payment of a fine such
as the court may impose, as a license
fee for the county. paid as Il part of
the conditions under which the unlaw-
full business is allowed to be carried
on. Now the law contemplates that
persons shall not carry on this traffic
continuously. and il becomes more and
more severe with men who continue in
the business, so that if Il man who has
long figured as Il rumScller finds him.
self in court he is likely to have trouble
there. Both Judge Hill and Judge
Bonney are pretty hard on old Offend
orS. as the law expects them to be.
1t will not do for these seasoned Offend
ers to come into court time after time,
if they did their license would cost
them a good deal more than the PEN
nell plan contemplates. and they would
be likely to find themselves reposine
behind bars if the things were carried
with too high a hand.
So Nnon the deputies make a seiZ-
ure upon permitted shop they order
the bartender into court, If his name
be a new one in the police records, but
if he be an old offender himself the
man who comes before the Judge is
someone who can be obtained to take
his place. The privilege of represent
ing these old offenders in the courts
has come to be n regular industry
among certain class of bar room loaf
erS. The price for the service is said
to he fixed at $40 for an appearance.
but the same man cannot earn the
money twice in succession, and the
substitutes for the rumsellers are feel
ing that the price is not high enough.
and they are saying among themselves
that if they would but hang together
they might as well have $25 for the
service rs So But the trouble is that
there are too many who are anxious
for the job Mt $40 and thus far the eff
fort to get the price raised has not
been successful.
The mode of operation. as it is al
legged. is that when these old offenders
are found in possession of the shop
the regulation order is given for the
apnearGnce of the offender in court.
When the man does come into court
it Is a new face that the judge sees
and the warrant has been made out to
suit the new conditions. in several cas-
>e it is understood that fictitious names
have been used so that respectable
friends of the substitutes for the rum
seller do not know what has been 90
ing on. All this. it is alleged, is with
the knowledge and approval of the of
ficers. This is a part Of the PennelI
plan which has not been generally
known heretofore