Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-05-30
THIS CITY
 VISITED.
State Police Knock
 at Our Door.
Put Up at Local Hotels and Drank and Ate the Good Things Drug Stores also Were Visited Cases in Court To-Day.

The liquor dealers of Waterbury had their first experience with the state pos lice yesterday, number of saloons. hotels and drug stores having been visited by them. Preparations for these visits were made last December by some of the police who appear to be no better in their methods of obs taining evidence than the old law and order league. At that time the police, who wear no uniform or any other vis- ible insignia of their office, put up at some of the hotels, visited a number Of drug stores and saloons when these places should not have been doing business. Consequently they knew the ropes when they came to town Saturday evening and communicated with the local police to be ready for action at any moment.
 Officer Charles B. Hazelhurst repre- sented himself as a drummer to Rob- ert MolsAn, proprietor of the Bank ho- tel on Bank street. When Sunday came Hazelhurst had to have liquid refreshment, and, having won the confidence of the proprietor last De eember he had no bother in appeasiug
 
 ties of beer in different rooms and in room 2S he saw five men drinking Tn the evening the local police descended upon the place. Molsen put in no de- fense this morning and as it was his first time in court he was fined only $50 and costs. Merritt Louchs is the other visiting officer
 Edward NJ. Roberts, who keeps a drug store at 463 West Main street. was charged with violation of tue statute in regard to the selling of IT, quors by licensed pharmacists. He was fined $1OO and costs. Officer Loucks who halls from the town of Ashford in Windham county, testified that he went into Roberts's drug store yesterday afternoon at 3:55 o'clock and asked the clerk for. four bottles. The clerk asked him if he wanted a certain kind and he replied that any good kind would do. He got the bottles and MT Roberts was there when the package was being done up. He took them to the office of the prosecuting attorney and tasted the contents Of one bottle It was lager. Officer Hazelwortl, whose home is in Norwich, stated that he saw Officer Loucks get the lager, and that he later tasted it. Both he and Sergeant Blakeslee testified that when they raided the place last night about ' 80 there were nine or ten men in the rear of the store. Some of them tried to- hide the bottles One was drinking and another said. As long as paid for my drink I am going to drink it now anyway" And he drank it. There were a number of empty bottles about the premises. In the raid 63 bottles of ale and B bottles of beer were found. No evidence was offered by the defense. Attorney Rus sell in behalf of Roberts asked for small penalty, saying that the views of the people were changing in regard to liquor selling, that a large number of people no longer think it heinous to sell bottle of beer or two on Sunday. The ends of justice would be sotisfied by the inf1ictiOn of a small fine. Judge Burpee said that if it was case 8of selling one or two bottles of beer the offense would not be very serious and he would not inf1ict very severe fine. but the testimony of the officers show ed that beer was being sold pronis- cuously on the premises. This was grave offense. For it was not only a violation of the law but 1t was unfair to the respectable saloon keepers who lly Io opey Lne IaW lie accordingly imposed fine of $10O and costs.
 The state police also paid visit to the headquarters of the Turn Vereia in Turn hall on Scovill street yester- day and secured, it is said, evidence of violations of the law. The two cases, one against Alfred Bergman and the other against Richard Bergman. both bartenders at Turn hall, were settlcf outside of court on payment of SlOc $50 each.