The Republican journal., 1905-04-13
A ROCKLAND RAID.

The Democratic Sheriff seizes the City
Liquor Agency and Patent Medicines from
two Grocery Houses
ROCKLAND, April 5. The most i'm
portant development of the pre- sent en-
forcement crusade, following the en-
actment of the Sturgis bill, was the
seizure o1ay of the entire stock of the
city liquor agency valued at upwards
of $1,000. The raid was made by Sheriff
A. J. Tolman and his complete force of
deputies, six in number. The charge is
made that the city has been engaging in
the illegal sale of liquors and the agent,
E. ii. Clark, the agent, says that he
aware.of any illegal sale.
Sheriff Tolman and his force also
raided the wholesale grocery store Of
Cobb, Wight & Co., and the John Bird
Co., Selling a quantity of patent medi-
cines said to be highly charged with al
cohol. The senior member of the for
mer firm is Governor William T. Cobb.
Mr.. Cobb was at the railroad station
waiting for the train for Portland,
when the seizure was made and eX-
pressed no surprise. A representative
of this firm stated that the removal of
this particular patent medicine would
have neceSsltated taking out the other
medicines to the value of several thou
sand dollars which are sold to drug
stores and retail grocers and kept con-
Stantly in stock by the latter.
'There is no politics i'll it, said
Sheriff Tolman referring to the seizure
of patent medicine. Eve have visited
every wholesale grocery i'll town, get
ting samples of the patent medicines
which we hear are used us substitute
for liquor. We have not searched the
drug stores because we understand that
the law protects medicines there to a
certain extent. A few days ago we had
prisoner i'll the jail who had been
drinking patent preparation. The
bottle was taken from him, but in the
night he recovered it and became in
toxicated." Sheriff Tolman said that
Gov. Cobb would not be summoned
home to answer the charge of search
and seizure Instead the companys
manager, Frank Norton, who is a
nephew of Gov. Cobb, will be arragned
for trial.
The seizure of the city agency stock
has caused decided sensation. Would
be patrons were astonished that there
was nothing with which to fill their
orders. Sheriff Tolman and County
Attorney Philip Howard said they
were confident that they have sufficient
evidence to secure a conviction for
illegal sale at the agency, but would not
divulge it,
Twenty-four cases of the one brand
of medicine were taken from Cobb,
Wight & Co., and IA boxes of another
brand from the John Bird Co.
Gov VIM. T. Cobb, who went to Port
land on the noon train from Rockland
was interviewed at the West End by
the Advertiser on the seizure and said
he knew nothing more about it than he
had heard since his arrival.
"If Cobb, Wight Il Co. have been sell
ling Intoxicating liquors." said Names
chief executive, why they are of course
liable to have their goods seized, as well
as any one else"
When told that the stuff taken was
patent medicine, he said he had heard
So
I'VE keep patent medicine" said he.
The seizures came before Judge
Campbell in Rockland April 9th but at
the request of counsel were postponed
until April 18th at ? p. m. The defend
ants in the patent medicine seizures
desired that representatives of the
manufacturers be present.
ThOrndike Il Hix, grocers, from
whom a quantity of malt extract was
seized last Saturday made no conten-
ton and paid fine of 800 and costs.