The Somerset reporter., 1907-04-04
Enforcement in Somerset.

The recent visit of H. N. Pringle of
Waterville, secretary of the Maine
Civic League, to this county, result
ing in the arrest and conviction of
several persons for violation of the
prohibitory law, calls forth the fol-
lowing communication, given in Mr..
Pringle's own words the description
of conditions as he found them IN
Madison and Arson.
Enforcement in Somerset county
slakened after Sheriff A. II. Lang
went out of Office and during the last
nine months the violations of the
liquor law in Bingham, Anson, Madi-
son and several other towns in Som
erset county have been nearly as
open as under Sheriff F. p. Pennell,
who preceded Mr.. Lang. Many com
plants have come to our office from
the tow ""n1e III aging the
responsibility for tne Jaw enforcement
to Sheriff Smith and others to the su
preme court justices and there is a
consensus of opinion that County
Attorney Young lacks interest or
ability in prosecuting yiolators of the
cations and found that in Madison
and Arson we do not care to refer
to other towns now bars we're in
operation and liquor sold openly TO
anyone who had the price.
At William Towards hotel IN An
son, the bar is in the basement and in
charge of A. j. Athearn who succeed
ed Lawrence Mcdonald. Athearn is
Il "a 10 in a1
ison Register of 1903, but when Nc
Donald was sentenced to Jail BERT
graduated from the bench to the bar,
in which position our representative
found him serving at four dates dur
this spring and last winter. Landlord
Howard is one of the most Industrious
and persistent liquor sellers in Som
erset county. Strangely, he has but
once been imprisoned for this offense,
although he has twice paid fines of
about $1,000 each.
Madison has two good hotels, where
only one is needed and both proprie-
tors seem to regard the liquor bust
ness as a necessary perquisite. Ceph-
as M. Hilton, proprietor of the Hilton
House, formerly sold liquor in Ken
nebec county, where he served a Jail
S6HutHcc III lsOo. Iilo Ddi -iOOLi 10 Oh
the ground floor where our represen-
tative on one visit found three me
drinking liquor and on another oc-
casion four men gambling. Fred Mil
Ter, the hotel clerk, fills the glasses.
Across Main street at the Weston
House where C.. F. Horne was for
merly proprietor of hotel and bar,
George E. Washburn is now the land
lord and Louis league tends the bar;
which, like Hilton's, is conveniently
located near the Office.
On March 9th we went to Skow-
hogan and procured six warrants
charging single sale against six pro-
prietors and clerks above referred to
and three warrants in addition,
charging the maintenance of liquor
nuisance against each of the proprie-
tors Landlord Howard stood trial
on a single sale charge, second Of
Tense, and was found guilty and sem
fenced to 5000 fine and costs and six
months in Jail, with six months addi-
tional in default of payment. There
upon, the six respondents all waived
examination in the remaining eight
cases, were sentenced to fine and i'm
prisonment in each of the single sale
cases and bound over on the nuisance
charges under $500 bonds each for
their appearance at the September
term of the 8. j. court. Sheriff G. II. |
Smith and Judge o. r. Bachelor as
sisted the prosecution in every way
which was proper
IT " pRINGJE