The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-01-30
FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLO
COULD TAKE IS
DRINKS
Florence Pratt Of Bennington
In North Adams Court
HOTEL KEEPER ON TRIAL
Town Clerk &. A. Booth and Mrs
Charles Jepson Of This Town
Among the Witnesses

North Adams, Jan. 3O.-The sever
al cases of the commonwealth against
Landlord William r. Childs of the
Berkshire hotel for the alleged sale
or delivery of liquor to three minors,
came up for hearing in the district
court yesterday morning.
Attorney NJ E. Couch, who present
ed the case for the defense, claimed
that the charges had not been prop
erly framed. In only one of the
charges Is a sale" alleged, and the
defense claimed that only this one
charge could be tried on the ground
that the mere delivery of liquor to a
minor is not a crime Judge Phelps
withheld decision on this point until
this afternoon, and the case was al
lowed to begin.
The rest of the morning session
was used up in hearing the testi-
mony of the three girls They told
of their presence in the Berkshire
cafe on the night Of January 20, and
of the drinks which they had there
They said that Landlord Childs
passed through the room while they
We're there and spoke to one of them
telling hey to leave the place. Two
of the girls testified to their age, the
other could not tell her age even APP
proMmately
The uncertainty of this witness as
TO her age, brought up an unexpect-
ed feature and the commonwealth
asked an opportunity to secure her
birth certificate from Bennington
that it might be offered as evidence
on this point. This caused an early
adjournment of the case this morn
ing.
The afternoon session began at
.2:15 o'clock and counsel for the pros
scution called Florence Pratt to the
stand She certified to the fact that
she was born in Bennington Mrs.
Charles Jepson a relative of the girl,
was then called and testified that
the girl was Is years old August 80,
1908.
Edwin A. Booth, town clerk of Ben
nington, was then called and certified
to this age of the girl as stated by
Mrs. Jepson.
Rev. DIR. T. Il. Busfield and Rev w.
r. Thompson occupied seats within
the rail and were the only represen-
tatiyes OF the ministers present. The
defendant, William r. Childs, was
seated in the reserved section, as
were most of the local lawyers, in
Guiding the counsel for prosecution
and defense. NJ. E. Couch and j. E.
Magenis appeared for Landlord
Childs and A. NJ. Robinson for the
commonwealth.
Chairman G. F. Winchell of the IL
cense commission was also seated
within the rail, near the witness
stand.
The three witnesses for the prose
cution, Della Chenard, Florence
Pratt and Grace White, were brought
in and sworn. These witnesses were
brought from Sherborne prison to APP
pear in this case.
Florence Louise Pratt was the first
witness and she was unable to tell
her exact age. She said that on the
night of January 20 she entered the
Berkshire with Della Chenard. The
two girls took seats in the first booth
and then she had FIVE glasses OF ale.
She did not know the names OF the
young men who were in the booth
with her but said that she saw Grace
White there and that Grace White
was there when she left.
Questions from Judge Phelps
brought out the testimony that the
defendant ordered the drink herself
and the fellows" paid for them
She said that the fellows" were
there when the girls went in and
after about 20 minutes Della Chenard
went into the next booth. She SAID
that she and Della Chenard left the
cafe alone at 10 o'clock.
Counsel for the commonwealth then
submitted certificate from the
school board giving the age OF the
witness. but the defense objected to
its admission and was sustained.
Further questions were asked re-
garding the witness age and she SAID
She had no approximate knowledge
of her age,
Attorney Couch then cross examin'
cd the witness as to how many drinks
she was in the habit of taking ana
she admitted having taken as many
as 5 drinks.
Grace White testified that her age
was II on the 4th of last May. She
said that about OILS Of the night OF
January 20 she was on the steps OF
the berkshire hotel where Florence
pratt coming from out of the cafe
met her and went in with her, Sne
said that she stood by the booths III
which the two girls were for a Few
minutes talking In these pootns,
she said. we're several fellows ana
woman about 40 years of age
Then according to her testimony
some fellows called, Here Kid, and
asked her into another booth where
they ordered up drinks for her. she
said that the fellows told her TO take
off her glasses, they wanted TO see
what she looked like, and then order
ed drinks for her. She said that the
fellows ordered two cocktails ana one
beer for her, and pushed them across
Inc table to her, and one OF the lel
lows nut her glasses In his pocket
leaving her without anything 10 sc,
with. She said that one OF the tI re,
lows said: I'VE want to get mel
soused" ,,.na Chud,
she testified that Landlord Chllu'
passed through the room twice
once he stopped when there Wal
siderable disturbance going on II