Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-01
SUPERIOR COURT.
Jury Finds Belle Foye
Seekins Guilty.
Fined $500 and Costs or
Three Months In JAIL
Mol Pros Entered In the Griffin and
Tibbefts Cases.

The greater part of the time in the
superior court Saturday was taken up
with the trial OF the case of State VS..
Belle Foye Seekins, the alleged pro-
prietress of the Hartford House. The
case was on an Indictment found by
the grand jury at the present term for
maintaining liquor nuisance, and was
tried before a drawn jury, Melvin E..
Sawtelle of Augusta appearing for the
respondent.
The first witness called by the State
was Deputy Sheriff George r. Vickery
of HalloWell, who testified to making
raid at the Hartford House in COM
pany with other officers He located a
hide and found IS pint and five half
pint hotties of whiskey. The testimony
of deputy Sheriff Nickery was sub
Stimulated by Deputy Sheriffs A. r..
Bucklin of Iitchtield and Joseph O..
Blanchett Of Augusta and Patrolnan
Marshall Pomerlcau of the Augusta
police department.
Belle Foy Seelings, the respondent,
took the stand in her own behalf. She
testified that she was now serving a
jali sentence on a search and seizure
charge she had run the Hartford
House about two months. The liquor
seized was not her property. She did
not know that the liquor was in the
hide found by the officers. Never sold
arv liquor at the Hartford House. The
former proprietor, John Morris, was
serving a Jail sentence for liquor SELL
in;;.
Cross-examned by County Attorney
Hlldreth the respondent testified that
she did not know where the old SOL
der, who was arrested at the time OF
the raid, got the hottie which was
found on him. In response to the ques-
ton by the county attorney, How
many liquor hides are there in the
Hartford Fouse?" she replied that she
know nothing about any hides there
and testified with equal positiveness
that she never bought any Whlskey IN
| this town or any other town. Fred
Smith testihed that he never knew of
any liquor being sold in the house
during the time included in the in
dictment.
The jury after being out about five
minutes, returned q verdict of guilty.
She was sentenced by Judge Hall to
pay G fine of 5000 and costs, and in de-
fault of payment to serve three
| months in jail
Dr.. George +. Washburn testified
that j. Edwin Jenness of Augusta,
against whom an indictment was found
by the grand jury for maintaining a
| liquor nuisance, was too ill to appear
| Dr. Washburn stated that the respon-
don't had a very high temperature ana
| that his life would be endangered by
| his appearancc in court. The case was
| continued until later in the term. r..
! W. Whitelouse appeared as counsel
! fer the respondent.
| In the case of z. L. Griffin of Angus
| ia. who was indicted for an attempt
to enter the Bradbury house in this
city a mol pross was entered. The
single sale case against o. c. Tibbetts
OF Randolph was also mol pressed.
| A liquor nuisance Indictment against
Parrv r. Lishncss of Augusta was
| continued until the April term on ac-
| count of the absence of one of the Wit
| ncsses for the State, a man, who al
| leged that he had purchased liquor at
| the respondents place Of business.
Court adjourned until 10 A. NJ. today.