Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-07-14
fARDAER..'
Harmon Acquitted in the
Search and Seizure.
Interesting Hearing Wednesday
Draws a Large Crowd.
.Judss Finds No Evidence Of Be.
Ing Kept for illegal Sale.

10 find Scintilla OF evidence to show
i, that the liquors seized by the deputy
sheriffs at r. +. Harmon's place were
intended for Illegal sale, Judge LARA
bee acquitted the respondent yester-
= day afternoon after an interesting
haring in the municipal court. County
Attorney Guy A. Hildreth appeared for
the State and George w. Heselton rep
resented Mr.. Harmon. The court room
was crowded and it was evident that
there was considerable evidence in the
case
MIR. Harmon. through his attorney,
waived the reading of the warrant and
pleaded not guilty.
Deputy Sheriff Fred e. Potter was
The first witness for the State. He
stated that he. with Deputy Sheriffs
Bucklin and Vickery and City Marshal
Wakefield made the search of the
premises. going there at about ,2.3o
o'clock. He went in the side door and
in the refrigerator found four empty
beer bottles and upstairs in a back
room found two more empty bottles
and some glasses In Room Mr..
aBucklin found a full bottle of beer and
Il, a bottle, partly full of alcohol. In a
sort of closet just off the kitchen Mr..
vickery found 10 bottles of rye whis
key ara two partly flied bottles of
Scotch wlfiskey. H'' ''i'.i
On cross examination Mr. Hesel-
ton, Deputy Potter retold the circum
stances Of the search. He said that
the empty bottles he found couldn't
have contained liquor intended for il
legal sale. The closet where the liquor
was found in bottles had no locks or
fastenings 50 far as he saw and that
the room where the alcohol and one
bottle of beer was found was evidently
used by woman. as there was wo-
mems clothing in the closet. County
Attorney Hildreth asked Mr.. Potter
why the search was made, but Attor-
ney Heselton objected to this before
Mr.. Potter could reply
Deputy Sheriff A. r. Bucklin testi-
fed to going to the house with the
other officers and that down in the
cellar he found empty boxes i'm which
liquor had evidently been packed and
also that he found wrapper similar
to those around the bottles of rye
whskey seized. He judged they were
in the place about three quarters of
the witness stated that whatever doors
were locked were unlocked by Mrs.
Harmon.
Deputy Sheriff George r. Vickery of
Hallowell testified about the same as
the other officers as regarded the first
part of the raid He told of finding a
quart bottle of liquor in the pantry and
then finding the 10 quarts of rye whis-
key in little closet and the two bot
ties of Scotch whiskey near the rest
Heiadmitted that there We're no locks
on the door of the pantry or closet;
that the beer bottles were in plain
sight and the others in the closet
easily opened into.
City Marshal Wakefield's testimony
was similar to the other officers. He
said that when Mr.. Vickery found the
whskey he passed a bottle of it over
for him to smell of and he identified
the goods in the court room as those
seized at Mr. Harmon's. He didn't see
Harmon until after the liquors were
found.
Mr. Harmon was the Only witness for
the defence and his testimony was
quite lengthy and at times his an
swers were objected to by County At
torney Hildreth on the ground that
Attorney Heselton was leading him on
Mr.. Harmon testified that the first he
knew the Officers were in the house
was when Mrs. Moore told him. He
. was then up on the piazza and in
\ about 15 'or 20 minutes he went down
y stairs and met the officers at the foot
Mef the stairs He testified that h.
= Knew of sno liquors being kept in the
= cellar but that he kept them in the
% kitchen and.had done so since his place
was searched last March.
'Who instructed you to keep your
liquors in plain sight" asked Mr.. Hes
elton
The county attorney objected to this
as being leading question. The ques-
ton was changed i'm form and Mr.. Har-
mon admitted that he kept it so on
what he considered good advice. Mr.
hildreth still objected. hut Mr.. Hesel-
Nton' stated that he only wanted tc
Show that Mr. Harmon was acting in
good faith. as Harmon had told him
that his honor, had told him not to at
tempt to hide the liquors he had for
I ms private use. but to keep them in
sight.
Mr. Harmon stated that all the WINS
> Key found was his but that the alcohol
found in Room S belonged to girl who
3 worked in the kitchen. He denied all
q knowledge of the beer found.
The witness testified that he got the
hquor seized about a week or 10 days
ago and that it came by Hoyt's Elk
press There was II quarts of rye and
TWO or Scotch. He put it in the kitten
en- and kept it for his own use and
! none was intended for illegal sale and
mat none had been sold from the
Empty beer bottles.
= 1ou .are a member of the Demo-
cratic Club. a former Republican. and
an active member of the club, are you
"ot!FF asked Mr. Heselton.
l would like to know what that has
set 70 do with the case?' questioned
county Attorney Hildreth. Il
~ has everything to do with it, the
vase was conceived from it," replied
Mr Har.non's attorney.
:. The testimony. then went back to the
hauors and in reply to a question ask.
oy the court Mr.. Harmon stated
mat he had friends drink with hin
.ace In awhile and that he treated
sneln in the kitchen.