Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-01-25

ne9ec county superior court Monday,
that of State vs.. Al Burke of Augusta,
in which single sale to Harry p. Bis
slit was alleged. The jury was still
out at the time OF adjournment Mon
day afternoon. Gideon Pond of Chel-
sea for Illegal keeping was fined 800
and costs or 60 days in Jail. The
SturgiS cases were continued until
Wednesday by agreement of counsel.
The first Jury ut the opening of the
Superior court Monday morning
brought in verdict of guilty in the il
legal keeping case against Gideon
Pond of Chelsea, which was tried Sat
urlay afternoon. and in which the jury
was out at the time of adjournment
The single sale case against Al
Burke OF Augusta was the first case to
GO on trial Monday. w. II. Fisher APP
pe&rtG fpr tie respondent. His case
was thc first liquor case for the term
% be- tried before Il drawn jury. The
"anel chosen consisted OF Peter King.
Watervilie; a. s. Ashford. Litchfield
Cfroman>: Thomas G. i3ur!eisE, Vas
salLoro; y. X. Lincoln. Wayne: a. e.
Is, '-is1 DUG, .j'1IIli w TluSItS, ' l.
emma; Ell ertQn, l.. Lancaster Gardiner;
Roger Ii. Lnrham, PittstOn; W. w.
Gihos, Oakland; w. A. Milroy. Gardi-
ner +. Fl. Matthews, WinsloW: George
~. sylvester. Au sUsta. The state chal-
leneeG Joseph Earrieaa OF Waterville
while the defence used up its entire
quota of challenges. Directing to the
names as they We're called of John 3.
Albee, Windsor; Fred A. Cyr, Water
vile; Waterman \. Redmond, Angus
ia; y. Frank Moore, Augusta.
The case against Burke was an ap-
pealed case from the Augusta munich
pal court and was based upon an al
legged single sale made on Oct s, 1909
to Harry p. Bisstt of No. Whitefield.
formerly of Augusta, special liquor
detective, or "spotter," employed By
Sheriff Colby Getchell.
Rissitt testified that he had known
Al Burke, the respondent. about a year
and bought whisiiey of him at the
Copeland house, Oct. 8. Witness ar
rived at the house about O'Clock in
the forenoon and saw q number of old
soldiers drinking "ilayseed" beer in the
ell Of the kitchen. They were talking
about "chipTing in to get some liquor
and witness bought two half pints of
%hiskey for which he paid respondent
so cents. Witness drank part of one
half pint and gave the rest of it to the
soldiers. The other half pint witness
brought. to the Jail office.
Attorney Fisher subjected the States
witness to a most searching cross ex-
ay, IL.
very well. Witness admitted that he
had been in jail twice in connection
with liquor selling. The first tirle he
was in Jail 10 days on account of being
unable - furnish bonds in an appealed
case from the Augusta municipal court
in which a verdict of not guilty was
found by the jury. The second time
his case was mol pressed.
Attorney Fisher-"Did you testify at
a hearing on this case in the lower
court that you got evidence of liquor
selling for love Of squealng'
Witness-'I might have"
Attorney Fisher-"What led Won to
give your services to the State in this
way"
Witness-"I thought 1 would be bet
ter eff, because after the cases were
over | wouldn't be able to get any Ii
quor."
Witness was asked by Attorney
Fisher if he knew how much his wit
ness fees were in the cases in which
he had testified and he replied that he
had been told that the fees We're ST. so
a day and mileage, but he could not
remember in how many different cases
he had testified.
Deputy Sheriff Alvin r. Bucklin of
litchfield testified that he had known
me respondent, AL Burke for several
months. Witness saw him about the
copeland place, Oct s, of last year.
Saw Bissitt and the soldiers talking in
t"e yard with the respondent. Bissitt
IN the evening of the same day turned
over half pint of whskey to the wit
ness
Wtncss on cross examination stated
that ne was where he could see the
IoPelaho place during the greater part
vi the DAY. Witness didn't see the re-
spohdent sell any liquor or so to any
mae where he might obtain any liquor.
saw respondent go down the road once
toward Jones' grocery store.
SheriH Colby GetcheIl took the stand
IN pehalf of the State and testified that
the only arrangement which he had
made with Bsstt was to give him
money for the purchase of liquor. He
save him in all about SIS
Attorney Fishcr-"Who was support
ing his family and how was he getting
pay for his time?"
Sheriff. don't know"
Sheriff Getchell was asked by the
county attorney if the case against
Bissltt had been mol pressed on ac-
count OF any promises made to Bissitt
by him and he replied that it was not.
County Attorney Hildreth stated that
he asked mol pros in the case on the
ground that the State did not have
sufficient evidence.
Attorney Fisher objected strenously
to the county attorney presenting tes-
timony and to his release for mol
pros and Judge Hall asked him if he
wished to intimate that the Court
would grant a mol pros en- account of
any agreement entered into between
the respondent and the county officers.
Counsel replied that he didn't wish to
intimate anything of the sort and the
incident was closed