Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-09-23

Editor kennebee journal:
Under date of Aug 81. 1911. bingham
correspondent wrote of information con-
corning violation of the law at the Fair
Grounds. Waterviile He demanded that
the law be enforced and urged that ot-
GERS be made to live up to their oaths of
office. He declared that if the law could
be enforced in Somerset county il could
in Kennebee. Among other things he
wrote; People down there think YOU
fellows and the officers of the law have
sold out to the liquor trade"
The first nine months of this year there
We're in WaterVille. on my complaint, the
following convicted or bound over: Lii
quor seizure. s. single sale. 8; Illegal keep
ing of liquor, 2; liquor nuisance >; gam
bling house, l. disorderly house, l. The
night before the Central Maine Fair
aug. 30 | had 10 barrels of whiskey and
| five barrels of beer seized in shack
near the fair grounds and DIR. Berry of
the Civic League had eight barrels of beer
and whiskey seized in tent the third
day of the fair. In May we two had II
| barrels Of beer and whiskey seized at two
places. | think that all the deputy
she riffs and police in Kennebec county
have not on their complaint seized half
the quantity of liquor which the seere
taries of the Civic League have seized
this year in Waterville. The administra-
ton of this city and county docs not
seem to be trying to enforce the liquor
law and the following record indicates it.
Last year the arrests for intoXication in
Watervilc were SIS. the largest in the
l bicto,.t, IF fIn ri Tbpra Vvpr. the
year before and never had there been
| above 40 The arrests for intoXication
the first nine months of this year were
| SIG. The Waterville municipal court. es-
,abIished in 1855, had 1926 cases on its
| docket on Sept. l. 1911. III eases were en-
| tered since last january list. or two and
| one-fourth times the average rate. The
| fourth day of the fair this year there
| were Is arrests for drunkenness; the
| fourth day of the fair. during prior en-
| foreement administration, there Was one
| arrest for drunkenness. During the first
nine months of this year Judge Shaw of
| the Waterville municipal court commit
| ted To Jail for drunkenness 2S9 respond
ents only eight times in the last 16
years have the four cities and 26 towns
Of Kennebcc county, in an entire year,
|
drunkenness to Augusta Jail.
The cause of this expensive and dis
graceful record is apparent. The police
md deputy sherifs are not enforcing the
liquor law in WaterYille. Numerous. open
bars flourish with no raids by the otii-
GERS for one or even two months. The
| following facts have been published by
me and not denied. so far as | am aware;
| near relatives of both deputy sherifis
conducted liquor shops near their respec-
tive uncle and brother-in-law without mo-
| lestation by the two latter: a hlgh ponce
| official caused no trouble for his brother
| in-law. who conducted saloon and a
brother who pocket-peddled; and the
| sheriff ehief-of- police and mayor We're
all members of clubs maintaining liquor
| nuisances. The only defense made by
these officials was that their liquor null
sances were respectable ones.
| Soon after this published exposure
Sheriff Richardson issued closing Or
der on May Path. and the saloon-keepers
| and club managers were ordered to close
out their stocks of liquor by the follow.
ing SATURDAY night and to go out OF
business" This scare lasted about a
fortnight, and the liquor shops resumed
business as before Waterville does not
illustrate prohibition. but anarchy. There
are policemen who know of this lawless-
mess have opportunity to restrict it and
would like to do their duty, but dare not
A citizen brought important information
/ to an official regarding secreted liquors,
| and was told to keep his mouth shut On
/ the morning of Aug. 31st | saw several
drunken men and two We're fighting and
Trolling in the dirt in postoffice square.
There informed officer Baston that | had
seen within a few minutes, three barrels
of liquor hauled down Front St to a
place at the rear of the Bay View Hotel
| The neglect of our officials results in
much hardship. Workmen who have
| been sober for year or more have lost
| their jobs by drunkenness, and in one
case home has been broken up. wo-
man telephoned to the police. to care for
| a drunken man whom she found in a
hammock on her piazza Women ana
Iothers are coming to our office every few
days with complaints of open liauor sell
| ing in their part of the city. The hrst
man in Waterville to buy motor truck
| for his business is wholesale liquor
dealer Indicted at this Term s'cohrb
who last January was saSfugltfve ia MIS-
| sachusetts on account of my having q
sled load of beer and whiskes- sseizehs AT
This place on Dec. 3lst