The Republican journal., 1912-05-09
Winterport Citizens Ask for
Enforcement.
Want Deputy sheriff Removed

Sheriff Edwin Jenkins of this citv b.s
received petition from Winterport. Of
which Charles R. Hill of that town is tho
leading mover, asking for the removal of
Deputy Sheriff Ira White of Winternort
and one of the best known men on Tho
staff of Sheriff Jenkins. The petition
has S. signers of more than 400 voters in
the town and with the exception of fonr
signatures every name is signed in one
hand writing. With five exceptions.
every signer of the petition is a Repub,
lican and some very hard workers for the
Republican party they represent. The
charges of the petition against Mr..
White are that he is a resident OF Win
terport, allows the prohibitory law in the
town of WinterpOrt to continue unen-
forced, and it is alleged that there is
considerable liquor sold there. The nett.
ton asks that Sheriff Jenkins at once to
remove from Office his deputy, Mr.. White.
and appoint in his place a man who will
see that the law is strictly enforced. The
petition was brought to this CITY bv
Charles K. Hill, leading citizen of Win
terport, and who is said by County At
torney Littlefeld, not long ago, to have
refused to furnish him with list of
names of people in Winterport, against
whom the county attorney might secure
or get evidence from, although Mr.. Hill
claimed that he knew of such parties and
that they could furnish the required evil
dence if summoned.
In speaking of the matter, Sheriff
Jenkins said he could look upon the petit
ton only as an insult to him, because if
the citizens of Winterport had any de-
sire to have more enforcement in Winter
port, the petition should have been d.
rected to him, asking for enforcement
instead of to him asking for the removal
of an officer, because he did not enforce
the law.
Not over two weeks ago, Deputies
Charles 0. Dickey of Northport and Ira
White of Winterport searched the Com
mercal house there in Winterport and
secured small quantity of liquor. G.
H. button, the proprietor of the house
has since paid fine in the supreme
court. Belfast Correspondence Water
vile Sentinel.
To THE EDITOR OF The JOURNAL. Hav-
ing read the article quoted above de-
sire through the medium of your paper
to explain to the citizens of Waldo county
the true situation in relation to the at
tempt of the people of Winterport to
procure better enforcement of the pro-
hibitory law.
Below is copy of the heading of the
petition, which was signed by fifty-fve
citizens. The first three are the present
board of selectmen, and it is also sign
ed by the town clerk, town treasurer and
a number of ex-town officials:
To EDWIN. JENKINS SHERIFF OF WALDO
COUNTY. The undersigned citizens of
Winterport and vicinity, having in mind
the recent expose by the Legislature of
our State of the shameful conditions of
notification, bribery and non-enforce-
ment of the prohibitory law in many
parts of our State, desire to call your at
tention to the fact that although you
have had deputy sheriff in this town
during all of your term of office NOW
nearing two years. and knowing as we
do that he has been almost a daily visitor
at a place where it is positively known
that liquor during all this time has been,
and IS now being sold, greatly to the dis
gust of our citizens and in defiance of
law during all of said term, yet never has
he shown my disposition by word or act
to stop it.
In view of these undisputabe facts of
existing conditions we most respectfully
request that this deputy be replaced by
one who will make at least some attempt
at performing his duties according to his
oath.
During most of the past eighteen
months the people of our town, almost
without regard to religion, party or sect,
have been seeking an opportunity by
which they might, either by expression
or action, secure some results in allaying
what has appeared to be practically free
rum. They felt that if it could be done
at any time, that after the experience of
the late special session of our Legisla-
ture, by which such scandalous conditions
of non-enforcement were exposed, would
be an opportune time to make the at
tempt or request.
With this in view the above petition
was prepared and circulated for but a
short time, for had these petitioners con-
sidered larger number necessary to pro-
cure hearing, it is safe to say, judging
from the willingness with which those
fifty-five signed (there being but five de-
cline to sign and those for family and
friendship reasons, and in every one of
the five cases each admitted that the
work was necessary and they would be
glad to see it succeed) seventy-five per
cent of all the voters and much larger
percentage of the female residents could
easily have been recorded but for the
extra effort to reach them. In every
case the petitioner made his signature on
the original petition.
The statement of the writer above
quoted to the effect that Sheriff Jenkins
looked upon the request as an insult can
not be correct, in view of the gentleman
ly manner in which he received the mes
senger, and also in view of the fact that
during the interview, which lasted some
time, he requested the messenger to pro-
pose to him some person who would make
a desirable enforcement officer in the
community in question. He said that he
and the county attorney, Mr.. Littlefeld,
had made some attempts at procuring