Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-03-18
MRS. CLARICE CORMIE /
IS FOUND GUILTY
OF SELLING LIQUOR
But Through Consideration of
Court Her Case Is Continued
for Sentencc-Case Novel
One Because Both Principals
Are Women

Judge Lancaster is called upon in
the course Of year in his capacity as
presiding officer Of the Augusta NUM-
cipal court to pass judgment upon cas-
es considerable in number and varied
in type, but one of the most novel cases
which has yet claimed his attention
was one which was heard by him Fri
day morning, inasmuch as both the
principals were women-the complain
ant. likewise the respondent.
The complainant in the case was Mrs
Sadie Britton. who lives in Royal Park
and the respondent was Mrs. Clarice Cor
mier, also a resident Of the same To-
cality, and the material for the hear
ing which was held Friday morning
was vested in two warrants which were
sworn out by Sadie. in which she charg-
ed Mrs Cormier with two single sales
of intoxicating liquor, to Wit, two pint
bottles of whiskey, the purchaser in
each case being the complainant. In
the warrants the complainant alleged
one of the sales to have been made
Sunday, March Il, and the other on
the following day.
The respondent when arraigned be-
James L. Boyle and entered plea of
not guilty. The complainant took the
stand and testified that she was IS
years of age and had been married.
and that at present her mother was
away. Coming down to the matter or
the alleged sales Of liquer she said
that at about II o'clock last Sunday
morning she went to Mrs. CORNER
house and found: there Mrs Cornlier
and her sister: that the complainant
asked Mrs. Cornier for pint or WINS
key. whereupon the latter went upstairs
! and brought down the liquor, that the
complainant gave her 20 cents In pay
ment for it. Continuing. the complain
ant said that after getting the liquor
she went home and inviting in some
friends. treated" them.
Regarding the second alleged sale the
complainant said that about o'clock
Monday afternoon she again went to
the Corrlier house and bought another
pint Of whiskey Of Mrs. Cormier, who
on that occasion took the whiskey from
behind the sink. Mrs. Britton further
said that she disposed Of the last Whis-
key purchased as she had the first.
The respondent. Mrs. Cormier, then
took the stand and at the beginning of
her testimony said that the Britton
woman was at her house on Monday
but that she (the respOndenD did not
sell the latter any liquor. A novel fea-
ture developed at about this time in
the line of testimony. Mrs. Cormler
evincine a marked desire to talk about
the occurrences of last Wednesday in
stead of those Of Sunday and Monday,
and while what went on Wednesday
had no bearing on the case in hand the
court allowed her to proceed.
The gist Of Mrs. CORNERS testimony
was that about o'clock Wednesday
afternoon the complainant asked her
TO go over to her house and see her
room and that she accepted the invi-
tation. Continuing, the witness said
that she and the complainant, who &C.
cupies the second floor Of a three-flat
tenement in Royal Park, went into the
apartments of 4 Mrs. Quincy. who lives
on the first floor of the same house;
that or entering the house the first
thing she saw was a quart bottle Of
wh.slley setting on a table.
Witness further said that as she and
the complainant went into the house
they found several other people and
that all drank of the liquor except her
self; that the complainant drank an
ordinary cupful of whiskey and soon
afterward began to roll upon the floor.
evidently in great distress. Witness
said that at 10 o'clock that night she
went to her home and that at that time
the girl was still on the floor.
The complainant was recalled and
stated the next morning. after she had
regained consciousness she found that
she was in her own room, and was
locked in.
After listening to the testimony,
much Of which was secured through
the medium Of an interpreter, the
court found the respondent guilty. but
in consideration Of the fact that the
Cormier woman is the mother Of three
small children, the youngest of whom
ic an infant 0f ojubt months continued