Daily Kennebec journal., 1916-01-04
uDENS AND DIVES THAT
SURROUND ToGuS"

ToFd;tors of the Lewiston journal:
George c. Boomer of the Togus
Home. VINO writes in such startling de-
tail Of booze selling around the Home
and of the crimes committed on every
highway leading to the Home. should
make a good witness before the grand
Jury We recommend to the reading
Of Sheriff Getchell a ToGus letter 10
the Lewiston Journal of Saturday
evening. Dec 1Sth.-kennebec Journal,
Dec. q. 1915
The above is the only comment l
hitN g observed. in your Augusta con-
temporary relative TO the starting
details written by me, and printed in
the Lewiston journal or Dec Is. How
ever startling these disclosures may
have been, apprehend that the main
point is. are they true? The editor of
the kennebeC journal does not ana
cannot truthfully deny them; but is
too busy to investisate-too busy con-
struc.ing booze editorials, that. Ike
the liquors dispensed in this vicinity,
are manufactured for Home consump-
ton
If the editor of the kennebec jour
nal would cease looking for the mote
in the eve of the law" as enforced
in Portland. Lewiston and Bango
and use the editorial cantdog, pick
poles. etc, in removing the logs. cord
wood and other debris from the optlcs
of the officers whose duty II is to see
to the enforcement of the prohibition,
and other laws, in his own balllWlck,
the columns Of that paper would be
more usefully employed and more gen.
orally read.
AS to my availability as a good wit
ness before the grand jury, let me
assure the editor that ] am certainly
willing to appear before that body at
any time or place Any evidence that
I might give would be purely circum-
stantial. ! have seen men go In the
direction of the Snowplow or the Ran
dolph road, perfectly sober. and have
seen them brought in, in one case
frozen stiff; the bottle of booze found
on his person was also concealed. ex-
cept about an inch in the bottom; that
was done. Another brought in from
the Snowplow on top of swlll wag-
on: this man died at the hospital door.
Another found dead in a snow drift in
the field near the dump" One man
brought in with hands and feet froz-
en- necessitating the amputation OF
several fingers and toes; another found
dying in the woods near the old Gem
etery
While walking near the North gate
q few weeks ago, ! saw Home guard
struggling to assist man into camp.
He whistled for help as the man was
too heavy and dead to the world. An
other guard came. but the two were
unable to carry him and were. Obliged
10 summon the dump" wagon, an IN
stitution that has been somewhat over
worked the past week. This man had
been robbed of a valuable watch and
a sum of money. The dangling watch
chain was cumulative evidence that
time had fed.
certainly endorse the course 'of
reading recommended in the quoted
nara graph. Let the sheriff read the
letter. in fact, subscribe for the Lew
iston Journal and get lnoculated with
news that is news.
The names of the liquor dealers in
Augusta, the county or state, are
readily accessible and the record should
he and l think is, prima facie evidence
that the persons SO listed are engaged
in the liquor traffic. They pay $25 per
wear to United States officials as
revenue tax; they certainly do not pay
that money for fun: never heard Of
LIQUOR dealers engaging in that form
of pastime.
AS to the grimes committed on ev-
ery highway leading to the Home, >"
was the assault on the Benner boys
crime? Was the sale of bottle Of dope
TO an old soldier late in the afternoon
of a day when the thermometer reg
istered 36 degrees below a crime?
To imply or insinuate that Sheriff
Getchell is unaware Of the gOings on
In this vicinity. places him in the same
category with the editor.
II information is desired by any per-