New Britain herald., 1916-09-25
PaainVille News NEARLY $l,O0O PAID BY SUNDAY SELLERS Dozen "Blind Tigers" Successful
 ly Raided by State Police
 PROPRIETORS HEAVILY FINED
Huge Quantities of Beer Conf1scated- Convictions Obtained in All Gases Freight Handler Steals Ham.


 Owners of blind tigers contribut-
 ed nearly s1,0Oo to the town coffers yesterday following a series of sensa-
 tional raids by state police officers
 with subsequent hearings before Jus tice A. H. Condell. Twelve houses were visited by Chief Egan's men during the day and the owners of all but two of them paid large fines for violating the excise laws, the of- 1 fcers having seized almost truck load of beer cases. The results would indicate that Plainville is anything but a dry town, especially on Sundays, and that business has been done a wholesale scale by Italian boarding house keepers, who find it more , profitable to sell without license | than with one.
 The amount to be collected by the court as a result of the raids IS $939.66, a good part of which will go i into the town treasury, all of the men convicted having decided against 1 taking appeal.
 Through information furnished by a representative of Chief Egan's staff, | who has been working at the transfer station for the past two weeks, in l vestigating the liquor law violations 1 as a side issue, the state policemen. 1 led by Sergeant Robert w. Bridge ] man, came here yesterday morning and swooped down on houses Tn White Oak, one near the depot, an other on Central Square, and places on Broad, Maple and West Main street, confscating beer and liquors which they found on the premises. In o11 of hued beverage were secured. The of~ ficers met with no resistance in any of the places they raided, although in the Italian settlement near the depot a number of men jumped through windows when the police called at the place where they were visiting.
 The officers used an automobile to make the rounds of the houses un- der suspicion and they had to hire a large truck to cart off the wet goods obtained Deposited in the Town hall as evidence were nineteen kegs and 417 bottles. These will be condemned and destroyed in a few days.
 Except in two cases, all the prison CTS readily admitted their guilt after they were locked up, and they were tried without delay, Justice Condell and Grand Juror Gwillim being sent for as soon as the raids were finished. The grand juror called on State Liquor Prosecutor Jennings of Bristol to assist in the presentation of the charges.
 Disposition was made of the cases in which convictions were obtained as fOllows:
 Francisco Grane1H $50 and costs, amounting to S97.52; Gloriani Lepori, $50 and costs, amounting to $97.52;  ing to S9752; Giazoni Andelnuir, $50 and costs. amounting to $97.52; Arlilo Euavo, $50 and costs, amounting to s9752; Nick Guerra, $50 and costs, amounting to S97.52; Antonio Silvrio, s1OO and costs, am mounting to $157.02, and Peter Berarnucci, $50 without costs.
 Silvrio paid the heaviest penalty. He has been doing a land office busi- ness at his place near the freight yards for a long time. and the police had wealth of evidence against him.
 Carlo Siscolla whose house is To- cated close to the Baptist church, was found not guilty. The police found eis,ht bottles of beer in the ice box when they paid him a caH but the court didn't think they had sufficient evidence to obtain a conviction. The DrOSoCuC1On nOlloU luo case dSdlLSC Gonato Belana of Broad street. as the officers admitted that their evidence was of a somewhat fimsy nature.
 The results of the raids, 1t was ad- nnitted around the streets today. will not serve as much of an argument for the prohibition forces during the cam l paign for a no-license Plainville, as it i indicates the possibilities of selling in i violation of the law. -usiness with l the "blind tigers would be even bet ter the license advocates claim, if [ the town was legally "dry,' as the op- | portunities of "speak- easies" would be l increased.
 Hird Is Champion.
 William Hird won the tennis cham i pionship of the town Saturday by de- ! feating Cecil Bedford in the final l match of the tournament which has | been conducted under the auspices of 1 the Plainville lawn club during the | past few months. IIird will get pos session, by reason of his victory, of the championship cup, donated by President s. s. Gwillim. To retain it permanently, however, he must win it for three consecutive years The runner-up cup, presented by J. H. Trumbull, is to be awarded to MT. Bedford
 The Hird- Bedford contest was a closely contested match, the cham pion winning two out of three.
 PlainviIle Team Wins.
 The Rovers A. c. of New Britain have learned that the boys from "Hicktown," as the local players are popularly called in the adjoining city have a few tricks up their sleeves when it comes to playing baseball. The information was imparted yester- day when the Hardware City con- l t1ngent reported at Aliens field to l play the nine representing the local