Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-09-27
MRS. PARKER GUILTY.
Jury Finds She Sold Liquor TO Soldiers
-prisOu Sentence Imposed.

Mrs. Minnie Parker was sentenced In
city court Thursday afternoon by Judge
Joseph T. Stearns to not less thar eight
nor more han 10 months at hard labor IN
the house of correction at Rutland. n jury
of ~ men having found her guilty OF FUR
nishing intoxicating beverages to men
who wore the army uniform.
One Of the points in Judge Stearns'
charge that stood out among the others
was that the members of the jury should
take into consideration the fact that there
were at the present time at the Post
a number of men wearing the army cloth
that closely Appropriated 5000. 1t was
necessary. however. said the court, that
the Jury find the respondent guilty be-
yond all reasonable doubt. This they
did, and in less than IS minutes. AS a
matter of fact, 1t was much less than
this, as 1t took some little time to get
organized and elect a foreman.
States Attorney Martin told the jury
that the place the woman kept was a
rendezvous for married women and SOL
diers; that these soldiers did not go
| there to read, to write or to pass a pleas
ant evening, but that they went there
to purchase 'booze,'' and nothing but
booze He proved by witnesses for the
State that soldiers had been going in
and out Of her apartments, two and three
together, since early in August, and con-
demned the place the woman was keep
ing as a detriment to society, and espe-
| cially to the large body Of men left
to the city's protection by Uncle Sam.
He told the ~ men that the outcome of
the case should be one that would tend
to discourage others From like crime.
and one that would c(ution others who
contemplated engaging in the illicit bust
r,oeS His fdau Nrac m acttro a ~ i'm, ~,
sentence: say of not less than II nor more
than IL months. He closed his argument
to the jury by stating that he was in 81
position to know that the public wanted
such places of rendezvous for soldiers
closed.
Fred G.. Webster. the woman's attor-
ney, asked for a minimum sentence, not
less than three nor more thar six months.
He believed that a sentence Of less han
half a year at the house of correction
would meet the requirements of the law
Mrs. Parker did not take the stand in
her own behalf, although she had a con-
stitutional right to do SO. She had,
however, two witnesses, a Mrs. Mabel
Thompson. who claimed she was a caller
at the woman's home. This woman's
home is in Bristol. The other witness
for the defense was Mrs. Lu Needham,
who said she was employed in the Star
restaurant from seven in the morning
until seven in the evening. She claimed
to have known the respondent but two
months. having gone to the place to secure
a room and having been accommodated.
The State introduced eight witnesses,
as follows: Edward J. Barry, oliver VAL
you, George Simon. local police officers,
Sergeant Burney Harris. of the military
police, Sergeant Nicholas Frauenfelder,
! tta n,an xr-hO yylg ut tho hnIlGa Whan
the place was raided, Sergeant Frank
Mcclure. Robert r. Giddings and Mrs.
Robert r. Giddings. F'rauenfelder and
Mcclure were recalled to the stand to
testify.
The names of the men who composed
the jury follow: e. H. Beebe. Walter
Hoy. E. C. Fay. George H. Shepard,
H.. S. Merrihew, w. H. Buckley, H. H.
Davis, Alexander Hunter. Van A. Nye,
C. A. Barber, w. H. Humphrey and
l. G. Elliott.