Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-09-17
SUPERIOR COURT
Criminal Trials Con-
tinued Saturday
Verdict of Guilty in Case Of State vs..
Carl Weston, Apt, Illegal Possession
Case of State VS.. Wallace Cormier
of Augusta Heard Saturday

charged with illegal possession OF IN
toxicating liquors with intent TO sell,
the case having been heard Friday.
The only other criminal oase at the
days session was that Of State VS..
Wallace Cormier, Aplt' OF Augusta,
search and seizure. The jury reached
it's decision in the matter in short
time and the verdict, which was seal
ed and returned TO the clerk of courts,
will be giver at the opening of court
at 10 o'clock this morning.
NJ. Z. Sawtelle of Augusta was coun-
sci for the respondent in the case of
State vs.. Wallace Cormier. The tes-
timony for the State was given by
the three deputy sheriffs. L. T. Dut-
ton, Arthur G.. Robinson and Irving
B. Written, who made search at
the Cormier 'ouse at Laurel street.
Deputy Sheriff Dutton testified that
on June Il he went to the Cormier
house, accompanied by the other two
deputies. He and Robinson went to
the front door and Written went
around to the rear door. Mrs. COrmier
went to the front door and as she look
ed out she called something in French
which witt. oss did not understand. He
then heard a noise like the crashing of
glass and hurrying into the kitchen,
he saw Mr.. Cormier by the sink and
smelled a strong odor of liquor. He
saw the glass Of the broken bottle by
the sink and soon Mrs. Cormier went
along and turned on the water into the
sink. The deputies got two quart bot
ties in the cellar, each marked alco-
hol and each containing a small
amount of alcohol. Upon cross exam
closed when he went to the house and
Mrs. Cormier had held the door some
but he had pushed it open.
The testimony of Deputy Sheriff
Robinson Of Gardiner corroborated
that of the previous witness. He tes-
tified upon cross examination that he
did not notice whether or not the door
rubbed and that the smell in the
kitchen was of Intoxicating liquors
like either whiskey or rum.
Deputy Sheriff Written said that
when they arrived at the house he
went around to the back door on the
East side and discovered in a room
there two men who had been taking
something. The men could talk but il
was plain that they had been drink
irE something. The men asked him
what he was after and said that they
were there to try and get Cormier to
drive them to Tosus in>his automobile.
He said the shoppers We're out of the
hot
them.
The defense in the case was that the
liquor at the house was not for sale
but for personal consumption and con-
sisted Of alcohol which had been
brought there by friend and drank.
And the defense claimed that Cormier.
being afraid under the influence of
liquor, broke the bottle in the sink.
knowing that it was evidence against
him.
The defendant, Wallace Cormier,
said he was at home when the Off
GERS called and he told how he hap
pened to break the bottle. According
to his testimony, Joseph Blanchette
had brought alcohol to his house and
they had reduced it and drank it.
After Blanchettp and Victor Burgoyne
had left his house at about 10 O'Clock
hat morning, he took a quart and
went upstairs About $50 in the after
noon the officers came and in his ex-
cltement he broke the bottle, placing
the pieces of the bottle beside the
sink. An officer had asked him what
he had done and he replied, Nothing"
His wife had then got glass Of water
at the sink. He said that no part Of
the liquor was intended for sale and
that he had broken the bottle be-
cause he did not want to show IN
Blanchette. He had pleaded nolo con
tendere when in court last January
and since that his place had been clos
ed. The bottles downstairs had been
brought there by his brother in-law.
according to the testimony. Defend
ants business is that of running a
public automobile.
Upon cross examination Cormier
said he did not remember telling the
deputies that his children broke the
bottle and that the two bottles thev
found were old ones left there when
they had searched there before. And
upon redirect he said Rlanchette had
agreed to be in court as a witness in
the case.
Victor Rurgoyne Of Naterville also
save testimony for the defense saw
ing that he was with BlanChettc a..
Cormier's house on the morning of the
day the officers searched there and
that Blanchette had left a bottle Of al
cohol there Mating had been sofa
while he was there
In rebuttal Deputy Sheriff Dutton
testified that on the day they searched
there Cormier had said that the chill
dren had broken the bottle and that
the two alcohol bottles thev had found
We're bottles left there when they had
searched there before. He testified that
the bottles had not been left there at
that time. however. And the testi-
mony of Deputy Sheriff Robinson cor
rohorated that Of buttons regarding
what Cormer had stated at the time
the house was searched.
Case Mol Pressed
Upon motion of County ATTORNEY
W. H. Fisher the case of State VS..
Ninal Odlin, Aplt., charged with tres
pass, was rol pressed. The case was
- led from