The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-11-24
DENIES BOTTLE SALE.
J. Edward Murphy Also Knows Nothing
of Liquor Selling to Norwich Cadets.

l Evidence in the case OF j. Edwar,
Murphy, Merchant street licensee o
the first class, who was summoned befor
the county commissioners to show caus
why his license should not be revoked
was completed late yesterday afternoon
Findings of the commission have no
been announced and it is doubtful wheth
er decision will be reached before Mon
day or Tuesday, as the commissioner
wish to study the testimony, a transcript,
of which was prepared by the stenog
rapher to-day.
More of the students from Norwich
university were placed on the stand by
the state soon after the hearing was re.
sumed in the afternoon and when the
last cadet had testified, the state rested
Atty. j. Ward Carver then called to the
stand the defendant, Mr.. Murphy, two of
his bartenders and a number of men who
were in the saloon on the night when
Russell A. Wentworth, Norwich fresh
man, is alleged to have purchased liquor
in bottles and over the bar. Their testi-
mony was largely a refutation of the
statements made by Wentworth and cor
roborated by his schoolmates.
| The first witness in the afternoon was
Cadet Wendell Smith, who succeeded
John l.. Raymond, another student, on
the stand. Smiths testimony was cor
roborative of the story told by Went
worth so far as it related to the trip
from Mortified to Barre and the pres
ence OF cadets at a dance In Rowland
hall. Ola A. Nelson, who gave his age
as 20 years and five months and said he
was resident of Natick, Mass, told the
commissioners that he was a Junior at
Norwich, that he was member of the
Norwich contingent in Barre last Satur-
day night and that he visited the Muir
ply saloon. He had been in the same
saloon three times since he returned to
Norwich in the fall and previously he
visited the establishment on different oc-
casions last year. perhaps five or six in
all. He told of motoring to Montpelier
Saturday and Of joining his comrades at
the Central Vermont station, the party
proceeding to Barre by train. Nelson's
version of the trip to the hotel and
thence to the saloon tailed with that of
Wentworth, who was afterward arrested
for intoxication.
Asked by States Atty. Earle r. Davis |
if he was aware that bottles of liquor |
were purchased by Wentworth. Nelson
replied in the affirmative. He said that |
the transaction took place near the desk !
at the street end of the bar and that he |
stood just back of Wentworth when the
latter slipped him pint. For the reason
that Wentworth stood in front of him.
he did not see where his friend obtained
the whiskey. On the cross examination
Attorney Carver asked Nelson if he
bought pint of whiskey, and the wit
ness replied in the negative Whereupon
ii was brought out in the attorneys line of
inquiry that Nelson did buy a pint, that
he paid Wentworth for the pint as soon
Is they left the saloon. On the redirect
il came out that Nelson saw
Iadet Pierce get pint from Wentworth
n the saloon. There we're questions con-
,erning the presence of label on the
,ottle obtained by Nelson and the wit
Tess was uncertain whether ii bore a
abel or not. How many times did you
ook at the bottle during the EVENING"" :
sked the states attorney. An audible
nicker in the council chamber broadened I
nto stifed groan as Nelson answered ;
After each dance Id
With that the state rested and Attor- Il
ey Carver called the defendant to the {
tand. Mr.. Murphy testified that he new h
r saw the cadets before that day in the |,
Duncil chamber, that none of them ever =
ought drink in his establishment, and n
hat never, to his knowledge, were any i
{ them able to purchase liquor by the a
ottle or by the drink in his place It o
eveloped that the licensee was present a
the two evenings mentioned b
the specifications, except for a few
taken for lunch William m
yalker, the bartender, who was alleged W
= the state to have figured in the bottle k
ansactiou. next took the stand. He a,
stified that Wentworth and another v,
det. whom he pointed out, were in the h,
urphy saloon some time after Q o'clock q,
the evening of Nov. II. Before that at
me he had not seen them. Wentworth III
as drunk, the witness continued. and bs
hen he made his way to the bar and
ked for drink, the witness refused
m. The bartender denied emphatically
e charge that he sold to the students. A,
: was cross examined briefly. Alex
'utts, another bartender, testified that
worked in the saloon last Saturday,
at he didn't see any of the students in co
c place. and that he did not sell any au
tiles of whiskey to them. Oh
The rest of the defendants case had up
do with the testimony of four men IN
10 claimed to have been near the desk Iei
I'M around 7;l5 o'clock last Saturday du
hit to 9:20, or thereabouts. All of see
I'm testified to seeing the bartender re- ma
&c Wentworth around Q o'clock, and an
lie they agreed that they spent the oc'
ming near the desk, none of them saw eiu
before o'clock and wit mi
,sed no attempt to sell liquor to him enc
the bottle or over the bar. James mi
vlor, granite cutter, was the first to the
tify and he told of being at the head n
the bar, near the street, from 1:l5 aDS
after O. Sometime between and
). the witness continued, he saw we
leone coming along Merchant street, 20
if from Summer street. He remarked 'iol
the fellows condition to his comrades 20
then the young man, accompanied W j
another young man, entered the sa- tue
n. only to be refused a drink by the por
tender. Walker. Witness identified AN'
ntworth and his companion and stat reg
that the latter was not drunk. ieft
aylor named as his companions Alex app
rk, George Riddel and Alex Matthews, -.
of whom were called to the stand.
AZ saet fn,orx rnrrpborated in detail