The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-12-01

TOwed to MOsher Garage for Repairs
Machine Was Property of Frank Will
Iians of Springfield, Mass. Judge
0'Brien Called ON to Preside.
For transporting liquor in Windham
county William Lyons of Hardwick was
fined $3.50 and costs at hearing in the
county clerks Office here about l 40
O'Clock this afternoon. Municipal Judge
.T. e. O'Brien of Bellows Falls presided,
being called upon because of Judge A. II.
Cudworth's attitude that cases of this kind
should come before the federal court.
States Attorney Il. w Gibson appeared
for the state and Attorneys w, II. Daley
and \. d. Clawson for the respondent.
Attorney Clawson in behalf of Lyons
pleaded nolo contendere and the court en-
tered judgment of guilty on the plea. The
fine and costs amounted to S157.50, which
Lyons paid, and it is safe to say that
number of Brattleboro residents breathed
easier than they would have If he had
pleaded not guilty and stood trial.
Lyons was arrested late yesterday al
ternoon at the Mosher garage by Sheriff
Frank L. Wellman as Lyons was about
to leave with car belonging to Spring
field, Mass, man. He was placed in the
around last night it was evident that more
or less nervousness had been created by
Lyonss arrest. Judge O'Brien was
asked by telephone to come here, which
he did this morning.
At the hearing this afternoon Attorney
ClawSon was the first to address the
court He said that Lyons was not con-
nected with any illegal transportation of
booze. and that if there was any liquor
in the car Lyons did not know It,. he
said Lyons was a garage man in Hard
wick and that last Saturday man came
along with car and stopped at the garage
to have some repairs made. Lyons, he
said. was going to Bristol, Conn, where
he formerly worked a year, and arranged
| to ride down as far as Massachusetts
with the driver of the car. On the way
here the car met with trouble which neces-
STATED holding it here for repairs, In
reply to a question by Judge O'Brien as
| to whether Lyons was in charge OF the
/ car when arrested, Attorney Clawson said
that he was. The attorney said that
] Lyons had S160 with him, but he thought
/ the fine ought to be small, not over 500.
| States Attorney Gibson said he took
no stock in Lyons's claim that he knew
nothing about any liquor being in the car,
although he might not be the man whom
I it was most desired to get. He did recog
nize the fact however, that when man
I pleaded guilty and saved the state expense
! it was customary to be more lenient with
| him than when he put the state to lot of
expense.
| He stated that last Saturday a big
| Cadillac car belonging TO Frank Williams
| of 4S Marlboro street, Springfield, Mass,
came down through the state with load
| of liquor. 1t had an accident on the.
/ Dummerston detour and had to be towed
to the Mosher garage. The officers were
| informed that il was being used for trans
porting booze, but that after the accident
! the liquor was transferred to another car
or to some other resting place. Williams
! did not show up, but when Sheriff Well
man became sure who was in charge of
/ the car he arrested Lyons.
The states attorney said that il was
no exaggeration to say that several hum
dred cases of liquor had been run in here
from Canada and been distributed here
in the past three months, but that it was
very difficult to catch the rum runners.
Their method, he said was TO come in at
night distribute the booze, and be gone be
| (Continued on Page 81