Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-07-01
JUDGE FINED FOR
BREAKING LIQUOR Law
A. P. Richardson of Canaan AS.
sessed $3.50 for Bringing Near.
ly 100 Quarts of Whiskey into
United States from Canada
Many Other Cases


II. b. Howe pronounced out Of more
than a score yesterday in United States
court was a fine of 1850. levied on
Judge A. r.. Richardson Of Canaan
Essex county. who pleaded guilty to
bringing into this country nearly 100
quarts of whiskey. The session of court
was a special one. called for the pur-
pose Of hearing pleas from the large
number of respondents who had been
indicted at recent sessions Of the grand
jury The day was fully occupied with
a steady line Of respondents. who had
been indicted for violation Of the Vol
stead act and immigration law. and
for draft cvading.
The fines imposed by Judge Howe
ranged all the way from 81 to the $3.50
levied on JUICE Richardson. In pro-
nouncing sentence on the respondents,
Judge Howe made it plain that he drew
"A sharp distinction between the man,
who brought liquor into the country in
small ouantitiec for his own use and
the man who brought II in for com
merc!al purposes The new law enacted
nv Cc1gress fixes the extreme penalty
in the case of nrst offence at $500.
Judge Howe ATS " the opinion that II
that were not tse case he might impose
more severe ,,nalties on those who, at
trsctei by the immense profits. wilfully
violated Lh~ law after coldly figuring
tn costa On the other hand. he was
.nciin-i to "a lenient with the man
who hroIrtc little for himself. He
reauz.d that this law was breaking UP
a cuntr.n II rnany years standing and
that for a ti:ae it would be difficult to
live up to II. This law. while providing
a comparatively light sentence for the
first offence. provinces a much more
severe penalty ana prison sentence in
the second case.
The day was strange one unlimited
States court and resembled from the
character of its business the old pro-
hbition days in police court. In court
yester lay stories OF the strangeSt CO.
medicines ever chronicled were related
to explain the presence of liquor in the
possession of the respondents. There
was also no limit to the extent Of the
excuses, which varied all the way from
sick wife and the brave husband de-
flying the law for her sake. to the brake
man up in Grand Isle who boldly stated
that he stole the eight quarts he had
and was by no means guilty of snug
Cling.
In the case of Richardson, Judge
Howe addressed the respondent as
Judge" repeatedly and weighed his de-
cisfon well. He did not desire to fine
him too severely and on the other
hand did not want to he too lenient.
The extent of Richardson's wealth was
carefully gone into and the manner in
which he committed the crime. 1t ap-
pearei that the liquor was found in his
garage last March. The affair was
kept very quiet and the story was
printed exclusively in the Free Press.
former freight conductor on the Cen
trail Vermont railroad another
| respondent to plead guilty to a viola
ton Of the Volstead act. Twelve gall
Ions Of whiskey and two of high wines
were found on his train. Crawfords
! defence was that he only received SIS
| for the transportation Of the liquor. He
was simply to wink at it's being placed
| there and tn allow it to be taken off
! without seeing it. He was fined $50,
, which he pail.
Leonard T. Cole Of Groveton. ~ H.
! received the smallest fine OF the day,
! 81. Coles automobile, valued at sew
eral hundred dollars. had been con-
! fiscated by the government and Judge
! Howe was of the opinion that the man
had been severely punished. Cole act ed
the part of liveryman and took a
had II quarts of whiskey which they
| procured there but thought ne was act
| ing the part Of common carrier and
| had nothing to do with 1t and as il did
| not belong to him. let it alone.
! Philibert Denault pleaded guilty to
! bringing in two gallons Of gin. He lives
| In CDhoes \. Y, and was making the
! trip for his wife. who. he said. was
| quite i'll and he took il into his hands
| to provide her with medicine. He paid
| fine of SIS.
Joseph Mumley, a brakeman of Alburg
would rather be considered a thief than
a smugger and said that he found six
quarts of liquor concealed near the rail-
road station. where 1t had been left for
the Pullman car porters. who were ac-
customed to get liquor for their own use
by such means He appropriated it to his
own use, Judge Howe was impressed with
tbc originality of this excuse and did not
know whether to handle the case with
moro or less severity because Of Num-
,cy's propensities to steal He finally de-
cfried on q fine Of IS which Mumley paid.
Alexander Goulet Of Derby received the
next Neaviest sentence to Richardson's.
His case clearly one Of handling
goods commercially and he was arrested
with IS cans of liquor. containing about
a gallon es,ch. He was found'to be worth
d sniaD amo-Dt of money and paid fine
OF $500
| Peter Topnska and Dan Mickey, who
were arrested at Troy with two one gal
! Ion cans and three quarts Of liquor, plead
ed guilty and were considered to be in
the Gown use" class and each was fined
| .25. which psid Peter Lajorska and
| Peter K-ielick pleaded guilty 10 bringing
in small quantities Of 1,uuor and each
paid a fine Of So.
| Two Of the most interesting cases were
! those Of Joseph Berry and p Dspeiore Of
/ 81. Johns. +. q. They had N gallons Of
! high wines and were arrested in Morris
Vile. Their story was to the effect that
| hey knew they were transporting liquor
but agreed to bring il only far az the
border. When they reached the border.
the ARA ngement was to meet another car
and change the liquor into that. No car
and the stranger who was with them in
duced them TO drive along farther until
/ finally they reached Morrisville. Here the
stranger left them and they never saw him
again. They waited for nearly two hours
for his return and at the end Of that time
the civil authorities arrested them and
seized the alcohol as well as the car. The
Question arose as to whether the car
could be returned to them and it was the
general consensus Of opinion that il could
not be Judge Howe was convinced that
the boys we're telling the truth and fined
each one so,
49,. all -.