The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-12-02
RUM RUNNERS
PAY $500 FINES
Heaviest Penalty. $500, Levied on Mas
sachusetts Man-Several Given Jail
Sentences by Judge Howe.

MONTPELIER, Dec. about $4,000
was paid to the federal government yes
tcrday as Il result of pleas of guilty IN
smuggling cases before the federal court.
The penalties ranged from 81 to $500,
and in some instances jail sentences were
imposed.
G. 4. Taylor. a Negro Pullman porter,
admitted that he brought nine quarts of
liquor into the state. He was a former
British soldier and had been in jail since
July 10. Judge II. b. Howe said the man
had been penalized enough and asked him
if he had a dollar in his pocket. The
Negro had only - cents. District AttOr-
ney Billiard offered the remaining quarter
and the man was fined 81.
Probably Harmon Spooner received as
heavy penalty as anybody, being SEN
fenced to Jail for three months and to
pay $500 for selling and possessing liquor.
He sold two bottles of gin to revenue
officers. He is a man about 60 years old
and the revenue officers claimed he had
been smuggling for % years and that he
was a well-educated man, having attended
McGill university. In addition to fine
and sentence, the court directed the dis
trict attorney to draft an injunction max
ing the house where SpOoner had lived a
nuisance, saying he would clean up that
place.
\. f. Toof of sheldon was given a
month in the county jail for selling liquor.
He has a wife and FIVE children. The dis
trict attorney recommended three months.
and Fred Webster. attorney for the re-
Spondent. asked for a light fine.
Howard DeGraff of Amsterdam, \. Y,
paid 81 900 for bringing in in an automo-
bile $50 quarts of whiskey. while Gard
ner Kimball of Marblehead. Mass. paid
81 800 for bringing in $40 bottles of liquor.
Their attorneys pleaded for small pen
atty because they did not have the means
to meet heavy responsibility. Neverthe-
less. they paid the fines before they left
the court room.
Albert Billedeau of Granitevlle paid
500 for smuggling in his brother and l..
J. yezina and Philip Billedeau each paid
500 for bringing in five quarts of gin.
John Cover paid $500 for bringing in IA
quarts. George Hemenway Of Aiddlebury
paid $50 because he did not stop his team
when a customs officer ordered him to do
so.
Raymond and Hubert Long of Man
chester. y. H, paid $50 for bringing in
five quarts of high wines. Colyin Sails
and David sherman of New York paid
800 each for bringing in Al quarts of
whiskey. Thilabert LaBlond of Lewiston.
Me. got a day in Jail and a fine of 500
for attempting to bring two girls. whom
he represented as his daughters. into the
state. Charles NOrstcad of st. Adams
and Arnold Brooks of SwantOn paid $3.50
each for bringing in eight cases Of whiskey
and two quarts of wine. Ernest Mon
geOn of Attleboro. Mass. and Alfred
Medro of Pawtucket paid $500 each for
bringing in 535 quarts of whiskey. Hen
~ Rieux Eugene Levesque and Francis
Ouilette of Lewiston, Me. paid $50 for
bringing in five gallons of high wine.
John and Truman Griggs, father and
son. of Canaan. pleaded guilty to SNUG
Cling liquor, but Judge Howe sent them
back to confer with their attorney. asking
, them to recall the name of the man to
whom they delivered the liquor.