The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1922-03-30
JUDGE In COURT
PEEIS POTATOES
When State Makes Spuds
of Bitautis Stewart En-
tiers Witty Plea.
MORE PLEAD GUILTY
Work Of Sponge Squad Shows
Up StrOngas Liquor Men
Are Fined.
MORE PLEAD GUILTY

"Ladies and gentlemen Of the jury"
said Judge Slater as he took the bench
this morning, 81 thank you for the good
work you did yesterday. If you do as
we'll today, we shall all be satisfied"
AS matter of fact, the jury Tues
day, recalled for last get-together
of the January term, didn't do a, thing
but answer roll-call. But their pres
ence in the court room seemed to ex-
ercise some kind of powerful indirect
influence, as one after another defend
ants charged with having had liquor
in their possession, or stills or mash,
came forward and pleaded guilty to
old charges that had stood on the slate
against them since last summer,
Please Don't Peel Potatoes.
In spite of the fact that we werq
taught in school that we pare pota-
toes and peel oranges, the homely old
idiom crops up in daily speech, and
pare" never seemed to sound so we'll.
For instance:
This morning Stanley Bitautis came
into court, charged on an old score of
the sponge squad, with having unlaw-
fully had liquor in possession. I'm
certain, whether he should plead gull
~ or not, the defendant hung in the
offing,
Nov we are at the case of Stanley
Stanley Potatoes, | think it is" said
the district attorney.
"Well," said Calvin Stewart, who
was appearing as the mans attorney,
IF you don't peel Potatoes too close
ly, maybe we will enter plea of
guilty"
In the midst of the laughter that
followed, Bitautis pleaded guilty, and
was "peeled" of $500 and costs, the
minimum fine.
Lawyers Push the Good Cause.
Attorney A. L. Drury appeared with
defendants whom he represented and
also entered pleas of guilty for them
Those who pleaded guilty this morn
ing to liquor charges in addition to
Bitautis and others who pleaded gull
ty Tuesday afternoon, were Emil .Ber-
geson, fined $3.50 and costs; John Kasu-
lis, $3.50 and costs; Joseph Buratti,
$500 and costs.
Cases against William Lencioni, for
operating a car without the owners
consent, dating since June, 1920, was
dismissed, as we'll as a case against
Harry Gordon.
Sam Heckert, Victor Salik, August
Feigi and julius Zenani added them
- I'D Is -.
into the municipal court Tuesday and
entered guilty pleas to the charge of
sale of Intoxicating liquor contrary
to the law. Some of the men pleaded
utility to more than one charge against
hem, and three cases on the calendar,
hose in which Anna Salik, Joe Spag-
lani and John Klemko were defend
ants, were dismissed on the motion of
the district attorney. The result was
cleanup of sixteen cases by agree
ment and compromise before the trials
began.
Il am interested in nothing so much
as getting this calendar arranged so
that we know where we are at" said
Judge Slater this morning. "When the
calendar is once definitely fixed and the
first case started, shall see that we
go ahead with it. Given proper notice
the attorneys must appear in court
when their cases are called"
Sam Heckert Fined
Sam Heckert, through his attorney
Calvin Stewart, pleaded guilty Tuesday
afternoon to the charge of illegal pos
session on the premises at 257 Milwau-
kee avenue. The district attorney rec
commended the minimum fine and Heck
ert was fined 500 and costs or thirty
days in jail. Another case against
Heckert in which he. is charged with
illegal possession at the Schlitz hotel
is still pending.
In the case to which Heckert pleaded
guilty he was charged jointly with
August Fiegi, but in this case the
charge against Fiegi was dropped.
Fiegi pleaded guilty to unlawful pos
session in another case, however. and
was given the same fine as Heckert.
500 and costs.
Puts Up Insanity" Plea.
Calvin Stewart as attorney for Vic
tor Sahk was ragged by his fellow at
torneys in the court room Tuesday as
they insisted that he brought in the
insanity plea for the defendants, fall
ing back upon that as a last resort.
Stewart in pleading for clemency for
the defendant Victor Salik, charged
with unlawful possession of still and
mash as result of police raid last
summer, declared that the mans men
tality was low and that he violated the
law in sheer ignorance.
Salik was brought into court as the
>splt Of two police sponge squad