The log cabin Democrat., 1922-03-25
COLE AGAIN RULES
 HEAVY ON 'BOO1ER'
NEGRO GETS MAXIMUM
Ed Beard Apprehended with Corn" in His POssesSion-Ruse Fails to
 Deceive Officers.

Ed Beard, negro, at one minute last night was gaily whistling or sing ing; the next minute he was flat on his back begging for mercy and not so long afterward was facing Mayor w. D. Cole and had in his possession the sentence of 1000 as a fine and 90 days as jail term, both of which replaced the quart of whiskey which Police Officer Walter Henry and John Durham found In his possession. Today Beard is in jail. He was porter at local barber shop.
 Mayor Cole this afternoon in a statement to the Log Cabin Demo- crat said that Beard was not fined and sentenced simply for having in his possession the quart of "corn" whiskey which the officers confiscat- ed. The whiskey, he said, was taken rather as evidence of persistent traf- fife in liquor, possibly over a long period of time. The mayor stated that suspicion had been directed at Bear for at least one year, but last night was the first time it was pos sible to catch him. Probably the worst suspicion directed at Beard was that his sales were not limited to per- manent residents of Conway.
 Officers Henry and Durham laid and pulled the trap which caught Beard. He was seen to leave town with the fruit jar, wrapped in paper cover, under his arm. He was followed and the trap set when he left an automobile, the driver of which escaped, and entered the ilne between North Front and Spencer streets just north of Mill. One of ficer was stationed at either end of the lane.
 Three negroes were first surprised by Officer Henry when he entered the lane. No contraband was found when they were searched, and the of ficer told them to remain exactly in the position and place they were, under penalty of being shot if they moved. It was just here that Beard came on to the scene, singing joy fully and with the fruit jar plainly visible.
 Officer Henry arose from his place of concealment and started toward Beard, who immediately broke into a run, pumping into Officer Durham almost before he was settled down to his best speed. He dropped to the ground at the sight of Durham, tossed the fruit jar into the lot facing on the lane and forthwith broke into fervent pleas for mercy. He was taken into custody, and Officers Dur ham and Henry returned to the place where the three negroes had been left. So far as close scrutiny could disclose, not one of the trio had in the least altered his position. They were released
 Up to this afternoon, Beard had made no move for appeal if he is en- titled to hearing in citcuit court. The fine and sentence imposed upon him, if served out at the legal rate of pay, would equal sentence of 1,090 days in jail or five days short of three full years.
 The negro was arraigned by Mayor Cole immediately after the arrest. He made no denial of the charge brought against him. The quart of whiskey shown by the mayor to the crowd which quickly assembled at Greeson's was the object of much in- terest.
 Decisions of the municipal court, Mayor Cole said, involving the sale, transportation or possession of whisk- ey are not based upon the amount of liquor concerned. In Boards and in other cases, his decisions have been governed rather by the evidence of persistent violations of the law, of which the captured contraband is taken merely as evidence.