Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-07-29

illegal possession of Intoxicating
liquor and was sentenced to pay a
fine of $3.50, and to serve four
months in Jail. with six months ad-
ditional in case of non-payment Of
the fine. Cormier appealed and fur
nished bonds in the sum of $1,000
for his appearance at the September
term of the superior court. He was
represented by Attorney Burleigh
Martin Of this city and the case Of
the State was handled by County
Attorney Walter Sanborn.
The reading of the warrant was
waived by the respondent and a
plea of not guilty was entered.
The first witness for the State was
Sheriff E. D. HARDWOOD. who testified
that he had gone to the Cormier
house on Laurel street. Wednesday
as a result of complaint that liquor
was being sold there. He was ae-
companied on the trip by City
Marshal Mckenney of the Augusta
police force and by Lillian and Ar
| thur Cormier, niece and nephew of
the defendent. who had made the
| to the room which the Cormier girl
| had been occupying for some time,
| and at a spot in the floor which she
! pointed out, they found tank be-
| tween the floor and the ceiling OF
| the room below. This tank was of
| copper and there was copper pipe
| running from it to some other part
| of the house. In the tank was some
! liquor which smelled like alcohol.
! There was about a quart and a half
| Of liquor in the tank, about a pint
having been lost in disconnecting the
| pipe line. Cormier was about the
| house at the time of the seizure, but
made no objection.
| Marshal Mckinney then testified
! that he had never been in the house
! before; he had been shown the room
and an opening in the floor where
a false board could be moved to fill
the tank He told Of taking it from
the floor, but said that he had no
idea where the pipe ran. He said
the liquor which spilled smelled like
alcohol
Testifes in Defense
In his own behalf. Cormier testi
/ fed that he had had the tank in
I stalled previous to his conviction for
/ Illegal possession and that he had
! served time in jail for this complaint.
4 lie said that there has not been any
I liquor in the tank since he was con-
/ victcd and that he had no idea that
I there was any in it at this time. He
/ said that he had had some trouble
with Lillian and Arthur over the loss
Of some money that was in the house
! when he and his wife went to Carada
where they were called by the ill
ness OF a relative. He said that
sum of about SIS in all was missing
ana that although he had not aC-
cuscd them ne had mentioned it and
| they had gotten mad. He had also
told them that they would have to
ray board or set ont as h could not
/ afford to keep them for nothing.
They had threatened at that time to
get him" They had both left the
house and he thought that they rust
/ have planted" the liquor in the
tank and then told the sheriff about
il.
Tie said that the tube from the
/ tank came down to his room from
the floor above and that it was Lid
den behind false mantcl piece which
could he swung out to find the end
! Of the tube. lie said that if he had
. had any liquor in the tank he would
| certainly have thought of removing
! it at once when they thr-atenc, to
| set him.
There seems to he some mystery
! about the case as neither OF the
| compliments could lie found when
wanted in court and no one seems
| to know where they arc.