Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1923-11-19
Sheriff Not Guilty
(continusd from pase cas)

st. John and Halifax to points on the
Hancock county coast. The federal
enforcement officers were met with
the same difficulties in carrying out
the provisions OF the law as were the
local officers. He said that this was,
after all, a smuggling proposition,
rather than u violation Of the Maine
prohibitory law. The rum was land
ed on the Hancock county coast,
stored briefly before being distribut-
ed throughout the State and other
states.
1t was. declared Mr.. Wood, a Han
cock county officer, County Attorney
Whiting who gave the first evidence
to the federal authorities which re-
suited in the conviction OF Dan Her.
hhy and his being sent to Atlanta.
Sheriff Wescott will go on the
stand and tell his story" said Attor-
ney Wood.
THE sheriff will tell you that he
had reason to believe that Dan Her
ilhy was in the liquor business and
he will tell you how he tried to catch
| him.
SHERIFF Wescott has served in this
House of Representatives and has
been elected sheriff of Hancock
county four times. Last August he
went to the county commissioners
and asked for funds with which to
enforce the law. saying that reports
had come to him that liquor was b<.
ing landed on Mt. Desert Island and
that he wanted to stop it.
And l want to say right now that
there are no bars in Hancock county.
mfr. Moore. the chairman of the
| 80 70
that the sheriff could have $500 more
year with which to enforce the
law, Sheriff Wescott got in touch
with Deputy Sheriff ingalls, at Ire
mont and told him he wanted him
to go on q steady job to stop the
rum running. Deputy Ingalls, will
tell you that he and Deputy Clark
stayed up night after night hunting
for liquor.
"A distinguished member of the
supreme judicial court said only last
Sunday in the Hancock House at
Ellsworth that. the prohibitory law
was better enforced in Hancock
county than in any other county OF
the state.
I'VE have petitions from the Sc
lectmen of "a town in the county
saying that conditions are excellent
and that they have faith In Sheriff
Wescott.
1--WE will have the chief of police
of Bar Harbor here Ito tell OF the
conditions as to intoxication In that
town.
I'VE have q smuggling proposition
down in our county and we will show
that Sheriff Wescott and his deputies
did all they could to seize liquor"
County Commissioners Testify
The morning session ofthe hearing
was taken up with the testimony OF
good number of witnesses repre-
senting different sections of Hancock
county to show that the prohibitery
law was being reasonably enforced
In those localities under Sheriff Wes-
colt.
Howard B. Moore of Ellsworth. a
member of the Hancock county
board of commissioners, for the past
nine years was the first witness called
by the defense. He Is engaged in the
lumber and pulp wood business and
in connection with that travels about
Maine and Canada and as a county
commissioner goes all over the conn
ty, In 1921 the county commission
ers appropriated $1,000 for the en-
forcement of the laws against crime
and especially those against liquor
selling. In 1929 they expended for
this work $2,9S4.50 and the present
year their allowance of S2.OD0 for
enforcement of the LIQUOR laws, $lOOO
for turnkey and $500 for the enforce
ment of other crimes. total OF 3d.
500 for all. TO Nov. !, had expanded
$685.. 80 in this work.
Increase in the appropriation was
made at the request of Sherin Yves
colt, who explained that the condi-
tions in the liquor business situation
were such that he must spend more
money.
Mr.. Moore said that the commits
sion told the sheriff that he must
keep within the appropriation. The
condition of the county's hnance
made this necessary.
Testimony along the same line was
given by Milton S. Afey OF Bar Har-
Dor and Scott w. Treworgy OF Surry,
the two other members of the Han
cock county board OF commissioners.
Conditions In Ellsworth
Mayor George s. Foster of Ellis
worth testified that he Is In the shoe
manufacturing business. employing
about $50 opera tors and that he did
not remember of q man losing day
on ACCOUNT Of being under the in
fiuence Of Intoxicating liquor for
some years. He said that there are
rumors of some "jakey" selling aAd
one Bookkeeping in Ellsworth, but
there is no drunkenness there.
Mr.. Foster testified that on one oc-
casion he went with Sheriff Wescott
to South SIrry, and on another oc.
casiop to Newbury Neck. where com.