New Britain herald., 1924-03-13
JAIL FOR BAKER ON SELLING CHARGE
Grocer Is Also Fined Si5O for Dispensing Liquor

l Police descended upon Frank
 Baker so suddenly last Saturday
 night when they raided the store at
 the corner of North and Beaver
 streets, owned by Peter Pilkonis,
 that Baker was not able 10 get even
 d smell of the liquid that Pilkonis had poured into a glass for him, ae-
 cording to his testimony in court this morning. Baker said that he had gone into the store where he has been
 trading and paid his bill for the week. { After he had paid the bill, Pilkonis gave him the wink and they went into the back room where small glass was put into his hand. Pilkonis was just in the act of pouring the liquid when the police rushed into the room and grabbed the glass from Bakers hand. Baker said that he did not pay for il.
 pilkonis. who is a second offender said that the liquor seized by inc po- 1 lice Was some that he had for his
 own use and to treat his friends, but that he never sold any Of it.
 The police testified that Baker told them when they were at the store that he had paid 20 cents for the drink. Chief of Police William C. Hart tes- tined that when Pilkonis was brought to the station Pilkonis said he sold the liquor for 20 cents a drink. Judge William r. Mangan repre- scented pilkonts and made a plea to the cour: that pilkonis be given a
 short jail sentence as he needed to be sent away for q time to get away from liuuor. He told the court that the mans financial condition would not 1 permit him 10 pay fine. Judge Will ham C. Hnngortord fined the defend- 1 ant s150 and sentenced him to 50 days.
 Tine raid on the store, which is a
 meat market and grocery, with a
 backroom where Pikonis was alleged
 to have dispensed the liquor, was
 made by Policemen Thomas J. Feeney
 and William r. Hayes. Two quart
 milk bottles of alcohol was seized. l Dela. in Bidka Case
 i All the evidence of the state in the
 case against Frank Bidka of i2 Grove street, charged with violating the li- lquor law, was placed before the court, ! but the case was continued until Sat urday 10 permit the defense to pre-
 sent an official record from the Rus
 sell X Erwin CO, as to whether Adam rowalzik has been employed there
 regularly for the past six weeks.
 Police testified that the store con- 1 ducted by tho defendant is not in
 reality store at all, but Is Il hangout i for men of drinking habits. They l testified that they have been to the store about four times q week for l the past six weeks and the sane crowd is in there all the time. Judge 1 Mangan. representing Bidka, asked tho police for the names Of some of
 tho men, and they named Powalzik
 as one. Of them. 4 witness testified i for the defense that lowalzik has i been working steady at the factory 1 for the past seven weeks and Judge | IIungrrford granted q continuance 10 enable the dcefnse to get an official record from the factory.
 Defense counsel said that he want cd a chance to test the tsuthfulness
 Of the police in naming men alleged
 10 be requenters of rlacs maintained by reputrd liquor tiolators, and
 claimed that the records Of the fac- tory would give that opportunity. Patrolman William O'Mara told the
 court that he has watched the store for several months and has seen men go in sober and come out drunk. Asked by the defense counsel if he
 had ever arrested any of these men
 for drunkenness and if he knew that
 drunkenness was a cause for arrest,
 the patrolman answered that he
 knew he could arrest a man for
 drunkenness. but that he had been Il
 policeman for about 1 years and had
 never arrested q man for drunken
 ness unless he was creating q distur-
 bance. and that he never would.
 The warrant on which the seizure
 was made was issued on January 15, and Policeman Thomas J. Feency told the court that he had been going
 to the store since that time on an
 average Of about four times week with the warrant. but had never secn anything that would justify search
 ot the premises being made until last