Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-04-06


O. J. HUSSEY, County Commissioner,
One Of Last Witnesses to Be Heard
| machine. bearing rum, the agent
said, and two of these were automo-
biles filled with dry agents. He
| thought they might have stopped at
| Blouin'S farm on arrival here, to let
| one or two men get out.
| How much of that shipment was
| water?" asked Mr.. Connolly.
Il couldn't say just how much"
"Of the $50 gallons, how much was
/! alcohol?'
| About 60, 1 should say" declared
| Mr.. Weaver. He did not recall
| whether Lett or Miss McDermott
! collected pay for the liquor from the
| Blouins, before the shipment was
| delivered at the Quirion farm, where
| it was soon seized. He did not re-
| later, but did remember that he and
| the man exchanged telephone calls
| between Lynn and this state.
| There was no cross examination by
the state prosecutors, and the wit
| ness was finally excused.
Former Turnkey Pinkham
! Former Turnkey Willis Pinkham OF
| the Kennebec county Jail, testified
that he was now employed at the Au-
gusta State hospital. but was a deputy
sheriff handling civil business. He had
served Is years as deputy sheriff. He
was turnkey at the Jail during Cum
mings' first administration.
| He en1prohornd tho - n
| Prisoner Latulippe escaped. His time
was nearly up. He did not return to
the Jail at night, but was not missed
until the next morning. Witness
could not recall who let the prison :
ers in that night--the TRUSTEES who
| were working outside-himself or the
| sheriff. They depended upon the in
side turnkey to keep count of the
men. Recollection was that he did
not ask for the count that night
| Marshal Skeehan turned the prisoner
over 10 him.
| Found Cards in Jail
| Searched the Jail frequently. Found
numerous packs of cards. Once found
F, two half pint bottles which smelled
of liquor in the cell of Shaw. the poet
Reported it to the sheriff and asked
Shaw where he got the liquor. Prs-
I
| that he told hims IF you were not a
sick man Id put you in solitary I'M
| til you'd be glad to tell. Again, after
! the rum room was tempered with
/ they found some empty bottles hid =
I, den in the Jail.
/ Only married women were permit
| ted to visit in the Jail with their hus-
bands.
Witness said that he participated in
| searches of the Blouin house and in
watching it. Described one night
when they were watching how Blouin
came home. His wife came out and
met him. The car was searched but
nothing found Next day the place
was searched. but with like results.
Claimed Tipped OFF by Federal Agent
At another time he searched the
place of a man named Thibodeau on
a warrant and when they got there
/ Thibodeau said: I'VE knew you We're
coming; - told u.s. AS a result of
this and other things which he saw
Pinkham said he reported to the
! sheriff that he believed a certain Fed
erar enforcement agent had tipped
| Thidobeau off.
Witness on cross examination by
Attorney Carter said that he had told
| Sheriff Cummings that he had been
told by Thibodeau that a Federal en-
| forcement officer had tipped him off
/, Mr.. Pinkham was reluctant to give
out the name of the Federal officer
| whom Thibodeau had mentioned but
finally said that it was William Cor
! bett
And Paul Thibodeau Is a notorious
rum seller, isn't he?" asked Attorney
Carter.
He is so considered" replied Mr..
Pinkham.
Former Turnkey Pinkham declared
that on occasions he had helped the
sheriff take alcohol from the rum
room of the Jail to be used in court
cases.
Believed Federal Men After Cum
! mings
| Asked II he had reason to believe
the Thibodeau story, Mr.. Pinkham
said his reason was that the Federal
officers had been after Mr.. Cummings
more than attending to their own
business.
Referring to the escape of Latu-
lippe, trusty, Mr.. Pinkhan said
that he did not know the man was
missing until he was notified that he
was in the lookup. Latulippe had not
escaped until after dark.
| On direct examina tion he said that
he usually asked the inside turnkey if
all of the TRUSTEES were in at night,
but that night he had not asked the
turnkey. He said that it was his own
fault that the check-up was not made.
Deputy Sheriff Austin
William II. Austin, deputy sheriff.
| testified that he had trailed the car of
Nelson Thibodeau supposed to have
contained liquor for some hours. The
car was searched by William r. Cor
bett, federal enforcement officer,
while a warrant was being secured to
search the Thibodeau car. Prior to
! Corbett's search of the car. Corbett
asked the witness If he had been
watching the car.
Mr.. Jack" asked Judge Connolly.
Jack is federal enforcement officer.
"Mr. Jack is not here" said Mr..
officer, "he would have been here If
he knew that he was wanted"
"Our witnesses are not here and we
ask for q recess" said Judge Connolly,
after he had called the name of A. ].
Burns. postmaster at the National
Soldiers Home at Togus.
"The officers failed to get service on
Jack and Lydick, federal prohibition
agents." said Judge Connolly.
'Lydick was here until late Satur-
day night said Mr.. Moran.
did you talk over the telephone
yesterday with Seth May?" asked
Gov. Brewster of Judge Connolly.
II did," replied Judge Connolly.
did you ask May to have Jack
and Lydick here today?"
Il did not"
Fred Boucher on Stand
Fred Boucher of Augusta. called by
the State in rebuttal, testified that
while he was an inmate of the Ken
nebec Jail he was arrested by the Au-