Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-27

'et D ai. = g doubtful If the hearing
be concluded befofe fueSoaS
Npsht
8 Lyman Mecurdy Test'fie'
Eel Mccurdy, IS. Augusta cleo
81 L contractor, committed to the
NJ " sA March ., 1924. on charge OF
= ,, ear under influence of liquor.
1--WE 1--WE four months. was the first
" v, s ....s Of the morning session.
res confined within the jail
~ 10 w. sar the first two weeks. he
~ Sais r, lJ and then did electrical
M x in the. store OF o. y. frost
N so nn.nv and at Frank Hewin's. He
d Y firing for somebody else" and
n deputy" Austin's house,
.nl w. sn.nr two rooms. vanishing floors
r. Fl'Ae stairway, and working there
al ~ ~eeks. For this-work, Austin
s.rsSS dollar, he said.
ell yrshv didn't you serve more than
MI " rssonths of your sentence?"
p sp.csnse was not guilty. l was
L nS another mans sentence. l
ssm nsardoned by Gov. Baxter and
= NJ council" . .r,stv and
q ...Tsred telephone calls IN the
WI VI s.nkey's office among other duties.
W u'i pri.oners Stole Liquor in Jail
sno Won remember when prisoners
!. II asle liquor!
ayN W. so,cs I was mixed up in 1t my
,a ~ Someone discovered a gallon
nl n alcohol in a closet in the front
a. We always were anxious to
" something to kill our spirits, 1
y 49, and another prisoner and l got
- UNI sint milk bottle. filed it with alco-
NJ and drank it"
IA syou were drunk"
~ was feeling pretty good"
" RAIDER cross examination Of Mr..
y | oSnolly, McCurdy said he was
~ s,,ced to go in business for himself
assr his confinement ceased. He
y ~ mt recall a contract with a
II .irister. but said he had worked in
Il Arrested for Drunken Driving
0d nem,ty Sheriff Harry Pinkham
n ,,ssted him on the drunken driving
t 1 charge, he said. 49,,
"A ,,nrage him t. apply for a pardon,
4 gccurdy declared, Il think he dis
4 ,onraped me-" He admitted, how
~ .vsr that Sheriff Cummings wrote a
litter in his favor to the governor
Ami council.
Who told you to put In for a par
Nom"
aid he should.
4The county attorney.
The witness said he did not know
rbether the county attorney and the
~ Geriff had talked over the petition
M pardon. He had served nearly
nur months before applying for a
y hrdon, he stated.
lo Worked at Painting
y McCurdy said that while in jail he
Il 4 vas not allowed to go on Water
= ,treet and get work, so he had to
y do painting. He was paid at the
y rate Of Sc a day, the regular wage
81 for electricians, and turned all of this
Y money over to his wife.
How did you happen to go to
4 Austins house,"
| He got after me-. Mr.. Cummings
told me not to work for anyone
~ unless Lwas paid full wages"
d Did the sheriff know you worked
leI for Austin for less?"
1 yes. expected to get $40 and$25
from Austin. He offered me 81. You
can imagine where / told him to
I, put that dollar, and I hope he has it
| there yet. The sheriff came in and
M told me to shut up. "McCYrdy ad-
u mitted that he was not using pro-
per language, and admitted that
4 neither he nor the sheriff knew the
VI amount Austin was going to offer
" Stating that he was in Jail when
| William W. Shaw, yesterdays first
witness, was confined, McCurdy tes-
tilted that he had never seen Shaw
n drunk, but had smelled liquor on him
Y lie never knew Shaw to sell rum.
i The only time witness saw drunk
4 enness was in his own case, and also
i when one Fred Carey of Togus went
cut to store with a tall bottle
returned with Something" and that
. night was intoxicated.
a Sheriff Favors McCurdy's Pardon
1 letter dated June II, 1924. on a
letterhead Of the sheriff's office, was
N Produced by Secretary of State Frank
a ". Ball at request of Mr.. Connolly
and was addressed to the governor
and council awarding the pardon to
McCurdy. 1t stated that McCurdy
| had, In the sheriff's opinion, been
punished more in the time he had
Y served than many another man would
n nave been, and it recommended the
y extension of executive clemency. II
II was signed by the sheriff. The
petition for pardon was produced by
u Mr. Connolly and will be incorporated
IN the record.
Il Caro-, Playing in Jail
McCurdy could not tell Judge Con-
4 lolly the name of the man with
i wnom he shared the liquor which
ae alleged he obtained in the jai
parlor.
n Questioned about what he had
ven OF card playing, he responded
.ou could get in game anytime
N yvu wished. The games were upstairs
u naen the sheriff or his deputies came
NJ mere was nothing going on
ey kept quiet until they found
maat way the sheriff and deputies
"s,e going. Cribbage, high low jacl
suu pitch were played in the turn
w vs Office. The turnkey was Their
Mills A. Pinkham." McCurdy
sDaght that Pinkham did not con-
| ulue as turnkey.
,.r what do You know of women ir
was permitted at first. under
satu one girl from Waterville
sasnd her clothes and her husbands
s.aes IN a basement used for the
as paths. The men couldn't gel