Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-25
Faces Accusers Today
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of matters to be brought out has
been received from official sources.
Tho Charges
Although the specific charges
against Sheriff Cummings have not
been made public. 1t is the UNDER
standing that he will be accused of
giving away liquor that had been
F, seized. 1t Is understood that affldav-
its are in the possession of the fnves-
| tigators indicating that liquor has
been sold in the Jail by bootlegger
who was serving a sentence In the
! institution at the time, that gambling
has been conducted by the prisoners
at all hours of the night, that prison.
| ers have been permitted to leave the
| jail and go to their homes and. out OF
the city at times and that women
| have been allowed to call on male
prisoners and remain In the jail UNI
til after the lights were extinguished
at night.
If the argument Is made that Sheriff
| Cummings did not know Of these ac-
| tions, If any occurred. 1t will be an
swered that he must have been lax and
| careless If he did not know what was
going on inside the county bastile.
1t is said that approximately $50
persons were summoned before Chief
| Field Of the State highway police to
| give any evidence which they had
| about the various angles of the case,
| but Of this number all but 40 have
| been eliminated. These 40 have been
| summoned to appear before the gov
! ernor and council at the hearing today.
| Sheriff Cummings will be tried be-
| fore Gov. Ralph o. Brewster and the
! members of the executive council, AL
bert ]. Stearns of Norway. William
| S. Linnell Of Portland. Leroy r. Fol-
4, som of Norridgewock, Guy e. Torrey
| Of Bar Harbor, Belmont Smith of Ban
gor and Robert ]. Peacock of Lubec.
A vacancy exists in the executive
council, caused by the death Of Ralph
! F. Burnham of Auburn.
| There is a marked difference between
this hearing and the prison investiga-
| tion. The prison matter was an in
| quiry by the governor under the pro-
visions of the constitution. Presence
| of the chief executive, as explained
| by the governor in opening the in
| quiry. was really a matter of courtesy.
Neither the governor nor the council
in that case had any power to remove
a prison official. In the present in
|
| governor and executive council shall
| hold a hearing and If the deem 1t war;
ranted, shall remove the sheriff. Ev-
cry councillor has vote, as does the
| governor.
The Investigation
| The investigation of the official af-
/, fairs of Sheriff Cummings began with
| rumors that liquor served to guests at
the residence of Mr.. and Mrs. Eugene
S. LaBar in this city was liquor that
| had been seized by officials. LaBar
/ and his wife, Grace r. LaBar, had
some misunderstanding in their mari
tai existence, with the result that a
petition, signed by Sheriff Cummings
as a friend. was filed in the Kennebec
probate court asking for the appoint
| ment of a guardian for LaBar on the
! ground that he was incompetent of
managing his own affairs, Mrs. LaBar
brought a bill in equity against her
husband and placed an attachment on
| his property in the sum of 100000
and Mr.. LaBar instituted an action
| for divorce against his wife. alleging
| cruel and abusive treatment and mis-
conduct.
The civil affairs of Mr.. and Mrs. La
Bar have been satisfactory adjusted.
! the petition for the appointment of a
| guardian Tor Mr. LaBar mas been
/ dismissed Mrs. LaBar has withdrawn
her bill in equity and Mr.. Labar has
eliminated the charge of misconduct
in his libel for divorce. Both parties
will bring ar action for divorce, each
I alleging cruel and abusive treatment
on the part of the other.
Federal. State and county officials
investigated the reports that liquor
served in the LeBar home came from
an official rum room. 1t Is stated that
| the investigation developed other
leads, with the result that the gov
ernor and council at its session on
March ~ voted that a hearing be held
on charges against Sheriff Cummings.
! In the meantime, Gov. Brewster APP
| pointed Franklin Fisher Of Lewiston,
formerly assistant attorney general,
| as an investigator of law conditions
in Kennebec county. Mr.. Fisher will
| appear for the State at the hearing
and with him will be associated State
Senator Charles B. Carter of Auburn.
| Attorney General Raymond w. Fellows
| of Bangor will act in an advisory ca
| pacity to the governor and council.
| Counsel for Sheriff Cummings will be
Joseph E. F. Connolly, formerly Judge
1 of the superior court for Cumberland
county. and Ralph w. Farris Of Au-
| gusta.