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

eeht winch was paid to deputies was
wasted. All that they knew was that
sney We're spending more money for
endorcement than was spent in 1921
moran, the federal agent, who had
commission as a deputy under
cummings and who worked some in
sis county, told on the witness
seano that he wanted bigger cases.
LOU VIII see that in a majority of
es IN the federal court that few
ta sentences have been given and
the fines have been small while IN
the Kennebec superior court the
nnes have been large and the sem
. fences In Jail quite lengthy.
Praises CUMMINGS Enforcement
Sheriff Cummings has enforced
III, law better than any sheriff Ken
iieoec county ever had. There would
| nave been better enforcement had
slere peen cooperation between
MI. May and Sheriff Cummings. In
| dependently both men have done
good work. "0'e
Il do not know Maud Clements
| The testimony of Robertson. who
SAID that while he was counting Mrs
! McAllister that he was watching inn
! morality in the next house. is un-
| reasonable. Robertson was peekinr
| through the window when he ought
10 nave been in better business.
| sheriff Cummings says that there
| Is not house of i'll fame in Kenne-
bee county and his statement has
not been contradicted."
regarding alleged visits OF the
| sheriff to the Clements home and
| the occasion testified to bv Mr.. Rob
ertson that he heard the sheriff saw.
| m ka he
brew we have ever tasted" Attorney
| Connolly contended that such testi-
mony was unbelievable on account of
me evidence produced to the effect
that the sheriff is a teetotaler. The
purpose of that testimony was to get
| a little notoriety. he claimed.
| Attorney Connolly referred to Will
nam Shaw as the man who was the
Prov of the ship for the prosecution.
the man whom they relied upon to
crush the defense; the attorney ar
gued that Shaw was telling his story
seeking favor in relation to the Jail
sentence over him. william Shaw
admits that the basis of his COM
plant is jealousy. because he wasn't
treated as he claims the Million
aires were treated"
Another witness who testified to
Jail conditions was Poulin. charact-
erized by Attorney Connolloy as "a
hen thief"
Unbelievable, Liquor Sold at Jail
rs it believable that Henry Cum
minss would clean up the rest of
the county and yet allow liquor to
be sold in the building where those
dearest to him lived? Ours is not
| negative testimony. We have the
testimony of the Salvation Army Of
| ficer and the county treasurer"
| Judge Connolly contended that out
side of the word of jailbirds, the
testimony of the prosecution Witness
es regarding intoXication in the jail
was confined to one man, Rev. Mr..
l Greenwood of the Church of the
Open Door, who-according to Mr..
Connolly-had abused the courtesy
Of Sheriff Cummings by taking out
of the Jail letters from a maniac to
be spread in public print.
Referring to the testimony of Ev-
erett Merrill that he had spent in
Jail SIS of the $125 that he had, At
torney Connolly argued that it was
not reasonable that if Merrill had
that amount of money that he would
not have paid his fine rather than
spend the additional two months in
the county jail. Attorney Connolly
expressed the belief that Merrill had
beef imbibing when he testified, that
1.-THE witness had hiccoughed on the
stand. He contended that the wit
ness was not dependable as shown
by his testimony that he had taken
a quart of alcohol and had added wa
ter to it. drank it and had not be-
come drunk.
The testimony of Mrs. Pinhham
limo
ditions in the Jail was emphasized by
counsel.
"The matter presents this prob
lem" he said do you want as
sheriff of Kennebec county man
who is going to rule with an iron
hand, a man who will refuse decent
treatment to the prisoners, or man
who will help the prisoners to get
on their feet, a man who will apply
the rules of the Christian religion
and point out to the prisoners the
errors of their ways. Sheriff Cum
mings tried to get the confidence of
the prisoners. Can you get their con-
fidence by punching them in the nose
and kicking them?
Sheriff Aids Prisoners
Counsel then enumerated instances
In which the sheriff had helped pris-
oners to get on their feet by loan
ing them money, giving them work
at his farm, and setting them on the
right paths.
1.-THE Sheriff is lax for doing what
Christ did with Mary Magdaline. The
sheriff extended the same policy that
Christ extended to Mary Magdahne.
Mr.. Connolly said that he did not
know if he had ever enjoyed defend
ing A man more than this because
the Sheriff had the courage to set an
example of what other sheriffs ought
to do.
Judge Connolly pointed out that
the sheriff had brought back prison.
ers from other states by talking with
them and without resort to the eX-
tradition process and he said 1t would
have been a crime to have kept lock-
ed I'D a man that had suffered Tor
his country as Boucher had.
Argument for Prosecution
Opening his argument for the pro-
secution Charles e. Garter said that
this was q situation which ne was
glad to say did not occur often IN
Maine. II was situation where the
sheriff of a county, the highest eX-
ecutive officer in the county, was
charged with failure to properly per-
form his duty.
AS he listened to his Brother Con-
molly paint the picture of the fne
qualities Of Sheriff Cummings, ms
mind had reverted to one of the
grandest men, socially, Maine mad
ever known. A man whom all loveo
and respected, John Ballou, for years
sheriff of Sagadahoc county. IN thls
very chamber a legislature OF Name
Ia renooved John Ballou from Office