Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-05-03

motorcycle policemen pounced upon
each of the deputies, pinioned their
arms to their sides and roughly bus
tied them toward the front exit
Why Deputies Resisted
1t was ia resentment against this
unnecessary and entirely uncalled for
round handling that Deputies Demers,
Pinkham. Cole and Megill put up
some resistance against their over
whelming opposition as they were
carried bodily down the stone front
steps. 1t was obvious to the hun
dreds Of spectators that had there not
been one or more uniformd officers
hanging like leecheS on every arm and
leg of the deputies any one of the
quartet would have been able to dis
pose of strong mans quota of his
gun-toting captors.
Deputy Harry Pinkham, veteran of
Flanders Fields and star witness for
the defense in the hearings before the
governor and council against Sheriff
Cummings. who had but recently been
discharged from the hospital following
a surgical operation. gave four husky
officers an interesting few minutes UNI
ill they resorted to irons. which they
snapped upon his wrists in an exceed
ingly amateuriSh manner. Saturday
night Pinkham was in the care of a
physician as the result of the abusive
treatment at the hands of the over
jealous highway Officers.
Deputies in Lookup
The four Cummings deputies were
taken to the Augusta police station
where warrants for obstructing an
officer in the performance of his duty
| We're taken out against each. The
State authorities asked that bail be
set at. $1,000 in each case, but Judge
7 Cony accepted $50, the surety being
, furnished by Sheriff Cummings, Depu-
ty Henry O. Parmenter. Deputy w. H.
Austin and Charles Hill.
During the melee on the front steps
of the county jail, while the Cummings
deputies were being physically evicted,
! Albert. the young son of Sheriff and
Mrs. Cummings, was struck and
pushed down the stone steps by the
| burly highway officers. The lad was
! not badly injured. but the episode
served to heiGhten the feeling against
| the State officers on the part of the
assembled populace.
Sheriff Cheered To Echo
Cheers greeted the appearance o.
| the besieged sheriff, Henry r. Cum
/ mings and Mrs Cummings when
/ they appeared on the open portico.
| Salvo after salVo of applause swept
| the crowd of several thousand peo-
! pie jamme1 in the street facing the
county buildings.
"Three cheers for Sheriff Cum
mings, was the call and the answer
| ing response has only had its coun-
! terpart in historic election campaigns
of the past, when such a popular
! public idol as Roosevelt has been the
recipient of the peoples favor.
Down with Brewster was the cry
in the high treble of woman =
voice, and boos and cat calls filled
the pregnant atmosphere.
Search Prisoners
BY direction of Chief Field the
door to the guard room was opened,
and the prisoners were ordered to
stand up.
Company front" said Chief Field
Sheriff Cummings entered the
guard room.
you have no right in here" said
Sheriff Cummings. addressing Chief
Field. l refuse to allow YOU in
here. l refuse to allow you in here
with my prisoners"
Il know my rights" asserted Chief
Field, as the prisoners lined up.
In the group was William Shaw of
the Togus region, who has been call
ed the poet laureate of the kenne-
bee county Jail, and who was a lead
ing witness for the prosecution at
the hearing before the Governor and
Council on the charges of inefficiencv
brought against Sheriff Cummings.
Shaw is serving a term in jail on
a liquor case, and has been commit
ted since the verdict of the Governor
and Council sustaining the charges.
Chief Field then ordered the men,
bers of the State Highway Police to
search all the cells, which they pro-
ceeded to do.
The search of the cells revealed
nothing of an alarming nature,
though q considerable collection of
tableware and Anticipated oil lamps
was gathered in the turkeys office.
aha! Look at that STUFF ejacu-
lated Deputy Sheriff Arthur G. Rob-
inson. who also carries a license as
a State detective. but nobody else
seemed to get any "kick" out of the
Junk. or could see any potential dan
gers in what the prisoners had in
their cells.
No LIQUOR. cards or other gambling
apparatus was found.
Sheriff Cummings reiterated Sat
urday night that he would not with
draw his papers as a candidate for
nomination for the office of sheriff
of Kennebec county in the Repub-
lican primaries in June.
1.-The events today give thousand
reasons why l should still be a cam
didate, and the events of today have
shown me no reasons why l should
not be a candidate said Sheriff
Cummings.
Sheriff Eastman told Sheriff Cum
mings that he certainly could stay
in the jail for a few days until he
made arrangements to move.
Sheriff and Mrs. Cummings AMI
their son, Albert were supper guests
at the Hotel North. Saturday eve
ming. and later passed the night at
the home of Mr.. and Mrs. Charles O.
Tibbetts. ia State street directly
across from the county jail. Thus
though ousted from the institution
of which he has been in charge for