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

/ Onuer cross examination, Sprague
declared that Levine came in alone.
1 He could not tell what he got for
Bither. They were things needed
| in the JAIL" he said.
Were they drugs for the use of
| Bither. or the jail?" asked Mr.. Con-
molly. Sprague said he could not
tell a single article given Levine. He
himself took toothpaste and other
commodities to Bither in Jail, nearly
levery day.
Bither did not come to his own
store at any time during confine-
ment, as far as Sprague was aware,
he declared. Bither lived sin the
Ijaif' but his house was two blocks
from the shop and his store four
blocks from the Jail.
| Deputy Sheriff Pinkham, the
younger, was asked to stand, and
did so. Sprague said he did not
know that this. officer was outside
the Bither shop when Levine enter
ed. Receipts of the store dwindled
during Bither's confinement.
Oakland Man a Laugh Producer
| Laughter was caused by much of
the testimony of the next witness,
Milan S. Thomas of Oakland, who
was in Jail from September, 1924, to
| March, 1925.
II was convicted of having an
| empty pitcher, few cork-stoppers
and some caps to beer bottles" de-
clared Thomas.
He saw one man come into the
Jail who might have had "a drink or
two" and this prisoner, he said, was
Panama Kid, Waterville boxer. The
boxer had been painting, and Thorn
| ~ hCo fn6 I1 l.
might have used denatured alcohol.
Thomas knew cards were not per-
mitted in Jail by the sheriff. Tou-
j louise, morning witness, was Every
troublesome" and became "monot-
onous" to Pinkham, former turnkey,
the witness stated.
There was one worse pest in jail,
and that was William Bowden," add
ed Thomas. "He was the worst pest
Il ever saw
The wife of Thomas came to visit
him, and wives of some of the older
prisoners, he said. He knew of no
evidence that the sheriff connived
against morality.
Asked about his conviction and
guilt by Mr.. Connolly, Thomas said,
Il am not here to convict myself"
Did you appeal conviction?"
Il did but decided to withdraw
because I heard that the judges
We're going to hang everyone who
came up before them.
Thomas did not care to tell about
any other cases. Asked about his
present work. he replied, well.
there's another question" st am
not engaged in any vocation at
present. he added. He denied con-
ferring with Chief Field about his
testimony
How did you happen to get in
here?"
Well that surprised me-" said
Thomas, adding that he was sum
moned.
Mr.. Thomas concluded that the
TWO officers who came to see him
Were perfect gentlemen. They sim
ply asked what he knew about con-
d1tlons in the Kennebec county Jail
and did not inquire into his past
record.
VIM. Chamberlain of Oakland
William Chamberlain of Oakland,
like Thomas interjected more or less
unconscious humor into his testi-
mony. The first question put to him
by Atty. Fisher was:
FHave you ever spent any time in
hennebev county jail?"
q, Lots of it," promptly replied
Chamberlain.
Chamberlain said he was serving
80 days for intoxication but after
| three weeks vent to Sheriff Cum
mings' farm and stayed there until
the last two weeks of his sentence.
lie was paid 81 a day. He carried
this money to his family. On Sun
days he came to Augusta. NOBODY
n vNnA @A
to-" he said.
Chamberlain said he had seen card
playing but not gambling in the Jail.
Women had been visitors at the Jail
! for years"
Cross examined. Chamberlain said
he had been arrested Is or 20 times.
ana that he has six children living
and seven dead. When he went to
the farm Sheriff Cummings told him
he was giving him chance to help
his family, and told him not to drink.
Since leaving the farm he Lad been
drunk only two or three times and
never before had gone so long with
out drinking. He admitted Sheriff
Cummings let him have a horse
which he had not yet paid for and
does not now own.
Mr.. Connolly questioned Chamber
|
whether Sheriff Cummings had been
| successful in his efforts to make
Chamberlain better man.
| Did your experience do you
good" Eyes, he's a good man. He
| used ME better than any sheriff I've
ever served time under"
Met Prisoner on Street at Night
Clarence Earl keenan, of Augusta
testified that he met Jack O'Brien, a
prisoner at the Jail, between II and
IL o'clock one night at the foot of
| Court street OBrien said that he
would have to get back to the Jail as
he might get locked out.
"Have you had talk with Mr.
Pinkham, the former turnkey"
| YES"
what did you say?"
Il said I hoped that the sheriff
would be impeached."
DO you dislike the sheriff."
mo"
"For what reason, then, do you
! want Sheriff Cummings impeached?"
Il have no reason"
! you wouldn't do anything to hurt
the sheriff, would you?"
II would not" .t..
Did You ever have any words or
difficulty with the shel iff?"
NO. It's a personal dislike of my
own"
lntoxicaton of Deputy Sheriff
Mrs. Gladys Jordan testified that
she was formerly the wife of Clyde
L. Chase of Farmingdale, a deputy
sheriff.
She stated that her husband at
times was acting turnkey at the Jail,
and she had seen him intoxicated
several times in the Jail office