Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-04-03

except by observation-not by ASSOC.
citation. He has. served in the Legis-
lature and as county treasurer. And
YOU are asked to condemn this man.
"Oficers of the Salvation Army and
another man of experience will tell
what they have observed of condi-
tiohs in the Jail. The Jail physician,
various selectmen and others will
testify.
Gave NO Liquor to LaBars
with reference to the alleged CIV
ing away of liquor. the sheriff will
deny that he ever gave any to Eugene
LaBar, contradicting the story of this
man. Mrs. LaBar will be called. She
has counsel. / understand she will say
that neither she nor her mother at any
time received liquor from the sheriff,
nor was any sent TO them. Officers will
testify that there never was any wine
at the Jail. so that it could not be
given away. In fact, there was hard
ly anything fit to drink there. and
wealthy people have not yet been re-
| duced to the extremity OF using the
sort of stuff in the rum room.
Called on in emergency of illness,
Sheriff Cummings. not often, gave al
cohol to relieve invalids, and this aid
was not given to wealthy persons ex-
clusively, but the persons benefited
ranged from the son of laborer to
the father of a governor.
Two physicians asked for liquor.
One pleaded for brandy to save the
life of patient, and the sheriff had
| one bottle of brandy, part of which he
| has now. He gave two or three
| ounces to the physician, and today the
! patient is alive, saved for his family.
In another case, a cancer case, al
| cohol was asked for bathing purposes.
| There was fear that the denatured al
coholic connections on the market
| would poison the, invalid's wound.
. There was an overseas veteran suffer
| ing from terrible malady, in whose
case 1t was feared to use denatured
/ alcohol for bathing purposes, and al
cohol was given in response to an ap-
peal to the sheriff.
| Active in Law Enforcement
| Judge Connolly said that it would
be shown that Sheriff Cummings had
| been decidedly active in the enforce
ment of the laws against the sale of
intoxicating liquors.
| Judge Connolly further stated that
| official records would be produced
| which would show that all the en-
/ forcement which Kennebec county had
| known in the past two years was that
provided by Sheriff Cummings. This
| documentary evidence, Judge Connolly
stated, would be supported by oral
testimony from the witness stand and
| would be corroborative of the state
ment made last Saturday by William
| A. Moran, federal prohibition director
! for the northern division OF Maine. Mr..
| Moran, it will be recalled, said en-
forcement conditions in Kennebec
county were as good as in any other
county in the State.
Commenting on this phase of
| Nlorans testimony in, his opening,
Judge Connolly recalled that the rea-
son. which Moran gave on cross eX-
| animation for not continuing to work
| with the sherif'S department after
| 1924 was that he wanted bigger cases.
, Judge Connolly then took the records
of cases from Kennebec county in the
United States court from Jan. !, 1924,
to the date of this hearing. which
| showed that there had been 81 cases.
OF these two were mol pressed. four
were dismissed by order of the court.
in two the jury returned a verdict of
not guilty, in 10 fines were imposed,
in three jail sentences and in one a
fine and Jail sentence was imposed.
tinued or filed. In four cases the fine
was $1,000 each. In the balance of
the 10 cases the fines ranged from %
to $500.
Judge Connolly then took the cases
which had been before the superior
court for Kennebec county during the
same period, and said that 1t would be
shown that of the Sc cases of unlawful
possession before that court IS origi-
mated with the sheriff's department,
seven with police departments and
one with the sheriff and police.
The sheriff's department originated
70 cases of single sale. police depart
ment two and constables three. The
/, sheriff's department originated eleven
cases of Illegal transportation, the po-
lice departments two and constables
one.
Cases in Watervi1le Court
Judge Connolly said that one of the
most significant showings in favor of
Sheriff Cummings was the record of
the Waterville municipal court for the
period referred to in the other courts.
This shows that SO per cent of all
search and seizure warrants issued by
that court were at the request of the
sheriff's department. The actual fig
ures were 249 by the sheriff's depart
ment. one by the police and 81 by the
sheriff's department and federal Off
GERS working together. 1t showed that
the sheriff's department originated a.
cases of unlawful possession, the po-
lice department four and the sheriff S
department and federal officers to-
gether six. The sheriff's department
mad 81 cases of single sale and the
police department one.
Augusta Court Record
The records of the Augusta munich
pal court. Judge Connolly said would
be equally significant. They will show
that the sherff's department secured
$50 search warrants, the police eight.
federal officers two, sheriff and police
one. sheriff and federal officers four,
sheriff and constables three and po-
lice and federal officers one. Other Ii
quor offences would be in like proper
ton as far as the Augusta municipal
court is concerned. 1t would also
show that the sheriff's department in
the period covered had brought "a
cases of drunkenness before the Au-
guSta court.
Gardiner Municipal Court
The record of the Gardiner munich
pal court would show that of Al
search and seizure warrants secured.
27 were at the request of the sheriff S
department, one at the request of a
constable, two by the police and con-
stable, eight by sheriff and police and
three by the sheriff, police and con-
stable. In this court also the sheriff S
department had II cases of drunken
ness.
The sheriffs department secured
nine search warrants in the Hallowell
municipal court, while the police had
two. The only other liquor prosecu-
IONS before that court were by the