Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-04-15

N' = AAAS
tered plea Of nolo contendre to the
charge of Illegal possession. His COM
panion, Tony Lembarco, hailing from
East Boston, arraigned on a similar
count, presented a strong defense and
Judge Cony placed the case on file, adj
vising Lembarco to leave these parts
without delay.
Arrested in Officers Home
The cases resulted from rather
unusual chain Of circumstances, cul-
minating on Tuesday evening when
officer Bert G. Bowker with Officer
Charles Wentworth were summoned to
the Bowker home at % Gage street
by Mrs. Bowker. and in the room occu-
pied by the two Boston men located
one of the most complete and in
genious equipments for bootleg traffic
that has fallen into the hands Of local
officers for many months.
The story as unfolded through the
testimony in broken English by the
two respondents in municipal court
was, that I.embarco came to Maine
last Saturday night to seek work.
He accepted an opportunity to ride
by automobile from Boston and
hoped to secure employment on a
bridge building project which he I'M
derstood was, underway near Au-
gusta. On Sunday afternoon short
ly after his arrival in this city he
was at the railroad station when the
afternoon train from Boston arrived,
and as Rocco Russo dismounted he
recognized a friend and acquaintance
of five years ago.
The two Italians decided to join
forces in the matter of seeking a
lodging and applied for a room at
the house of Mr.. and Mrs. Bert G.
Bowker on Gage street. Russo paid
for the room for one week in ad-
vance.
Became Suspicious
Mrs. Bowker on the witness stand
told the court that the two men
came and went quietly and it was
not until Tuesday afternoon that
she noticed anything suspicious
about their actions. On that after
noon she heard the clanking of tin
cans and a sound of gurgling liquids
emanating from the room occupied
by the pair, and after they had left
the house she Investigated their
room and baggage. The police Off
GERS wife was somewhat amazed to
find in the clothes closet three full
alcohol cans, while in the room
there were two cheap suitcases,
which, when she lifted them she was
convinced held other cans of con-
traband.
Calling the police station, Mrs.
Bowker requested that her officer
husband be sent TO his home. The
police signal system was used to To-
cate the patrolman on the street and
Officers Bowker and Wentworth
went to the Gage street house and
seized the layout. When Russo ar
rived about o'clock he was arrested
and admitted to the officers that the
stuff was his. Lembarco was TAX
en- into custody later.
Cieverly Fitted Containers
At police headquarters investigation
of the seized contra band disclosed
that ten of the gallon cans were fit
ted with small tin cylinders from the
mouth of the recepticles to the bot
tom, holding about six ounces of
pure alcohol while the remainder of
the liquid contents in each case was
water.
The eleventh can was a standard
alcohol can. There We're also several
extra tubes, and two bottles contain
ing alcohol and a third some kind of
coloring matter.
Testifying in court yesterday
morning Russo claimed that he was
the originator and manufacturer of
the trick containers, and that he in
tended to endeavor to establish a
market for the cans among the boot
leg fraternity. His price was IS per
can. He declared that he had no in
tention of selling the liquor and had
filled the cans to demonstrate the
possibilities. Russo declared that
Lembarco was not concerned in the
planned coupe and that his connec-
ton had been only casual.
Victim Of Circumstances
Lembarco told the court that he
applied for work at the Augusta
state hospital on Tuesday, but was
not acceptable because he could
neither read nor write. 1nvestigd-
ton Wednesday proved that the re-
spondent had testified truthfully m
this respect. 1t was also learned that
Lembarco had served time in the
Jail at Rockland on a sentence from
Lincoln county. Questioned on this
point at the resumption of the hear
lIJS III Tie dlLCIIiooIl, tIlC
ted that that was true and that it
was on a case where the circur-
stances were in many respects SINH
lar to the case in hearing. He said
that he had been riding in an auto
mobile with man who was arrest
ed for transporting liquor and had
pleaded guilty on the advice of the
lawyer representing the principal
client
At the afternoon session John
Arrata of Hallowell acted as court
interpreter and much of the testi-
mony of. the morning was checked
over. After the placing Of the case
against Lembarco on file and the
finding OF Russo guilty on the IL
legal possession count and pro-
nouncing sentence, the latter took an
appeal from the judgment of the