Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-29
....,,u.d from Page ons)

-.rsntly filled, TINS was w wy
,pp .. Of obtaining seized liquor to
pu'p .ss As evidence in court.
be W.. as. Of the prosecution was
NV ,.ted late Saturday afternoon
eonp ., a day of sensational de-
ian0sm .nt.. At the request Of At
Se0. connolly. the Governor and
torney TENTED an adjournment I'M
COUNCIL Triday morning in order TO
u ne1 t;r,e for the defense to prepare
allow IVY rresentation of its evidence.
Tor w. a. witnesses will be called
ADou aefense, including three who
By We assachusetts. Two of this
Iesae - said to be federal informers
Trio Mr ,sst;gated the present sheriff
". VA who are familiar win pnases VI
ana ,inuor traffic In this county,,
~ v.stures Of saturdays proceedings
,.ss,uded the testimony OF Eugene L.
nC psr of Augusta and his afhdavit
aps. accused the sheriff Of trans
vn s.;nc liouor to the LaBar home
posuD fbe iail. in response to tele-
nVaa call, He (Sheriff Cummings
pauIMs always state that he brought
!, WOW snr medicinal purposes" says the
h.s.v;t some of it was given to
s Mns Ranosey and some to Mrs. La
VS. VS. Neither Mrs. LaBar nor Mrs.
Dar,sev so far l as know had any
na recurring the use of intoxl-
wing liouor as medicine"
ea T.st,mony was offered that the
..s-;w visited a house described as
-. n all fame" where legislators,
LAWYERS. and others consorted with
,ba boarders. and that the accused
a.scial visited the home Of a convict
o ~ RIM runner two nights before fed
wal agents seized 14S gallons of
The charge that members OF the
Maine legislature visited the home
:, Maud Clement on Swan street,
Tia alleged house of i'll fame" was
made by Henry Z. Robertson of
Gardiner, a real estate dealer and
forrner Augusta millworker, and
Clara NJ. Clough Of Augusta.
Statement by Attorney Connolly
Joseph E. F. Connolly of Portland,
senior counsel for Sheriff Cummings,
saturday night made the following
statement:
Il wish the people of Kennebec
county would defer their judgment
J until such time as the evidence in be-
half Of Sheriff Cummings Is present.
3D. Ipromise them that many things
which have been presented in evil
dsnce BY the prosecution with a view
Of making it appear that the sheriff
was derelict in his duty were half
truths
sFor instance, the great play has
been made upon the fact that the
sheriff was seen to enter the rum
room at the jail with an empty valise
and emerge with one apparently
loaded. We will show that when this
was done 1t was done on occasions
when he went to the rum room for
the purpose Of obtaining seized
liquor to be used as evidence in
court.
Many other things which have
been presented are of this same
nature. l have bees county attorney
and judge of the superior court ard
necessarily am familiar with what a
man can do when he has proper
means.
7 unnesitantly say that my inves-
dgation convinces me that Sheriff
Cummings has done more with less
men and less money than any other
enforcement officer in the State of
Maine"
Tsstifies Sheriff Visited
Clement Houes
Clara NJ. Clough, the first witness
esled Saturday morning. testified
mat her home, Swan street, was
directly opposite the house occupied
by Maude Clement. She had seen
Sheriff Cummings visit the Clement
mousse number of times in 1925
she should say at least three times.
mere was no cross examination.
Henry e. Robertson of Gardiner,
husband of Mrs. Lena Robertson.
Who testified on Friday to having
seen Bither in Gardiner, boarded In
1924 at Swan street. This was
close beside the Clement house So
close that from window in which he
sat and saw incidents in the other
house, II could be touched. He had
seen drinking there. One night he
Jaw through the window four people
10 tne room of the house next door,
TWO men and two women. The cur
ain was up about six inches. Could
zee The people but not their faces SO
as 10 recognize them.
mat night they heard a lot of
aushing in the next house Thought
t suefe was another session" on so
asIened. Heard one say: "You make
Maudie."
The party with me-, said witness,
sad II was Sheriff Cummings. He
~. up and went to the telephone
Saa called $50. I thought l would
IN ..se 70 Know where that was so look
up in the telephone directory.
lizard the man at the telephone say:
p noT Is everything? Never mind;
81 81 De right up" Few minutes later
Saerin Cummings came out Of the
ao9se and got into an automobile
a ana drove away. 1t was between 10
ana II o'clock
All. AFTER his marriage in 1925, his wife
,Tmsstoonced him to Sheriff Cummings.
US was at dance. On their way
, ,U.e ne told her the story. She said
s u.st TN. sne Sheriff was a jolly fellow
"u tnat IT was too bad
a. Cross Examination
IN cross examination, witness said
u ,us. MRS. McAllister was in the room
W., s,Ia MIN at the time he witnessed
nv s events in the Clements house.
80 az was about 25 or 80 feet from
SSn iis when he got into the. automo-
ta. s Could easily distinguish his
,1ses. There was something in the
Ss .,s which the party in the room
NY mn II was dark colored. He could
Ss ~. ssy what it was; might have
nsea cold tea.
1. ~, was the Clement house a house
~ iame?" asked Judge 'ConnolIey.
Why? was"
there. avs WHICH 'ooA piace
What kind of acts?
va lawyers. legislators and others
s, My ,nere at all times of day and
w Trls Roemed at Clement House
A "tness said that some girls room
mn the Clement House. He did not
WIZ !. Them; never got acquainted
N. I taem; they were not his kind.