Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-26
might use in our defense. He is not

Il
The governor said that Shaw was
not obliged to give self-incriminatins
testimony, but that he had said he
within the bounds. HE should ans
wer as fully as he can," said the gov
ernor.
"Now, Mr.. Shaw. tell me the names
Of the men you have seen play cards
for money in the JAIL" urged Con-
molly.
''I'd rather not tell except about
myself" responded Shaw.
did the cardplayers post anybody
to watch for the deputies"
| "No, SIR.
| did you see the men keep on
playing when the turnkey or deputies
came into the room?"
Perhaps they did stop. didn't
see."
| Liquor Passed Around
/ Elm whose possession did you see
liquor in the jail?"
| Shaw hesitated and was asked to
rs>le the men. He said: There was
a bunch. It was passed around
among the bunch"
Name them"
| drinking men,"
| Shaw added that there were some
in the hall. and he looked towards a
group OF witnesses and pronounced
the name Of "Lishness." former
prisoner.
roonl?"
They hooked the liquor out with
a hook"
There was door between a roo:a.
where furniture was stored and that
in which rum was kept, Shaw said,
and he knew this door had been
separated from its frame in such a
manner that access to the inner rum
room could be gained. He said he
| understood the door frame fell on
the sheriff as he went in, and this
led to discovery Of the scheme.
The door frame was repaired, and
then the prisoners forced the bolt on
3, the door.
| Shaw recalled, on questioning that
a painter of window frames at the
Jail became intoxicated. and he I'M
derstood the man reached through a
rear window for rum. He said it was
pretty hard to answer the question
of how many prisoners he had seen
drunk on stolen liquor. He admitted
that the sheriff had the door to the
rum room covered over with sheet
| iron.
| Jack O'Brien was inside turnkey
when the rum room was entered.
Shaw said he himself served as in
ner turnkey, but he did not recall
that liquor was purloined during his
regime.
Asked If it is true that he saw
liquor brought into the Jail from the
outside, Shaw told Connolly it
looked like it." He said he saw boy
visitors bring parcels into the JAIL
! Struggled in?" asked Mr. Connolly.
| Shaw said. "They had to come
through the Office. The boys would
come in with packages for some
! prisoners. No liquor was ever
brought to me. don't know whether
or not the packages were inspected. "
No Liquor Sold in Jail
! did anyone evere sell liquor in the
Jail, as has been charged" asked Mr..
Connolly.
"Not that know off,
! Did you see any brought in. or
! see any sold?"
| mo"
Did you ever see anyone have a
\
their own need?"
There was some hidden in a. cell.
Someone found 1t. I couldn't say
who" 80,
/ Shaw said he had not returned to
the Jail since March, 1925, except
! when he was taken there to await
| bail on his most recent arrest. Fed
! eral officers and city policemen
came together to his home to look for
! liquor, once since March. and Cum
mings and his deputies have been
| there on two occasions since, The
deputies arrested Shaw, he said.
Poor debtors cell in the Augusta
Jail, witness said, was used to "cell'
| other prisoners. He had asked to be
! kept there and had been there.
/ His reason for timing Sheriff Cum
! mings' visit to the cell, when he
| stayed Do minutes, was because he
| thought he would. Was no secrecy
about the visit and he had seen the
sheriff visit other cells.
Bither and Cormier and Blouin
| were in the cell at the time. There
was nothing to have prevented him
| (wttness) from standing by the door,
but he did not do so.
When Pinkham was turnkey he
| frequently called TRUSTEES into the
| office to play pitch or highlow jack.
| Never gambled there. Never told
| the sheriff about the things which
he wrote In his diary, as never
thought there was need Of II.
1t was Bither, Cormier and Blouin
who took baths late at night. They
were TRUSTEES.
! Reddy Mcclellan got the whiskey
4. IL 10
| bottle about two-thirds full. Nc.
LelIan was punished when the sher.
| ih learned Of it. Witness said that
he thought a deputy sheriff went
with Bither and Cormier when they
went away in the automobile.
Under other sheriffs prisoners
! were allowed to have food brought
| In and to cook it and to play cards.
Dut not permitted to gamble.
/, The cross exa mfnation of the wit
ness was continued after the recess.
| Did you ever tell Deputy Harry
Pinkham that If Mr.. Cummings did
, not allow you time off for good be-
nav1or that you would get square
with the sheriff." asked ATTORNEY
Connolly.
Il did not" replied the witness.
You never made any talk of this
kind?"
/ II never did,"
do you know of any visitor who
saw card playing at the jaiI?"
NO, unless 1t was the wife of one
| OF the prisoners"
Did you see the same women 90
into a cell with different men ?" ask.
ed Attorney Fisher in redirect ex-
animation.
II did," replied the witness.
, the jail?" III
Did the prisoners consume any
of this stuff? any
s"Thev did