Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-05-04

Later while they were in the kit
chen, Berry found on the floor gold
watch chain and picked it UP but
LaFlamme Immediately took 1t away
from him.
Alfred Poirier, deputy marshal Of
the police, said that he had answered
a call to the lunch room shortly after
4 o'clock in company with Officers
Strout and Violette. Poirer went UP
Ash street short distance and came
upon LaFlamme, who. armed with a
baseball bat, told the officer that the
culprits had just passed that way. A
search proved futile and, returning
to the drug store, he found the cellar
window through which admission to
the store had been gained. He testi-
fled that a screw driver which had
been used to pry the window open
later proved to come from the res
taurant.
Franklin D. Gaskell, chief of police,
was the next witness and he said
that during Friday morning he
searched the city for a man who
would tally with the description of
the man who, according to La
F1amme was seen running from the
stGe after the break. Finding him
he went to the restaurant at about
IL o'clock but LaFlamme cleared him
OF suspicion. At o'clock that after
noon he returned to the restaurant
with search warrant, accompanied
by Deputy Marshal Poirer and Of,
ticer Strout. Mr.. Gaskell testified
that he asked LaFlamme where the
chain was which had been on the
floor that morning and the defend
ant answered that he could not find
1t. Later LaFlamme said that Mrs.
Spofford, the owner of the restaur-
ant, had taken it. Hereupon the chief
accused LaFlamme of stealing it,
but this was stoutly denied. A few
moments later Mr.. Gaskell discover
ed LaFlamme placing small bottle
containing alcohol on a shelf in the
pantry and he called the other two
officers in.
LaFlamme tried to leave the res
taurant on an errand but he was not
permitted to do so. When asked
whether or not he would allow a
search of his person. LaFlamme re-
fused and Officer Strout was dele
gated to get warrant for this pur-
pose. While the officers were in the
restaurant Mrs. Spofford came in
and when questioned about the
watch chain she denied any knowl-
CQ6o Vi lls w llcll Wi. 0llOuL Iclu1
ed LaFlamme submitted to a search
of his person but nothing was found.
In the search of the restaurant
| which followed six quart bottles full
of alcohol were discovered by Officer
Strout in a water cooler in the base
ment and this led to LaF1ammes
| immediate arrest. Beyond claiming
that he had bought the alcohol for
IS that morning LaFlamme would
say nothing.
Mrs. Spoffori testified that La
Flamme had worked for her from the
| 18th of last March. She had not
| bought the watch chain and she said
that LaFlamme lad not spoken to
her of it previous to the time when
she was in the presence Of the Of
ficers. Mrs. Spofford declared that
she had no knowledge that the al
cohol was on her premises.
| LaFlamme, taking the stand in his
own defense, chung doggedly to his
story which was that at about 1
O'Clock Friday two young men had
come to the restaurant and he had
allowed them to wash the dishes for
a meal. About o'clock the young
men returned and asked the counter
man if he would care to purchase
some liquor which they said they had
| just purchased from a bootlegger
and which they had in a pail. AS
he is a drinking man LaFlamme said
he bought the liquor, sealing the
bargain with IS and agreeing to pay
more later in the day if it proved
satisfactory. A few moments after
they had gone out the defendant
/ heard the glass in the window brok-
en- and as soon as he had ascertain
ed that the drug store has been
broken into he called the police.
When questioned about the watch
chain LaFlamme said that he real
lied that circumstantial evidence was
against him and twas his intention
to wait for the return of the young
men and make them answer for Its
presence in the restaurant. When
they failed to turn up LaFlamme said
he threw it into a box car so that
it could not be used against him.