New Britain herald., 1929-07-18
.SERIC0LA JAILED ON LIQUOR CHARGE
Three PintS Of Alcohol Lead to
 Six Months Sentence
COUNSEL TAKES APPEAL
Hartford Man Hurt When Auto OyerturnS-NOVena to St. Anne Opens Tonight-StarlinsS Again EOuted-BriStol Briefs.

Eouted-BristoI Briefs.
 Frank SeriCola of SS Prospect street, charged with the transporta- tion of liquor, was given the maxi mum penalty of six months in jail by Judge Joseph NJ. Donovan in po- lice court this morning. This was SeriCola's sixth arrest for liquor vi olation. Attorney Francis V. Tracy. counsel for the accused. announced that an appeal would be taken and bonds of $2,O00 were furnished at the conclusion of the court session.
 Sericola was arrested at 1:45 D. m. Friday by Sergeant Henry Jeg- linSki at Riverside avenue and Mel len street. A search Of the car re- Ncaled quart milk bottle and pint milk bottle filled with alcohol, which the officer testified tested lg6 proof. He also informed the court that. while he was searching the car. Seri cola remarked to a companions: Remember that stuff is yours" His fellow passenger, however, accord ing to the officer, refused to accent the responsibility for the liuuor. Jeg- Ilnskl also testified that he had been receiving complaints from various persons that Sericola was selling liquor since his arrest last May, the first being received within d week of that time. He also told the court that woman on Summer street was complaining because her husband had purchased liquor from Sericola for two dollars pint.
 Officer "Razzed"
 Policeman William Thomson inc next witness called by the state, tes- ufied that the complaints he had re- celNed were more in the nature of
 razzlng, persons asking him how | 1t was that Sericola got away with It. lie said il was common i knowledge that the accused was selling.
 At the conclusion of the two of- ficors testimony. Attorney Tracy i moved that the defendant be dis charged for the reason that the state ! had failed to prove that his client | had violated Chapter 292, Section s. ] Of the general statutes, which pro- Vided that where a person was found i transporting under five gallons of llquor, it was up 10 the prosecution 10 show that the liquor was for sale or exchange. His motion was denied by Judge Donovan and Sericola was then placed on stand.
 Purchased Liquor for Mother
 S2ricola at the instance of his law yer told tn" court that he secured ,ihe liquor al his Girls house in Southington and it was a present for his mother from his prospective mother-in-law. He explained in de- tail his trip to Southington. the talk ing of coffee from his fathers store to give to his girls mother. and the return trip back. The liquor was wanted because of the fact that his mother was going 10 New York and it was customary for Italians to all ways bring a little liquor along with them"
 On cross-cNamination by Prose- cutting Attorney Anthony J. Rich, he admitted that he had sold liquor since his last conviction in Snptem- bcr S. 1928. but said he had stopped selling on January @G. 1929. When asked how he remembered tho date, he said that he inst fixed it in his mind. \ ripple Of amusement was caused when S'rirola reiterated 10 inc prosecutor. "Th" Italians always have little like th1--you know how tt is. Alr. Rich" Mr. Rich is of Italian p2rCntHGe.
 Following the cross examination. Attorney Tracy ag2in asked that his client ha found not guilty in view of the fact that the state failed 10 prove its ease.
 Nr. Rich pointed to S"ricola's rec ord. the fact that he had continuous lv disrcGarded inc liquor law. and that in view of the many complaints received by the police. there was no doubt but that the liquor was being transported for purpo@cs Of s"le. He asked that d substantial jail sen tcnco he imposed.
 .iwd%C Snr,S IN Case
 Judge Joseph NJ. Donovan. in sum- ming up the case. said that it was of course un 10 him to decide whether to believe Sergeant JeGlin- ski or Soricola. He pointcl 10 tcgti- mony presented in court when the defendant was presented on May l2. 1929, on a reputation charge and at that time he knew that Sericola had testified falsely @s had one Of the defense witnesses, who was fined for perjury. H" was convinced, he said, that the story told by Sericol4 this morning would not hold water for tn" reason that he had been in in" homes of persons of Italian descent and he had never seen any thing lik" tn" stun which was of- r"r"d as evidence. H" also said that tA.N l.