 | | Boston Journal, 28Mar1891 |
| Lynn, MA 1891 – Horace D. King, former city marshal and agent of the Tolman Temperance Fund, set up a sting operation to bust local druggists. Their crime was breaking Massachusetts state liquor sale laws – most prominently by selling alcohol on Sundays and by failing to document the sales. King had been working for years to rid the city of liquor. On March 27, he declared war on druggists and produced a list of 17 apothecaries who had violated the law. Later, like a scene from a movie, a packed courtroom watched as King filled an entire table with whiskey bottles purchased illegally from druggists. “The great variety of liquor caused some merriment among the spectators!”
While I found several articles about the initial arrest, I found very few on the outcome. I believe Frank and 9 others pled guilty, paid a $50 fine, and lost their liquor license. On top of that, another May article notes that under public statutes, the guilty druggists’ leases should be voided. If they were allowed to remain, their landlord could be prosecuted as an accessory. In Frank’s case, his landlord was also his father: George W. Grader.
Research Note: I find this fascinating – especially considering 14 years after this event, Frank (who was no longer a druggist) will lose his life in an alcohol-related accident! But many questions remain: What exactly happened in the appeal? How long did Frank continue to run his apothecary after this? Was liquor revenue vital to his financial success? Was his reputation ruined? Who was running the Tolman Temperance Fund? And what happened to Horace D. King? All fun things to add to the list! |
No comments:
Post a Comment