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| Boston Journal, 28Mar1891 |
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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! |
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