ALDERMAN ACCUSED OF SELLING LIQUOR TO TRANSIENT PIANO TUNER

Tom Martin, alderman from the Fourth ward and manager of the Palace hotel, appeared in probate court this morning to answer to a charge preferred by J.L. Osborn, a piano tuner, who charged Martin with selling him a half pint flask of whisky and grapejuice at the Palace hotel bar yesterday afternoon.

A hearing in probate court today, at the termination of which Martin was bound over to the district court, revealed the fact that Osborn is the stepfather of Lena Maloney, aged 12, legally adopted daughter of Mrs. Maloney, proprietor of the Palace hotel. The little girl was taken from the hotel yesterday afternoon as a witness in the case and is under the care of Sheriff Kearns. Alderman Martin claims that Osborn is seeking an opportunity to get possession of the girl and brought about his arrest as one means of attaining that end.

Osborn, who gives his residence as Pullman, testified in probate court this morning that he went to the Palace hotel yesterday afternoon, got a drink over the bar, bought a cigar and that he was sold a half-pint flask of whisky and grapejuice for which he paid Martin 25 cents. The little girl went on the stand and testified that in Mrs. Maloney’s sitting room in the back part of the hotel there was a shelf upon which were bottles of grapejuice and whisky and that Mr. Martin came in there and mixed the two in other bottles.

Martin claimed Osborn had been around the hotel Monday night and told Martin he wanted some whisky. “I told him I had no liquor to sell. He went out and came back directly with a flask. I filled it with the whisky and grapejuice, he laid a quarter on the bar and I shoved it back across at him and told him I had no liquor for sale.”