The Fugitive Barman of Newport
After dodging a Sunday liquor charge by fleeing the state, a former saloon owner is apprehended upon his return to Newport.
Constable Melder, of Blanchard, Idaho, arrested Tom Maher, formerly proprietor of the Newport bar, on a bench warrant issued by Justice Presnell of Blanchard, charging Maher with contempt of court for failing to appear when summoned. Maher had been arrested on the complaint of William Vane, who charged him with selling liquor on Sunday. The case was taken on a change of venue to Justice Presnell, who fixed a time for the hearing, but Maher failed to show up and remained outside the state until this week. He was apprehended by the constable on Tuesday night upon his return to Newport to attend to business.
“Maher failed to show up and remained outside of the state until this week, when he came to Newport to attend to some business.”
This story highlights the intense local battles over 'dry' laws in the early 20th century, a precursor to the national Prohibition era. Today, the legal tension between state-level mandates and local municipal control remains a recurring theme in Washington's civic discourse.
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