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Show LIQUOR LAW LACKS PEMPBDIflSIOBj Hoken Olsen Escapes Probable Punishment Because Punishment Punish-ment Clause is Absent. Special to The Tribune. OGDEN, June 12. When the recent legislature passed the liquor bill, whether by oversight or Intention, no saving clause was Inserted relative to prosecutions prosecu-tions for violations committed before lis passage. To this omission Hoken Olsen. the famous blind tiger of Huntsvllle, now serving one sentence in the county Jail, owes Ills escape from possibly serving sentences for three other violations of the "dry" laws of Huntsville. Sitting en banc. District Judges Nathan Na-than J. Harris and J. A. Howell today decided that the recent liquor law repealed re-pealed all other liquor laws, and hat the three cases pending before the district dis-trict court on appeals under the old law would have to be dismissed. The matter was first brought before Judge Howell this morning when Olson's attornoy Interposed a demurrer to the complaint, because it did not state facts sufficient to constitute a criminal of-fenso; of-fenso; that It did not allege that the liquor disposed of by Olsen was sold for gain, nnd that tho recent liquor law-had law-had no clause for such prosecutions. Judge Howell granted the demurrer In the case charging Olsen with selling liquor to Powell Evans April G, 1911. As two other cases were pending before be-fore Judge Harris, the court suggested that both judges meet and pass Jointly on the demurrers. This was done this afternoon, when both judges concurred In the opinion that the present liquor law has no provision for the prosecution of violations occurring before the bill was passed. This decision Is regarded as an Important one by members of the local bar. |