Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-06-28
was difficult to fix the proprietorship
even the identity of
0f any Regular Bar-Keeper.


terable, besides rendering him fit subject
for the wiles of the strange woman. Young
men who started out for days excursion,
feeling that the obtaining OF liquor would
be problematical, took it with them. Hav-
ing il with them they drank is-tTice as
much as if they had gone into an open,
.public, legally kept bar, and-drank before
the gaze OF those who might happen in.
Men congregated in each others offices or
their dwelling apartments for the
sake of drinking. In fact, every
snbterfuge was resorted to get
LIQUOR, and although man might
not always get it at the moment he wanted
it, he was sure to reoch supply sooner or
later, and then drink to make up for lost
opportunity.
Before dismissing finally the subject of
police corruption, | wish. TO relate the sub
stance Of conversation which had with
one of the former Ssate constabtes, VINO IS
now a government officer. He was be-
moaning the luck which drove the State
constabuary from power, and wishing for
the return of those halcyon days. Iasked
him to describe the golden period, and he
entertained me for two or three hours with
a recital which evidently gave him pleas
ure, so zestful did he give it. reproduce
the substance and style of his rhapsody:
"The State constabulary was the goose
that laid the golden eggs, and plenty OF
'em. We just had every thing we wanted.
was on the force three years and made
$4,000 in Money,
besides all the presents in other things.
If it came to be winter l would remark TO
some one, well, l have got to put in
fifteen tons of coal, suppose.
/ wonder how much it is i ton. 1t comes
a little tough, just now. for | have been
spending money too fast" In three or four
DAYS would have my coal bins filled up,
and recei pied bill sent to the house. or
course didn't know who sent it. How
could l? If wanted new overcoat
would ask where did you get that coat?
Sixty dollars? Oh, / could never afford
thatl' and in day or two tailor would
send ME word that l might come and get
measured for an overcoat. IL l asked for
letter of introduction to wholesale dealer
in -four so that could buy cheap, | would
g, t, not that, but half dozen barrels OF the
best ever bolted. When the holidays were
coming, would be asked what | was going
to buy in the way of Christmas presents,
and l would reply rather carelessly. 1
shan't do much this year. can't afford it.
couple of diamonds for her ears,
but 1 reckon I'll postpone it year
Well, the next morning. l would have as
pretty pair of carat and half stones as
YOU ever saw, with an invitation to call at
Bigelow & Kennard's and have 'em set to
suit myself. And could never find out
who bought EN-. would like to see those
days back again, instead OF living on eight
cen hundred and paying my own bills.
Save ANYTHING? No, none OF us did, much.
We thought it would last always. 1t would
have lasted longer il We hadn't been fool
ish. Why. two or three of rs would go
down to Taft's or Rip!ey's and eat up 30
dinner, and come off without saying a
word about the bill. Somebody paid it; or
il we did pay it, it was only drop as to
what we spent right along. Carriages,
suites of rooms at the best mountain and
beach houses, cigars worth $35 hundred,
trotters that would 60 in 80, steamer all
to ourselves for Sunday fishing excur-
sion,--whv, we Just had everything We
wanted. One Christmas had some rela.
tives from c. for company, and l
thought would show them how we did
Things In New England.
I limited TO some of the people on my route
that wanted to make good layout for
NV Christmas dinner. Among the rest of
the company was an old uncle Of mine,
high liver, who loved good brandy, and
mentioned him to some of them. Well,
there was committee of them went To
market; they boughtipigs, the choicest bits
of fancy meats, the rarest birds, every KIND
of fruit and relishes they could think OF,
and sent il to the house with the message
that the CONNECTIONS and ices would be on
hand in season.. And the liquors Two
baskets of champagne, with port, and
sherry, and claret, and burgundy; fine old
Jamaica rum, whisky and the brandy
had half dozen bottles rom the private
stock of man who had been in the busi-
ness twenty-five years. When the old man
tasted that he was astonished He told me
he hadn't drank such brandy in an age.
He thought it was absolutely wicked to
waste such brandy in making punch.
What did my wife think? She supposed
that the fees received as an officer and
witness gave me the power to live as we
did. Our salary and fees would have given
us all good handsome income, but the
opportunity for more presented Itself and
we took it. Political Influence shielded
a great many, and even the most active pro-
hibitionists used to insist that this man or
that should not be prosecuted too much be-
cause he was good Republican. We
couldn't drive his next door neighbor to
the wall and let him go. Ii We did there
u
itism. We started TO enforce the law, but
found we could not. We were interfered
with by officials OF high rank, who insisted
we should "let up" on men whom they
mentioned. We we're cautioned by the
friends who had procured our appointment
that we must be lenient toward this one,
and that we must punish that one. We
finally began to think the whole thing was
a farce, and little by little we grew into the
habit of receiving presents, and finally on
some of the districts regular monthly con.
tributions were made up, the unexpressed
understanding being that this was TO pay
for certain privileges-such as immunity
from unheralded and unexpected seizures,
infrequent arrests and fines in court, etc.
Once started it was impossible to keep the
thing within limits.
Every Dealer Insisted on Paying Us,
and upon being let alone as much as pos
sible. We had 10 make show of enforcing
the law, and the consequence was lot OF
them got dissatisfied and thought they
could break up the whole police and pro-
hibitory system by making row and ex-
posing the business. This they did most
effectually, although nearly every one OF
them lied before the committee when the
truth would have been sufficient. No;
didn't save much. I've got three or four
diamonds, q nice clock, a china dinner
service. chamber set of furniture, and a
few other trinkets. But learned to spend
money so fast then that it is twice as hard
to get along now"
The picture is not exaggerated. Ny
friend simply put into connected and logi-
cal form, the story which came out in
fragments from dealers, who appeared be-
fore the investigating committee. The
story of corruption, however, is not true OF
every member of the force. There were
honest, incompatible men among the State
constables, who did their utmost 10 enforce
the law vigorously and impartially. Bot
their regulations suffered more or less be-
cause of the doings of others. The inyesti-
CATION resulted in the discharge of the State
constabulary, and the substitution therefor
of State Detective Force" with general
duties, and not specially assigned To look
after the LIQUOR Law infractions This was
afterwards changed TO the District Police,
which is now in existence, under the au-
spices of the State COVE rnmeut.
In my next letter ] shall speak OF the
repeal Of the Massachusetts prohibitory
law. and the passage Of license law, which
is now in operation. J. +. b.