New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-12-01
THE PROSECUTION OF LIQUOR DEALERS.
SOME OF THEM SAID TO be rERsECUTED-AGEST
BILLlNGss CASE,

BGLLINGs's CASE.
Several excise cases were called for trial yester-
day IN the Court If General Sessions before Re-
cOrder Smyth Two or three of the defendants are
inspectors under the Board of Excise. The Society
for the Prevention Of Crime organized descent on
several liquor stores few months ago and agents
sent around to secure evidence. Their reports
were submitted to Assistant District-Attorney
Allen by Secretary Whitney of the society, ana
many indictments were found for alleged selling on
Sunday. Yesterday the case of Patrick Shorten,
who has liquor store at No SO East Houston, ST.
tried in the Court Of General Sessions and re-
suited in the acquittal of the defendant. The same
result was obtained in the case of Alexander
McKecver, Of No 10 Carmine-st. When the case OF
Lawrence Mcdonald, an Excise Inspector, was tried
the testimony for the prosecution was weak that
Assistant District-AttOTney Fellows agreed to the
dismissal of the case. Colonel George Bliss, who
defended Mcdonald, said that these men were
being prosecuted by society and that there ought
to be stop put to the practice Of bringing men to
the bar of tho court against whom there was no
evidence. Mr.. Fellows said that he did not believe
in subiectng men to indictment on such evidence.
Recorder Smyth dismissed the Indictment saying,
81 do not see that there was any evidence to war
rant the finding Of this indictment. If were Dis
triCtAtt0rney should require, at least, some evil
dence before / subjected man to the odinm OF an
indictment. The defendant is discharged"
The reports on which the indictments were partly
founded are of peculiar nature. One agent says
that he tried to get into place owned by Shortell
and no light was visible. The front door was
locked. lie went around the back way and tried to
get n but the door was fastened However, he
thinks that If some one had been with him he
might have succeeded In getting in and finding
liquor sold. He heard noise inside of the place and
was inclined to think that it was a bad place.
Charles L. Billings, an agent Of the Society for
the Prevention Of Crime, was arrested on Novem-
Der II for demanding 50 from Fanny Melins, who
keeps low resort at No. 1S1 Chatham-st., with the
understanding that he would not interfere with the
woman in the sale Of liquors. He was arraigned
for the third time before Justice White in the
Tombs Police Court, yesterday, and held In $500
bail. The Rev. Dr. Howard Crosby became his
bOndsman. When Billings was arrested Justice
White intimated that the police and Captain lyman
of the Fourth Precinct were in q conspiracy with
the woman to nure the credit of tho society. Cap
tain lyman denied being concerned in the matter,
and said After several examinations IN the case,
at one Of which the prisoner was subjected to a
searching crOss-eXaminatiOn, Justice White, who
was convinced that there was conspiracy, has
changed his views considerably. lie Is now con-
WINGED, apparently, that the man Is guilty and
therefore that am innocent"
Ten liquor-dealers who had paid fines for yiOlat-
ing the Excise Law, but who still held licenses
issued by the Board OF Excise, were arrested on
Thanksgiving Day. No action was taken by the
Excise Commissioners yesterday in regard to the
new departure of the police. 1t was admitted that
the conviction of an offending dealer annuled his
license, but the Commissioners thought that the
police ought 70 file a certified copy Of such convic-
ton with the 30 ard OF Excise before making an
arrest.