Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1891-05-14
SUPPLE EN- Z.
low AS IDEA.
The Profits of Prohibition.
Donicinary Visits on the Pretext Of
Looking for Liquor.
This Sanctuary Of Home and Even the Bed
Of Death Violated.
And All For the Fees which the Law gives
to the Tnformers.

The elder Pitt, speaking for the rights
Of Englishmen, once said: "The poor
mans cottage is his castle. Within Its
walls he may bid defiance to all the
forces Of the crown. 1t may be frail its
roof may shake; the wind may blow
through it; the storm may enter it, but
Che king OF England cannot enter 1T. AL
his power dares not cross the threshold
Of that ruined tenement" This sanctity
OF the home the people of Iowa at
tempted to assure by fundamental law.
The constitution of Iowa provides in its
bill Of rights that s'the right of the people
to be secure in their persons, houses,
papers and effects, against unreasonable
seizures and searches shall not be vio-
lated. !" This provision of the constitution
In binding upon every department and
functionary of government. Not only
private Individuals, but officials, courts
and even the Legislature must give it inn
plicit obedience. Yet in the name of law,
the high est law of the state Is every day
ruthlessly Violated.
Section 1874 of the Iowa Statutes provides: II
amy credible resident Of any county SHALL before q
Justice of the peace for the county, make writ
ten information, supported by his oath or afirma-
tion that he has reason to believe and does believe
that any intoxicating liquors described particu
larly as may be In said information Ia in said
~, in any place described, as particularly may
be in said information, owned or kept by any per-
son named described In said information. par
ticularly as may be, and IL intended by him to be
sold in violation of the provisions of this chapter
said justice shall, upon finding probable cause,
issue his warrant of search directed to any peace
oflcer in said county describing particularly as
may be the qnor and the place described In said i'm
formation, and the owner or keeper of said liquor,
and commanding said officer to search thoroughly
said place. and to seize the said liquor with the
vessels containing it, and to keep the same securely
until final action be had thereon; whereupon the
said peace officer to whom such warrant shall be de-.
Hvered, shall forthwith obey and execute far as
he shall be able, the command of said warrant, and
make returns of his doings to said Justice and shall
securely keep all lqnors 50 seized by him and the
on; provided, however, that IL the place to be
searched be dwelling house In which any family
resides, and in which no tavern eating. gro
Gerry other place of public resort is kept, such
warrant shall not be issued unless such complaint
shall, on oath or affirmation, declare before said
Justice that he has to believe, and does be-
lieye, that within one month next before the max
ing of said information, intoxicating liquor has
BEEN In violation of this chapter sold in said house
Oh In some dependency thereof, by the person accus
ed in said information, or by his consent or per-
mission.
Under the operation of this law, and
without hinderance or rebuke from the
Prohibition authorities, the homes and
families of citizens of Iowa are daily
outraged. Those of the Prohibitionists
In high places have strained the provis-
ions of the statutes, and interpreted them
to authorize the search of persons as we'll
as homes. The law serves as cloak for
private and political malice. Under its
cover blackmall is levied, and beastial
? brutalities inflicted. Cupidity and per-
Jury have allied themselves with it to the
terror of the 0Inmunity. No mans
home is safe. The powerto search is not
confined to officers elected by the people.
Any Justice of The peace may appoint
whcmever he pleases for the purpose. In
order that the ices may encourage in
formers, the person swearing out the
warrant is usually appointed. To men
willing to earn money in this way, per-
Jury Is not difficult. The vilest charac-
tiers in the community find services In
giving practical effect to Prohi bition
which claims to be the highest moral
sentiment of the age.
THE LACEY OUTRAGE.
On the night of May IA, 1887 the home
of Mr.. Patrick Lacey, of Des Moines
was invaded. He was respectable citi-
u zen, against whom no complaint hao
ever been made. His wife, but one day
a mother, lay with a newborn babe al
her breast. Two constables, Pierce and
Potts by name, known in Iowa as TIT
fright and left hands of Prohibition
acting under the sanction of the Prohi
bftion authorities, broke in upon tn,
couple on the pretext of searching TO
liquors.. Furniture and household goods
were overturned and broken. The hus
band was ordered to the rear of the hous,
TO assist Constable Potts in his search
there. He had scarcely left the room
when Constable Pierce rushed to the bed
and dragged the sick woman and he
babe upon the floor, and tore the bed t.
pieces. The lady, almost as weak:as tn
day-old babe in her arms, screamed an,
Tainted. Her screams brought her hus
band to the rescue. Seeing the extreme
to which the persecution had been car
ried, he leveled q pistol at the head of tn
brute Pierce. BY some mischance
missed fire, and the two constables RAJ
away and hid themselves until shields
by the Prohibition leaders,. These crea
lures of fanaticism did not even CLAIM
in court that Mr.. Lacey was sellin
liquor, but only that some woman win
was nursing Mrs. Lacey drank bottl
of beer or two in the house.
THE DUERR CASE.
One bright June Sunday, the home c
Andreas Duerr, of Des Moines ws
broken into by a. couple of ruffian
armed with o warrant to search fc
liquor. Mr.. Duerr,n says the Des Moline
Daily Leader, - was q German OF humbl
condition. but honorable conduct. I
his fatherIand he served through tw
wars and won medals for honorable Sc
Il vice in each. He was not saloon-keel
or either in this country, or in the oil
He worked asa laborer by day, and ado
ed to his earnings by working at HI
trade as cObbler OF evenings. He helpe
himself and harmed no one. Neither /
\ nor his wife knew a word OF English an
could notnnderstand the object Of the II
truders. Having continued their scare
through the house without reward, I'll
conEta BILE started for the cellar. Mr.
Il Duerr was sitting on a bench over ii
cellar door. Without asking her to NOV
they caught her by the arm and thre
her violently to the floor. Her husban
q demonstrating against the brutal trea
ment OF his wife, who was at the tin
In condition to command the respect
all, but sheer brutes, was set upon az
beaten over the head with revok sers, III
tII he sank insensible TO the hgbr. Tho
the ruffians, lacking the courage OF the
cruelty, ran away. Mr.. Duerr has new
recovered, but remains q helpless, hop
less invalid, burden to the fami
whose support he was His family q
now D charge upon the county.
u THE HoLY SACRAMENT.
Early iii March the administration
the Holy Sacrament ait the quarter
nesting of the M. E church at Decora
Iowa. was rudely interrupted. Al Prol
billion fanatic. named Wayne, at the
skiuation of tho self constituted Prol
hifion natective Association. OF WIFI
IA ,ss8 d mem Der. rushed Into thAGh