Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-19
\ WHOLE RAID
Anacostia Speak Easies Pounced Upon by
the Police Saturday Night
Beer, Gin, Whisky, Blackberry Wine
and Other Wet Goods Found
Seven Prisoners Taken.

There was an exciting time In Hiusdale
Saturday night and Sunday morning. caus-
ed by a wholesale raid on alleged speak
easies'' conducted by elderly colored men,
most Of whom are old soldiers who draw
q monthly pension from Uncle Sam. Po-
liceman w. T. Anderson swore out three
warrants Saturday afternoon, and later ne
learned of other alleged places, and got
some additional warrants. 1t was about =
o clock in the evening when Anderson, VINO
was acting sergeant, called together OF
ficers Green, MARI Hagan, Branson and
Reagan and started out on the raid.
The first place visited was the home OF
colored man named John 7. Dyson. who Is
fifty-fve years old. He lives near Douglass
Hall, and although the officers found notn-
ing intoxicating IN the house, they arrested
Dyson on the strength OF evidence optalheo
some days ago.
Spencer Coleman's little country grocery
store was next visited. and the seventy
five-year-old proprietor was found there
Half a dozen men. most of whom were un-
der the influence of liquor, were also there
The old man Immediately made a denial
of the charge that he sold strong drink,
but he was unable to tell just why he had
eleven boxes of beer under his bed and four
boxes of empty bottles In another room.
Lucy Johnsons residence was then visit
ed and she was found at home with one or
her Doarders. A little brown jug or gin
and a demijohn of blackberry wine, In ad-
dition to two boxes of beer, constituted her
Sunday stock of drinkables. The boarder
was left at home to guard the room from
which the beer and other strong liquids had
been taken.
Armstead GoodIoe, known as liking of the
speak easies'' in the vicinity Of Hillsdale
was next arrested He is more than sixty
years old and Is pensioner. At the battle
of Gettysburg he carried a musket, and
I,ot tfvnA fa6 in q
becoming totally blind. Five times he has
been arrested and convicted, and because
OF his infrmity the court has dealt lenient-
ly with him. 1t was about o'clock In the
morning when his home was reached.
News Of the other raids had reached Good
loe, who had transferred most of his stock,
eight boxes Of beer. to the hen house, and
the chickens had not become quiet after
being aroused from their sleep. Alexander
Corbin was found leaving the premises
with a bag filled with bottles Of beer, and
he was arrested.
An hour after reaching the Goodloe house
the members of the raiding party called on
Lewis Steward, a colored resident of STAN
ton avenue, and searched his pigs FOOT
shop. His stock of driTka bles consisted of
one dozen bottles of beer and jug Of
gin, while a number Of empty beer bottles
were also found. Steward is sixty-five
years old.
William B. Simms, a ffty-fve-year-o
colored pensoner. was the last one to be
arrested, and 1t was about 5aybreak when
he reached the police station in Anacostia.
At his little store the officers found two
boxes of beer, two demijohns of blackberry
wine and jug of gin.
The six alleged "speakeasy" keepers and
the man Corbin were detained at the police
station as defendants, and today the cases
were called in the Police Court for trial.
Lawyers Moss and Hewlett represented the
prisoners and jury trials were demanded.
Alexander Corbin will be held as a Wit
ness.