Evening star., 1896-01-03
SUPPORTED BY fSOLDIERs
Seven Out of Thirteen Honses in Ruppli-
vile Were Speak Easies.
A Well-Plnnned Raid bf the Police
Creates Conformation In the
M!le-Limft TerHtOry.

The Michael Curtin "mile.limit" case was
concluded in the Police Court yesterday af-
ternoon, and the jury found that Michael
had conducted a speak easy in Ruppli-
vile, ard bond for his appearance was
given. Tie conviction Of Curtin was fol-
lowed by a plea Of guilty being entered in
the case of Eff1e Hoey, a young woman
charged with a similar offense. She is a
widow AID is only twenty-four years old.
Her two little children were in court with
her, and Prosecuting Attorney Pugh did
not want the court to impose sentence
which would result in the separation of
the young ones from their mother.
Acting upon Mr.. Pugh's suggestion, Mrs.
Hoey said she would leave the ''mile limit
and would probably return to her former
home in Baltimore. The court thereupon
suspended sentence and the woman was re-
leased.
There are thirteen houses in Ruppliville,
and thus far the police have located speak
easies'' in seven Of them. Four of them
have been convicted, one pleaded guilty,
and one Of the six arrested several days
ago has not been tried. The seventh al
legged ''speak-easy" keeper was arrested
last evening and locked up. He Is Au-
gustus Schlegel, who Is perhaps nearly
seventy years old, and this Is not his first
''speak-easy' experience, for he was ar
rested several months ago and held, and
now he may be tried for alleged second
offenSe.
A Successfully Arranged Raid.
This raid by Policemen Hess, Yetton,
Murphy and Hanover was the most success
full one ever made on those Objectionable
places in the vicinity of the Soldiers Home,
and in arranging the evidence to present to
the jury the prosecuting attorney covered
the ground in q manner that made defeat
almost impossible.
When the police concluded to make the
wholesale raid, they consulted the officials,
Who rendered all the assistance possible.
Then M. Pugh was consulted, and he ex-
amined number of the old soldiers under
oath, and took heir affidavits, SO that when
the witnesses were finally put on the stand
they knew just what they had already
stated under oath.
Policeman Hess and Yetton did great
part of the work in getting the testimony
ard, by using two colored men, they pro-
cured whisky from some Of the places This
vas done after dark, and the conduct Of the
police in the vicinity of the National ceme-
terry gave rise to the belief on the part of
the more superstitious ones that there were
ghosts about the road.
1t developed In the trials of the cases
that some of the places were conducted al
most as openly as some Of the licensed bar
rooms inside the city limits These people
charged the usual prices for drinks, and the
most of their pension money went in this
way.
Probable Effects of the Prosecution.
Now that SO many of the places have
been closed it is thoughtjby the police and
Soldiers Home officials that there will be
less drunkenness about the county for u
short while until this illegal traffic in rum
is renewed.
Tomorrow the four men,under conviction
will be brought before Judge Miller for
sentence. Prosecuting Attorney Pugh will
ask for the imposition ;of the maximum
sentence in the cases, forhe regards these
violations even more serious than similar
violations in the city where licenses are
granted. In the mile limit no licenses
whatever are granted, Congress having
enacted a prohibitory law, for the protec-
tion of the old soldiers.
The police believe that there are more
speak easies'' about the smile limit" and
they will continue their investigation.