The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-12-21
SEIZED THE COLONIES
Adams Express Co. Office Searched
by Officers Who Seize 1874
Packages of Liquor.

Monday forenoon. In order to head off
the enormous amount of drinking which
always takes place during the holidays,
the city officials decided on taking
radical steps, and city marshal A. M.
Pryor swore out an information before
Justice c. W. Beck, charging the Adams
Express Co. with keeping Intoxicating
liquors at their Office in the Burlington
depot contrary to law. and asking that
a search warrant for the premises be
issued. This was done and placed in
the hands of constable Claude Lorey,
who with marshal Pryor went to the
depot AMI serv ii the notice on express
agent ketcham. and when the big strong
box which the express company built
in the depot in which to store the
liquors shipped in was opened it was
found there We're l94 boxes Of G. O. d.
liquor awaiting to be called for by the
parties to whom they were consigned.
The liquor seized was all G. O. ID. pack
ages, and they were from different firms,
none OF them containing less than one
gallon and some of them two and three
gallons Vanostrands drays we're Sc
cured to haul the stuff up town and it
made two big loads. The seized liquor
was taken to the county Jail where it
vas stored for safe keeping until the
hearing is held, the date of which was
set by Justice Beck for Dec. 30th, so
that none of this stuff can be released
in time to make Christmas drunks.
The liquor was addressed to many
different persons, there being as high
as four and five boxes addressed to the
same person, and represents total of
between two and three hundred gallons.
None OF the packages were c. o. d. for
less than $3.50, SO the value of the
liquor seized is something over $500,
enough to have stocked first-class
saloon, although such saloon would
probably have purchased better grade
of liquor.
1t is claimed that many of the ship
ments were addressed to parties who
claim. they never ordered it, or authoriz-
ed it to be shipped to them, and it is
this fact which gives the officials some
hope of having the liquor condemned by
process of law. The United States
courts have held that state does not
have any right to interfere with G. o. D.
shipments of liquor coming from another
state, on the ground that it interferes
with the intestate commerce law, but
the courts have also held that where
liquor is shipped into this state G. O. D.
without bona fide order having been
sent to n firm outside the state, and the
party is notified by the express
agent that there is package at the
Office for him which can be secured by
paying the charges against it, and the
party goes to the express office pays the
charges and secures the liquor, that in
such cases the actual sale is made in
the state, aud it is under this holding
that the express company or the origin,
al shippers will be compelled to appea,
here and defend the seized liquor b,
producing the orders for it received
outside the state.
The business Of shipping G. @. D
liquor to Iowa is a curse upon the state
and the parties who are responsible fol
this seizure are to be commended. II
will result ia less Christmas drinking
and we believe that in some cases mel
to whom these shipments were consign
ed will use the money which they woult
have spent for the liquor in buying
Christmas presents for their wives ane
children, at least we sincerely hope
that they will.
The amount OF liquor seized at tn,
express Office in single seizure gives
but faint idea of the amount of liquor
which comes into Leon, there being
scarcely train which arrives here dur
ing the year which does not carry /;
good sized consignment, and while TIL
REPORTER is not an advocate of the
AtHuci hboo' Sooos WC wv uOU ucSlUdUc u
again say that we believe that first.
class saloon in this town, operated
strictly according to law, and paying
the city high license, would be fal
pre.e able to the present condition, tn,
shipping in of liquor by the express ant
railroad companies, and the traffi,
which is carried on by the numerous
boo leggers which infest the town. W,
believe there would he less liquor con
sumed and less drunkenness than under
present conditions.
Is there any reason why the expires.
and railroad companies should be per
nitted to engage in the business o
selling liquor contrary to law, andl sell
ing it to persons whom no druggist o
saloon keeper would sell too? If ther
is we would like to be,shown.
The G. O. d. liquor business has beel
stopped in some towns that we know
Of, and there is no reason why it shoul
not be stopped in Leon. Marshal Pryo
will be commended by all good citizen
for swearing out the warrant which re
suited in Mondays seizure. and h
should il necessary swear ont n scare