Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-29
LIQUOR SEIZED
At LON C BEACH
WAG0NL0ADS OF WET GOODS
FOUND
Officers From Los Angeles Assist the
Temperance Town Policemen in
Raid on Drug Stores and
Various Resorts

AS a result of a carefully planned
crusade by Mayor Downs and the au-
thorities of Long Beach, officers from
Los Angeles and the beach city swept
down on various drug stores, cigar
stands, soda fountain resorts and pool
rooms last night and carted away
wagonloads of the despised liquor,
while the people of Long Beach gath
cred about in shocked amazement that
liquor should be sold in a temperance
town.
For months past liquor has been
sold in small quantities. At times the
odor from the whisky SO tainted the
air in front of the diSpensaries that the
owners were notified to be careful.
Finally it was decided that the viola
ton of the law was too fragrant and
the raid was planned. Several former
raids had failed because the liquor
sellers got wind of the plans.
But yesterday no one was notified
and, to make doubly sure that the
liquor would be searched for. officers
from Constable De la Montes office
who have gained a reputation for Their
ability to find concealed property, Were
sent to Long Beach.
General Raid Planned
At $3.50 the officers were escorted to
the mayors home on Cedar street
of the impending raid
1t was ordered that the different re-
sorts be raided at the same moment,
and the officers started for their places,
carrying search warrants from Judge
]. J. Hart.
The first place was a cigar stand
owned by Wesley Holmes at 125 Ocean
Front avenue. There, within sight of
the street cars. men were being served
with drinks They simply walked up
to the cigar stand and stated that they
wanted to spend fifteen cents, whereat
they were ushered to the back room
and given whisky. The officers hur-
ried to the back room and before they
could be intercepted they had opened
the ice box and seized the liquor. In
a small back room there were several
cases of whisky and cognac, with bout
fifty empty whisky bottles. These
were packed into wagon.
Other Places Visited
In the meantime officers had
swooped down on the cigar stand of
]. L. Lucas, three doors away, at III
Ocean Front avenue.
There one of Constable De la
Monte's men marched up and made a
quick grab for a soda water bottle
labeled strawberry. The bottle con-
tanned whisky and could be easily
handed out from the counter as soda
water. In the back part of the estab-
lishment was trunk full of demi-
johns and number of bottles of
whisky and cognac.
At Clarence Feetham's restaurant on
Pine avenue the officers dashed in to
discover customer draining the dregs
from the last bottle of liquor Sew
eral hundred empty bottles were dis
covered there.
Other warrants were served on vari-
GUS druggists and pool hall keepers
against whom evidence had already
been secured, and then the officers,
after having made their first success
full raid, so far as capturing the wet
goods was concerned, began march
to the city hall. There the liquor was
labeled and placed in the evidence
room, while the liquor dealers soon ap-
peared and answered to the warrants
being sworn out against them.
Their cases will be tried next
"Wednesday.