Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-19
THIRSTY SLEUTHS
GET EVIDENCE
COUNTY STOOL PIGEON WORK
LAID BARE
Blind Pig Defendant from Watts Is
Saved from County jail by Paying
Fine After Mortsaglna
His Property

An example of the methods of private
detectives employed by the county to
do what Is known as stool pigeon
work in securing evidence against vio-
laters of the county liquor law came to
l.ght yesterday In Justice Young S
court.
During the trial of w. M. Silver of
Watts Station, charged with conducting
a blind pig evidence was introduced
TO the effect that after the private de-
tectives had placed Silver under arrest
they took possession Of the property
and drank thirteen quarts of beer which
he had contracted to deliver to Gus
tcmer and then consumed quantity of
pint bottles of beer stored away In
Silvers home.
Silver was finally given the minimum
fine for such offense with the alterna-
tive of going to the county jail for 100
days. He did not have the money, and
friends, after receiving mortgage upon
a little piece of property owned by the
unfortunate Silver, furnished the neces-
sary fine, and the victim was allowed
to go free.
District Attorney Talks
According to the statements of
Deputy District Attorney Fleming, who
prosecuted the case yesterday, the work
in which Silver was engaged was kind
used by liquor interests several years
ago to frustrate the efforts of the dis
trict attorney in his crusade against the
Illegal sale of liquor.
Il want to state right here" an
nounced Fleming as he turned toward
the audience in the court room, that
the district attorneys office has fought
against the illegal sale of liquor in dis
tricts where the sale is prohibited, and
will continue to do so.
II see here a number of representa-
tives of local breweries. According to
the statement here of this man Silver
he has been buying beer by the case
from these breweries at $1.7O a, case and
selling it for nearly twice that amount,
and claiming simply to be taking orders
from the people for the brewery on a
percentage basis.
HE has been schooled by the brewers
to evade the law, and the district at
torney's office will not stand for it.
THAT game has been tried before by
other breweries, and If this man is
caught committing the same offense
this Office will not be satisfied with any
fine. 1t will be satisfied with nothing
short of a Jail sentence"
criticises officials
= 3
ment Attorney Allander, for the de-
fense, took vigorous exception to the
prosecutors remarks and himself in
dulged in an argument against such
action as a county official paying s.
and $3.50 day for the services of such
private detectives, while as the attor-
ney alleged there were scores of vicious
criminals at large who needed more at
tention.
That only created a condition of ILL
feeling among the followers of both
sides, and Justice Young directed the
attorneys to keep their arguments to
the case in question.
A red-headed private detective was
the first to take the stand in the case.
Thirsty Detectives
He gave the name of Stimon. and
told how he and his partner had gone to
Silver's house, how they told him a
long hard luck story of having tramped
miles about the country and of being
horribly dry, whereat after much per-
suasion they had taken bottle of beer
from a wagon standing in the yard and
had showed the money toward Silver,
whereupon he had taken it.
The next private" was T. H Teter.
He announced that he had been re-
ceiving $3.50 day and expenses for his
work on the case.
Incidentally he told of having gone
to Silver's house, where he met Silver
and begged for beer, telling of how
psrched his throat was and that he was
fearfully dry. He stated that he
wanted the beer to sample so that he
could be sure it was beer. His taste,
according to statements of other wit
nesses, must have been in bad shape
on that certain day. for he and his
partner bought seven quart bottles of
the amber beverage before they were
both certain that 1t was beer.
The Arrest
On September 2S, with an officer from
Constable De La Monte's office, the two
'privates" had gone back to Silver's
place and had again begged for bottle
of beer until they received it, where
upon Silver was arrested.
Yesterday Silver testified on the wit
ness stand that when the arrest was
made the officer had been granted per-
mission to drink bottle of beer, which
he did.
Silver further testified that the pri-
Vate detectives, as soon as he was help
less to protect his property-being under
arrest-had Immediately taken posses
sion of a case of quart bottles of beer
which he had received to deliver to q
customer, and without his permission
rihed the cases and drank thirteen
quarts of the beer.
When they had finished ''guzzling' or
that beer, according to Silvers testi.
mony they turned their attention to q
case of pint bottles which he had for
private use and drank a quantity OF
that beer.
The private detectives made no explain.
alton, but left the court room.