The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-09-18
CHARLESTON LIQUOR SEIZED.
Police Make Raid on Dcpots and Get
LiquOr-Agcnts StrcnuOusly. OBJ


jccted.
Charleston, Sept. 3.--Interesting
developments came today in the IL
quor seizures on large scale, which
captures were started yesterday by a
giant raid on the Southern Express
company's office where five wagon
loads Of stuff We're seized.
At 10 o'clock this morning Acting
Chief Dunn started out with a large
squad Of men to the freight depot OF
the Southern railroad on Ann street.
He pulled out his warrant, authoriz-
ing him to seize any Illicit liquor
found on the premises. He and his
men searched all over the warehouses
and discovered a large amount Of
stuff. Several cases Of high quality
whiskey, five large kegs Of bulk liquor,
many barrels Of Milwaukee beer
and other contraband goods were
found. )
But the prize haul of the day was
made at the freight depot of the At
lantic Coast Line.
Just after the midday posting of
patrolmen at l o'clock the chief sent
out an order for the raiding squad
to report In rush the wagon went
to Chapel street to the depot OF the
Atlantic Coast Line. Again Chief
Dunn showed his warrant under the
noses of the agents Of the railroad
corporation. The search that follow
ed was the most profitable yet. A
rich capture gladdened the police and
saddened the railroad people, The
Eseizures amounted to the fancy num-
Der Of 3S cases Of excellent liquor,
most Of 1t being bottled in bond" A
small amount Of other liquor was ta-
ken. 1t took two wagons to haul the
booze from the Southern and three
wagons to remove it from the Coast
Line. gfiE
The agent OF the Atlantic Coast
| VIZ" A"' ""SH TIE ponce tQok
charge OF some liquor that had been
unclaimed and was the. property of
the road to- freight. and storage
charges--"ole hpss stuff'' the rail-
road people call it. The agent re-
monstrated with Lieut.. Dunn to leave
that non-blind tiger liquor alone.
'"The railroad must gets its money
out OF that whiskey and you ought to
leave 1t here" he said. But the lieu
tenant couldn't see It that way and
had the liquor carted OF with the
other. lw
Just berbre the wagon got to the
freight depot the railroad had beer
lucky enough to get a whole car
load OF booze out of the city. They
hauled it out just in the nick of time
If the wagon had been sooner the po-'
lice would have truly made mon-
strous raid. A number Of the labels
on the cases had been changed and
it seems that the goods were to be
Immediately Shipped back to the con-
signers. The stuff was all standing
out in the middle Of the floor, evident
ly destined for the first shipment.
Sottile's wagon was standing just
outside the warehouse door when the
police patrol arrived. Most Of the
liquor was marked "Sottile Bros" ~.
p Dantzler" and WITH a diamond
"a"
These seizures mark a new and i'm
prrtant and interesting development
in the fight in Charleston on the blind
tigers and especially the wholesalers.
Time and again the transportation
companies have pr ,mised the mayor
t. cooperate with, him in his fight.
Ihey no sc oner promise than they
break the compact either in sps 1T nr
in letter
Some time ago the companies prorA-
ised to stop delivering to the tigers.
The mayor had the. police ,keep
close watch on the depots and ware
houses. 1t was soon reported to him
that while the transportation com
panies did not actually take the liquor
out In their wagons and deliver it to
the tigers they allowed the Wholesale
tigers to come to the buildings and
take the contraband out. In many
cases 1T was found that the tigers
would reconsign tha whiskey to other
parties.
Mayor Rhett. put Corporation
Counsei Mofatt to work on this phase
or the contest. He soon reported to
the mayor that when the transporta-
ton companies allowed the Illicit
dealers in liquor to come into their
place of business and handle tbe