The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-11-24
DEPUTIES RAID
ROOM AT HOTEL
Find Quantity of Liquor on the
Fifth Floor
THREE MEN UNDER ARREST
Bodeker says Policeman In Room ar
Time Raid Was Made Was
There In Discharge of His
Duty.
THREE MEN UNDER ARREST

The Birmingham hotel was raided yes
terday by several deputy sheriffs and
FOUR men were arrested for violation of
the prohibition law. Riley d. Cronk,
proprietor of the hotel; Will Monjot,
Jim Crawford, negro porter. and Harry
Beasley, clerk, were the men arrested
They all gave bond and were released
Mr.. Cronk was charged with two cases
of violation of the prohibition law and
gave two bonds of $500 each.
NJ. L. Moore, the police officer who was
in the room when the raid was made.
said: IT wish you to publish this state
ment: L emphatically deny that 1 was
drinking liquor or was In the room for
that purpose when the deputy sheriffs
entered the room at the Birmingham no.
tel. The man who made that statement
uttered a falsehood L am detailed on
that work and visit most of the hotels
every day I went to this room for the
purpose of catching Will Monjot violating
the prohibition law. made arrange
ments to buy whisky from him and he
had sent Tor 1t. Just as Officer McGill
arrested negro bell boy a few days
ago who was later convicted of viola
ton of the prohibition law, was there
in the discharge of my duty as an Of
. ficer.''
Chief Bodeker asked that the following
statement fro mtime be made public:
Some time ago I detailed Officers Moore
and Deremus to look after violations OF
the gaming and prohibition laws. They
visit every hotel or other place when
they have reason to believe that either
of the above laws are being violated.
They have done excellent work since be-
ing detailed on this special duty and L
am satisfied that Officer Moore was at
the Birmingham hotel in the discharge
of his duty. There had been complaints
made to the police department that beer
and whisky were being sold there and
it was the business of Mr.. Moore to In
vestigate."
Mr.. Cronk made the following state
ment last night: mo man could have
been more surprised than 1 was when
the steward ran up to me and said that
the sheriff was searching the house for
a blind tiger. 1 knew absolutely moth
ing of it. The guest, Monjot. Is an en-
tire stranger to me. 1 never even met
him. He came here a few weeks ago
as many other men do and was assign ID
to room OH.
'The old kitchen where the liquor was
stored is not used by US and 1 have not
haa In al mn & fl1l n
cubby-hole rooms. pantries. old silver
ware rooms and dish washing rooms that
we used to use and gave ample hiding
places for Monjot to store his beer and
whisky.
CLERK Beasley is absolutely innocent
of any part in the matter. He never
even dreamed that Monjot was not as
represented to us. L am not worried in
the least, for l have nothing to worry
about. Only 1 am sorry that such an
affair occurred in my hotel.
II have no fault to find with the sheriff
or his deputies. They were simply men
doing their duty as Officers. They were
very courteous to me and my employees
On the advice that they desired to searcn
every room III the liotci, looh PicdSui .
in escorting them through the basement,
the kitchen. dining room and even my
private apartments. 1 asked them. as a
favor to me, to make the search as
thorough as possible"
Chief Deputy Lucien Brown, in telling
of the raid, said 1--WE had the room To-
Gated before we went to the hotel AS
we rushed in the door the clerk was
about to receive a message over the tel
ephone One of the boys grasped the
instrument The message was a warning
that the place was to be raiedd. The
room where the drinks were being sold
was at the rear of the hall on the Sec
ond floor. In closet in the corner Of
the room a hole was cut in the wall and
the booze was passed from a store room
in the rear through this hole. In the
store room we found large quantities Of
beer and whisky 10 barrels of empty bot
ties and So cartons of whisky.
The raid was made by Sheriff Higdon
and Deputies Lucien Brown. Sid Cowan,
B. G.. Chew, e. H. Wilson, Lee Hgdon,
Alex wilson, Irwin Steel and Dave Ken
nedy.