The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-07-27
PROVO PROHIBITION;
BAD WORK So FAR
Prosecutions That Don't Stick,
and Plenty of Booze Sent
in for Sale.
Special to The Tribune.

Special to The Tribune.
PROVO. July 26.-Seven months have
passed since the prohibition ordinance
passed by the city council Of Provo went
into effect and there has not yet been
a conviction for illegal liquor selling, All
that the prohibition ordinance has done
has been to change the location OF the
booze joints, and. In some instances.
cause the traffic In beer and whisky 70
go into other hands than 1t was In when
the sale OF such beverages was licensed.
There has been four arrests for violation
OF the ordinance, but In each case the
prosecution has fallen through. The first
man TO be arrested was Thomas Halla-
day. for selling drink OF whisky to
man by the name OF Muth, who had n
partner named Colthurst. These two men
that they bought a drink OF whisky each
from Thomas Halliday. Halliday was
found guilty by a jury in the justices 3
court and a motion for a new trial was
made and when this motion was heard
an affidavit signed by the transient Col
thurst was introduced In which he af-
nrmed that he had not bought oaoy ANY
from Tom Halliday or anybody else at
any time In Provo City, The motion
fer new trial was thereupon promptly
granted, and the case has not and never
will be brought to a second trial.
AXel Johnson. partner OF Halladay's,
wa sthe next man TO be hailed before Jus
tice Noon on a charge Of selling whisky
TO the same two witnesses. This case
has also been dragging along and never
will be brought to trial. In neither OF
evidence, Colthurst has gone TO parts
unknown, and all that Muth has to sub
stantiate his evidence Is n rubber bulb.
with which he said he distracted some
on the bar for him to drink.
After the Druggists.
The drag net of the prohibition mar
shall next brought in two druggists.
Charles HedquiSt and Fred Moore. These
men were each accused OF selling bot
tie of whisky 10 one George Elliott. When
the cases were called both men entered
pleas OF not guilty and the case against
as the prosecution said. 1t was brandy
Instead Of whisky which Moore sold,
When the case against Moore was tried
by jury in Justice Noon,s court a YER
dict of not guilty was quickly returned.
And then the case against Hedquist was
dismissed. Thus every case against IL
licit liquor sellers brought by the city OF
Provo under the prohibition ordinance
has fallen through. Six cases from Span
ish Fork came to the district court here
on appeal. and in only one case was a
dismissed by the prosecution. and at the
same time the attorney for Spanish Fork
City agreed to dismiss thirty-sx other
cases which were pending before the JUS
tees court,
Plenty of Booze.
were three or four carloads OF beer un-
loaded at the Provo depot. and one car
load since that time. Every freight
train that comes into Provo from the
north brings one to "A dozen cases and
barrels OF beer. besides large quantity
OF whisky and other intoxicating bever-
ages.
The one great obstacle which is in the
way of enforcing these prohibition ordi-
nances is the general character of wit
nesses who can be secured to procure
the evidence The people do not look on
such men as reliable, And. as is gem
orally the case. the man who secures the
evidence is promised a sum Of money for
| ''blind pig or dive" and II is known
| that they VIII go to any length to earn
| the money. even. as has been done In
| this county. the prohibition detective
| has been known to go TO a nearby town
| such as Salem, where there is an open
| saloon and buy beer and whisky to be
| used as evidence. Men have committed
| burglary In order to make good with the
prohibitlonist who hired them.
A Typewriter That Leaked.
a story is told on one of The high ec-
| clesiasts OF Provo who was the leader
| I'm framing up the scheme to saddle the
two old parties with n prohibition sad
| die blanket last fall 1t is said that be
had a box shipped by express from Og-
| den, which was marked In big, bold let
| ters. Typewriter" The big gun lived
| outside of the express delivery radius
| and 1t was necessary for him to come &c
! the express office for his goods. TIL,
| express agent sent him word that he haC
better hurry up and get his typewriter