Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1911-04-29
Big Liquor Shipments
Coming In Every Day
Councilman McClelland Says Car
riers Are Reporting; And It's
Now Up To Police

lanta every day, that the common
carriers are making regular reports
of the same to the chief of police,
and that if the police now fail to
put a crimp in the bulk of blind
tiger operations in this city they'll
have poor excuse to make
These are conclusions reached by
Councilman John E. McClelland,
author of the recently enacted or
dinance requiring the common car
riers to make witten reports to the
chief of police of all shipments of
whisky they bring into Atlanta
exceeding three gallons, following
an investigation made by him for
the purpose of ascertaining what
efforts, if any, the police authorities
have been making to enforce the
ordinance.
Il find that all but two or three of
the common carriers are reporting
regularly to the chief of police"
stated Councilman McClelland,
Thursday, and | find that these re-
ports show a great volume of whisky
to be coming into the city all the
time.
One man, for instance, got 1900
pints one day; and the very next he
got another shipment of nearly 1000
pintS. 1t is needless to say he was
not buying that much liquor for
personal use. The police suspect,
and [ myself am inclined to think
the same way, that the man getting
this shipment had it sent under a
fictitious name, and | have asked
the chief of police to make close
investigation to find out if such was
the case. Having whisky shipped
to a fictitious name is a violation of
the interstate commerce laws enact
ed by congress, and any common
carrier will be glad to cooperate
with the police authorities in run
ming down and prosecuting such a
NiOlatOr
Among the common carriers
that are reporting to the chief Of
police is the Southern Express Com
pany. The two or three railroads
that have not made reports are
roads coming in from a territory
that ships little, if any, whisky to
Atlanta. | believe that in the main
the carriers are following out the
requirements of the ordinance.
The reports in the hands of the
police are kept under lock and key
and are not open to public inspec-
ton. One of the arguments they
tried to use against my ordinance
was that it would place the names
of good citizen in the police annals
where all might find them. Such
is not the case. nor was such thing
contemplated. The reports from the
common carrier contain information
strictly for the police and not to be
shown to any and everybody.
1T is my honest opinion that this
information now in the hands of the
police authorities constitute Wea-
pom, with which to fight the blind
tigers that is infinitely more power
full and effective than all the other
AGENCIES combinded, including the
so-called stool pigeons, which meth
cd of catching blind tigers | am
bitterly opposed to and mean to
fight at every turn"
Councilman McClelland further
states that he made a specific re-
quest of Chief Jennings to detail
men to watch all persons having
large quantities of whisky shipped
to them, and he expects to see some
startling things happen right shortly
in the way of running tigers to
earth.
"The police have more information
then ever before" said he. In fact,
they've got nearly all the intorma-
ton they need. 1t is now up to them
to get out and catch the tigers and
show that they really mean busl-