The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-13
TWO DECATURS ARE AS DRY ASA BONE All Liquor Is Held By Sher-
 if Under PadlOcks UNUSUAL SITUATION This Is the First Time in Several Generations That Decatur Has
 Really Been Quarantined
 on Drink Question
UNUSUAL SITUATION

Decatur Febarury 12.-(Special.)- Sheriff R. M. McCulloch has rented a store room in New Decatur in which to store the liquor which was seized in the wholesale raid here last Fri day and the room yesterday was filled with booze" of all kinds The room at the county courthouse was not suf- ficiently large to hold the seized wet goods. In all IA wagon loads of liquors were stored in the rooms at the coun- ty courthouse and jail. besides large amount that Is stored in the room rented yesterday by the sheriff in New Decatur. The total amount will be several thousand gallons. worth thous- ands of dollars. It Is without ques- ton the largest raid that has been made in the south. Not only in the number of places raided but in the amount and the value of the liquor seized
 Today nearly all of the soft drink stands of Decatur and of New Decatur have padlocks on the outside of the doors and Sheriff McCuloch carries the keys. The two Decaturs are dryer now than they hare ever been in their history. Ever since Decatur came into existence as town, away back in the year 1918, whisky has been sold here and the old-timer who loved his oc- casional dram had been visiting De- catur all these years to purchase. Hundreds who come to Decatur will lt. tl,n,r come here expecting to get their accus- toned dram. New Decatur came into existence in the year 1886 and ever since that time and up until prohibit ton that city had open saloons. The soft drink stand came with prohibit ton.
 It is said that there is still sonfe liquor In some of the places that the sheriff is carrying the keys to. and that this will be moved later on. One of the writs of injunction gotten out against one of the soft drink men irl Decatur was improperly drawn and the sheriff had to return his goods to him. It Is said. however, that an other writ will be drawn.
 Just what led up to the wholesale raid, coming as 1t did so suddenly and so quietly. no one Is able to say for a certainty except the ones who are on the inside. The officers claim, how ever, that up until this time they were not armed with the proper authority. The opinion recently handed down by the supreme court declaring the Full Ter bill, under which these seizures were made, constitutional, Is declared to have had something to do with the seizures. It Is rumored that these writs of injunction were drawn last summer just before the state and county pri- mary elections. but that the writs were laid away and the matter was kept quiet until last Friday when the seizures were made. The officers. how ever, claim that the writs were drawn up by Solicitor Blackwell but a few days ago.
 Someone Gave a Tip
 Attempts have been made in New De- catur to remove stuff from some of the stands there. Whether or not these parties will be held for contempt of court is not known. The officers believe that a considerable amount of liquor was re- moved from some of the stands before they arrived and they are of the opinion that someone tipped the matter off to some of the parties.
 In discussing the raid Sheriff R. M.
 
 close all of these places yet I haven't had the cooperation from the citizens that I should have had, and found it hard to secure deputies. Many of them say they want the law enforced. but when 1t comes to a show down won't do any thing themselves. l closed the places as fast as I could with the force at my com mand, but would have been able to do 1t more effectually if I could have had the help of citizens"
 It is the biggest sensation the Deca lures have ever had. Nothing that has ever transpired here has been the sub ject of so much comment as have been these raids and seizures.
 Greater Decatur Bill
 It Is understood that Capt. Dan Wal den of New Decatur, one of the mem bers of the state legislature from this county, and the author of the Greater Decatur bill, will now introduce In the lower house of the state legislature with in the next few days a general bill to amend the civil code so as to perfect any defects that might appear In his Greater Decatur bill This amendment will not have to be advertised, because 1t comes under the head of a general law. Cap tain Walden will introduce this amend ment because the question has been raised by some as to the constitutionality If his Greater Decatur bill and by the this objection can be elimi- mated, 1t is said Advices from Mont ogmery say that the Greater Decatur bill will pass the lower and upper houses of the state legislature and become a law without question. If this be true, 1t will then be but short time until the two Decaturs will have an opportuni- ty of voting on consolidation or no con 
 Nothing Is being done by the city coun- oil of Decatur and by the city council of New Decatur looking to the consolida- tion of the two cities. Every effort that the two city councils have made to agree on plan of consolidation has proven fruitless and 1t seems now that the mat ter has been dropped entirely by these two bodies.
 Acquitted of Murder Charge
 A jury in the Morgan county law and equity court last night acquitted J. H. Pannell on the charge of attempting to murder William Daniel, street car mo- torman in the employ of the North Ala oama Traction company of the Decaturs. on the night of May 30 last This was the second trial of Pannel on this charge the first time resulting in a mistrial.
 Daniel was seriously shot in the. side with q shotgun from ambush while hc was on duty, and while the conductor was changing the trolley. The man who fired the shot could not be seen, and the evi- dence against Russell was purely circum stantial Pannell was represented by Col. Charles l.. Price and E. c. Nix
 Better Train Service Asked
 A number of the merchants and busi- ness men of the two Decaturs will ap-. peal to the officials of the Southern rail- road to extend the accommodation train