Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-12-21
Iiouor Raid at Martinsburg.

Five alleged speakeaSies were raided al
Martinsburg last Saturday nightly officers
acting under direction of Prosecuting At
torney Allen B. Noll When the people
voted out the liquor saloons in Martins
burg last summer some OF the saloon
keepers closed their bars in obedience 10
the law, but number Of them kept their
places open ostensibly to sell soft drinks.
They became boder and bolder, until
finally they were running their saloons
almost as openly as when they were IL
censed. Drunkenness was onthe increase.
and if is said that the saloon keepers even
urged drunken men to show themselves
on the streets as much as possible, hop
ing to disgust the people at the failure OF
the local option law. The situation be-
came unbearable to the temperance peo-
pie, and plans were made to arrest the
violators of the law. Prosecuting Attor-
ney Noll stood ready to do his duty, a
wealthy resident of the town financed the
movement, and arrangements were made
to "pull" the illegal joints. Detectives
were employed, and they had no difficult
ty whatever in securing plenty OF evil
dence. A few weeks ago the saloon OF
Kinsey B. Creque was raided, and plen-
! ty of whiskey was found. Last Saturday
night bigger raid was carried out. Un-
der the direction of Mr.. Noll, the sheriff
and his deputies descended on. the Royal
Cafe, kept by Charles A. WeStenhaver ;
Turner Hail." operated by F. A. Martin
and F. V. Powell the former bar at the
Colonial Hotel, operated by George I. h.
Baker; and the establishment OF Johr r.
Creque. The proprietors OF these joints
were arrested and held for hearing on
Monday. In the places raided were found
quantities of beer and whiskey and other
intoxicants, and several wagon-loads OF
"wet goods" were confiscated and stored
at the courthouse. At each place that
was raided there was found United
States license to sell liquor, which is
prima facie evidence that the State law
was being violated.
Monday the liquor seized in Creque's
place was taken to the courthouse Tor
safe-keeping. There were Is crates OF
beer, a barrel and a half Of whlskey in
bottles and other stuff-a rather big lot OF
"private stock" Acting on information
relating to other illegal selling of liquor,
Wilbur Thurston's residence was raided
and three barrels of beer were confiscated.
while at the same time three barrels OF
beer were captured in c. L. Keller's
stable.
II is to be hoped that the decent people
of Martinsburg will be able to have these
offenders adequately punished and their
nefarious business broken up. While
Prosecuting Attorney Noll has been very
courageous in doing his duty, it is said
that there is much unwiIingneSs on the
part of some other officers Of the law to
assist in the prosecutions, and some OF
the leading citizens of the town are giving
their support to the law-breakers, going
so far as to 20 on their bonds and back
ing them up in other ways. The penalty
for selling liquor illegally is fine and i'm
prisonment. There seemto be urgent need
OF severe jail sentences in Martinsburg, if
half of what is told about illegal liquor
| selling is true.