The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1911-09-29
ENFORCEMENT MEN
GAN CARRY GUNS
Governor cruee Holds It is Right Of
Deputies to Seize Liquor And Make
Arrests Without Warrants.

Oklahoma City. Sept % Tha
deputy state enforcement officers hayi
exactly the same powers as deput.
sheriffs in the enforcement Of the pro
hibition laws and are entitled to carr
weapons for their own protection i.
the opinion of Governor Lee Cruce
who, on request Of State Enforcement
officer W ]. Caudill, Friday wrote tc
the latter setting forth his views on
the subject
Governor Cruce holds that il is the
right of the deputies to seize liquor
wherever It is found and that the Of
fcers are empowered to make arrests
for violation Of the law without secur-
ing warrants He promises that the
liquor law will be enforced as strict
~ as possible and that enforcement
deputies who are harassed by arrests
for carrying pistols viii not be dis
turbed in the future. The letter to the
enforcement officer follows
Replying to your request that ! give
you an outline of the duties Of the
deputies appointed by you, as / under
stand the law. I viii state that the
law itself is the best guide for any off,
Ger in the performance Of his duty. !
viii state. however. that the law Great
ing your Office gives to you all the
rights and powers Of a sheriff in the
locality in which you 20. so far as en-
forcement Of the prohibition law of
the state is concerned. This applies
70 your deputies as well
You understand that neither you
nor your deputies have a right to un-
dertake to make arrests for violation
Of any other law unless. at the same
time the prohibition law is being vio-
lated In the discharge of your duty
] hold that you have every right that
q sheriff has and that this gives you
right to carry such weapons as you
deem necessary TO properly protect
yourself in the discharge of your
duties.
Il will state. further, that it is my
opinion yon have the same right to
seize liquor where you see it being
handled in violation of the law with
out 0 search warrant that any officer
has to arrest a man whom he sees
committing any other offense without
procuring a warrant To this end your
deputies may feel absolutely safe in
raiding any place where they know
liquors are being kept and sold in vio-
lation Of the law without waiting to
procure warrants, and that any officer
acting under you, who keeps himself
within the limits of the prohibition
law in this state need fear no arrest
or prosecution from those who are not
in sympathy with the law.
i am determined that prohibition
shall be made as effective in Oklahoma
as 1t is possible to make it under ex-
listing laws, and to this end I propose
to stand by every deputy enforcement
officer who honestly tries to enforce
the prohibition law and who himself
obeys the law. Local officers who are
not in sympathy with the law and who
try to harass the deputy enforcement
officers by arresting them for. carry
ing concealed weapons and by other
manufactured offenses. will find that
for the next three and half years at
least their efforts will be unavailing.
Upon receipt of the letter from Gov
ernor Cruce, Enforcement officer Cau-
dill Immediately sent the following in
struotions to his deputies
Il am herewith inclosing you copy
of letter of even date written to me
by Governor Cruce. From it you will
get his opinion as to what are your
duties and powers concerning the pro
hibition law Please read it carefully
and govern yourself accordingly.
This letter is of great encourage
ment to us, and will be to every pro-
hibitionist and lover of law in the
state We must move forward with
new zeal and courage; yet at the same
time act with good Judgment, wisdom
and prudence and so conduct our
selves as to win the confidence and
respect of all good citizens.
Il know from the months expert
enee that 1t is a tremendous undertak-
ing. but as We are in the right feel
that with strong pull all together
We will put the lid on in this state so
tight that the bootlegger and his as
soeiates will fear and tremble. The
law must be upheld at all hazards"