Milford chronicle., 1912-12-27
-ay You Have A Prosperous and Happy New Year.
FEDERAL AGENTS RAID
SEAFORD SOCIAL CLUBS

United States Deputy Marshal John
w. Mitchell took trip into Sussex
County last Friday and went back to
Wilmington with four men from SeafOrd
and Laurel who are charged with being
connected with social clubs which retail
liquor to their members without paying
the federal license of S25.
The men arrested were Arthur c.
I Williams, John w. Thompson and W.
/ 7. Ellingsworth, all of Seaford, and Dr.
Andrew J. Fleetwood of Laurel They
were arraigned before United States
/ Commissioner William G. Mahaffy, when
all pleaded not guilty. They We're each
held in 81, 600 bail ana hearings were fixed
for December Both, 3lst and January lst
All the men were admitted to bail with
the exception of DR.. Fleetwood, who was
taken to the workhouse at Greenbank.
Josiah Marvel, acting for Robert C..
White of Georgetown, represented all
the defendants.
Deputy Marshal Mitchell had a war
rant also for Andrew J. Buckman of
Seaford, who is said to manage one of
the clubs, but was unable to find him.
The men arrested are charged in the
complaint with carrying on the business
Vi ACLeAlA lAAilhA uEulC4o WlLllOub pay llAk
the required government tax. Its claimed
that they are connected with three So
cial clubs, all in Seaford, the Acme, the
Eureka and the Baltimore Social Club.
1t is said that each Of these clubs has a
membership of over a hundred from
SeafOrd and adjacent towns in Sussex
fiOurishing business. The maintenance
of cr1ah gnafal a1V1hc hoe v,ran1raI FOL h,,A 1,o
most effective way of getting around
the local option law in Sussex County,
and complaints have been numerous dur
ing the past months of their obnoxious
character.
The clubs have been planned and Op-
Grated on a very simple basis. A num-
Der of individuals would band together
and organize a social club. Officers would
be chosen and men elected to purchase
malt and spirituOus liquors in wholesale
quantities and retail them to the men,
bers. The membership would be added
to from time to time until the traffic be-
came a fairly lucrative one For some
reason it is charged the clubs failed to
take out a government license, which is
required of any individual, firm or club
that retails liquor. This oversight has
ACouALCQ III LAAClL DClllk III tAAG lldllQ5 VI
the United States authorities.
These mushroom clubs are reported to
exist in numbers all over Sussex County,
and arrests in other towns are not un-
expected.
The arrests made were the result of a
raid made by Internal Revenue Inspec-
tor Thomas E. Stone of Baltimore, ac-
cOmpanied by another Inspector and a
n ,t4o,rA
They went to SeafOrd armed with search
warrants and made a thorough search
of the Acme, Eureka and Baltimore so
cial clubs. They made seizures of large
quantities of malt and distilled spirits.
Complaints were made by Mr.. Stone
before Commissioner Mahaffy last week.
Warrants were issued, and Mr.. Mitchell
went to Seaford. He secured the ser
vices of Constable Steen and arrested
the men with little trouble. When he
attempted to enter the Acme Club to
secure one of his men, there was some
hesitation about admitting him, but after
telling them he meant business he was
permitted to enter
Leaving the three Seaford men in the
custody of the constable, Mr.. Mitchell
went on to Laurel and arrested Dr.
4 lGGbWOOQ. Inc uOCLOI was asleep Ill
bed when the officer called for him. Mr. I
took all four men to Whining
ton unaided.
As the men were arraigned separately /
they each pleaded not guilty and the
bail was fixed at 81 900. Charles Owens, /
the newly-elected member of the Legis- 1
Iature from Bridgeville, became bonds |
man for w. T. Ellingsworth. w. 0. |
Johnson, a farmer of Seaford, went on
the bond of John W. Thompson. while
Nathaniel Conaway, an aged farmer of /
near Seaford, became surety for Arthur
3. Williams. The hearing of Mr.. Filings
worth and DR.. Fleetwood was fixed for
December 31st, that of Mr.. Thompson
for December Both, and that of Mr..
Williams for January 1st.. The arrested
men were accompanied by several friends
TO Wilmington, who were present at the
irraignment. 1t is claimed that Filings
worth, Buckman and Fleetwood were
all connected with the Acme Club, while
Thompson and Williams were members
If the Eureka and Baltimore Social.
Mr.. Johnson, who became surety for I
Thompson, admitted that he was a
member of one of the clubs.
The maximum penalty for the otfense
S two years Imprisonment, or a thOus-
md dollars fine, or both. A conviction
N a similar charge in the same court
ONE years ago resulted in the defendant
'eing imprisoned at the workhouse for
hree months.