The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-16
SUCCESSFUL RAIDS
T. ARE MADE BY POLICE
New Tactics Are Adopted
By Chief Eagan
CITY JAIL CROWDED
Four Officers Recently Appointed Are
Disguised and Sent Out Followed
By "Strong Arm" Squad-Im-
mediate Results
Raids! Raids! Raidsl


This was the programme of the po-
lice department for the past three days
under the personal direction of Acting
Chief Martin Eagan and 1t has re-
suited in scores of arrests.
Every house under suspicion was
raided and its occupants placed under
arrest The "blind tiger" men suffered
most from the activities of the police
as new tactics were used against them
with great success.
The city bastile Is now packed and
one of the largest dockets of the year
awaits the attention of Recorder Alvin
Douglass,
When Chief Eagan took charge of
tho police department several weeks
ago he Immediately inaugurated a
cleanup" campaign in which the po-
lice attempted to drive from the city
all keepers of disorderly houses, "blilI
tiger men and the gamblers. This cam
raign was waged with great vigor up
to within two weeks ago when every
thing in the city was reported as closed
up. The police then turned their at
tention to other more serious work. In
the last week, however, 1t was report
ed that "blind tigers" were again ram
pant; signs of gaming were also to be
observed, it is said, and numerous m
plants were received of disorderly
houses. This resulted in a council OF
war between Chief Eagan and his plain
clothes men in which IA new campaign
was mapped out.
1t was decided that the officers OF
the strong arm squad We're too well
known to cope successfully with the
situation and therefore chief Eagan
brought forward four young policemen
who had but recently been appointed
on the force and sent them out as az
coys; the strong arm squad followed
end raided whenever the prearranged
signal was heard. These tactics result
ed in catching some "bllnd tiger" men
yesterday that had escaped detection
for years; gamblers were also caught
mapping by the latest ruse of Chief
Eagan.
The new tactics used by Chief Eagan
have also the advantage of securing
positive evidence of conviction and this
VIII be a great money saver for the
city. Previously the members of the
strong arm" squad often made raid
but by the time the doors were opened
or broken down there had been suf-
ficient warning given to the occu-
pants of the raided establishment so
that all direct evidence of infractions
OF the city's laws had been removed,
and If the occupants We're arrested 1T
often turned out that the case would
be nolle pressed from lack of evidence.
However, 1t Is stated the policemen in
disguise secured evidence yesterday
necessary to convict before they blew
Their police whistles and then, with
drawn pistols held all arrested per-
sons at bay until the strong arm
squad burst through the doors. Jail
sentences to all convicted will be in
sisted upon by Chief Eagan.
Il am going to wrok Ii necessary
- hours day." said chief Eagan. "un-
til | have driven out of the city or
in Jail all the blind tiger men anu
the inmates of dsorderly houses. All
gamblers who operate will also come
under the ban.
"If there is crime on Sundays in Bir-
mingham It is due to the fact that ne
groes can secure liquor from blind
tigers. and therefore 1t becomes high
ly necessary that drastic steps should
De taken to capture and convict these
agents OF the illegal sale OF liquor. And
rot only negro blind tigers are to
be prosecuted, but others as well. As
for the disorderly houses, they also
sell liquor and therefore are a source
of crime. The gambling houses are as
bad. If We are to put down crime In
Birmingham we must first drive out
the direct cause of crime"