The weekly soliphone., 1915-08-27
CUSTER BILL FILED;
CRUMP DEFENDANT
Charges Aver Memphis Mayor Has
Permitted Saloons to Operate
In Lawless Fashion.

Memphis, Aug. ga petition
for writ of custer directed against
Mayor Crump and the other city
commissioners, and which will
probably include the chief OF po-
lice, has been drawn.
P. w. Lanier, formerly a member
of the legislature and now Mem
phis lawyer, is one of the leading
attorneys in the movement.
The petition will charge that the
officials have been derelict in the
enforcement of the four-mile law
in Memphis and that in conse"
uuence of this dereliction dealers
have dispensed liquors in violation
of the law.
A number of tables of figures
will also be submitted tending to
allege that something is wrong with
the front foot assessment collec-
tions Several weeks ago COM
mittee of gentlemen undertook to-
of the city's books since Mayor
Crump has been in office, and an
accountant was actually employed
and did go to the city hall and
make some preliminary investlga-
tions. 1t was found, however, that
between $1,000 and $1,000 would
be required to make so complete an
audit, and none of the gentlemen
was patriotic enough to foot the
bill or stand for it.
Judge May
Suspend
/. 1t is said in some quarters that
after it was seen that private
audit could not be made proceed
ings in custer were discussed. 1t
was figured that if a writ in GUST,
er could be secured cause might
be opened up and the facts gone in
to at the expense of the state. The,
custer law provides, however, that
when 10 freeholders file bill, as
they will do in this case, the ex-
pense must be borne by the free
holders if the case is not success
full; otherwise, by the defendants
The petition to be filed by the
freeholders must be under oath; sol
must the defendants answer
While at first blush the charges
may not appear to be sufficient toI
demand removal, the law is that
the Judge may, upon application of
the prosecutor, suspend the Off
cials proceeded against, and the
vacancies shall be filled just as a
vacancy in case of death or resigna-
ton would be filled.
Saloons Have
Been Open
The custer law became effective
on the night of Jan. 20, when Gov.
p Rye signed it. Immediately after
that Mayor Crump announced tnat
the Memphis saloons must close,
and to all intents and purposes they
did close. The police not only
made wholesale arrests, but they
smashed stores of liquor right and
left Every now and then the
wave of liquor selling would get
stronger, and then it would die
down. Since then several closing
orders have been issued.-
During the last month at least
900 saloons were running in Mem
phis. There were not this many
full fledged bars in Memphis, but
liquor was being sold in at least
that many places. In some places
the liquor dealers got so bold that
thew got back to draught beer and
sold whisky right over the bar.
This continued until Tuesday,
when Vice Mayor Utley issued an
other closing order. Even yester-
day it was reported that the cos
ine order had not been wholly eff
fective.
During all this time the city Of
ficials have maintained that they
were doing their level best to en-
force the prohibition laws. There IS
no doubt that the gentlemen be-
hind the proceedings in custer have
plenty of evidence that saloons have
been running, but this raises the
question whether the plea OF the
citv officials that they have done
their hest will serve them as de-
Afense when the case comes on for
trial.