Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1916-05-18
FIGHT LIQUOR
IN ALABAMA
Military Placed in Control
of Situation at
Girard ::
MUCH WHISKEY SEIZED
Long Known as a Wide-Open Town
Notwithstanding the Stringent Pro-
hibitiOn Statutes

Columbus Ga. May 1S--The mill
tary last night took charge of the
situation in Gilard, where Special
Agent Baughan, of Atlanta, special
law agent for the Attorney-General
of Alabama. yesterday raided twelve
places and cor iscated many thousands
of dollars worth of liquor held in
violation of the Alabama prohibition
laws. Captain Dallas Smith of Com
pany |, Second Regiment National
Guard of Alabama. from Opelika. il:
sued an order placing the military in
control at :35 o'clock last night.
The Opelika company numbering
| twenty seven men arrived at Glraro
late yesterday afternoon and began
patrOling the streets. They were
sisted by 105 special deputies from
Montgomery. Mobile, Birmingham,
NGirard and Phenix City, Ala. and Col
umbus and Atlanta, Ga.
Five freight cars were ordered last
night by Special Agent Baughan to
carry the contiscated liquor to some
unnamed destination tomorrow. prob
ably Opelika, Montgomery or Union
Springs.
Word that Governor Henderson, at
! Birming CHAM, had declared that con-
fiscated liquor could not be removed
from tn, houses in which it was found
without court order met the re-
'spense from Baughan that he intend
ed moving it tomorrow morning un-
less prevented by an injunction OF
other court order.
The raids which began at s o'clock
Yesterday morning after = special
train carrying twenty-five deputles
arrived from Montgomery, will be
resumed tomorrow. and will continue
for a week, according to Baughan.
Girard is town of 5000 popu-
lation, and when the crowds that I'LL
cd the streets intcrfered somewhat
with the raiders. the guardsmen were
brought in to assist in keeping order
and guarding the confiscated liquor,
Two other companies at Montgomery
one at Union Springs and another at
TROY, also were ordered ready for
service. according to Baughan.
The raiders arrived at Girard at
$40 o'clock yesterday morning and
remained in seclusion until S o'clock,
when they suddenly swooped down on
the suspected places. Other deputies
arrived during the day. Under the
Alabama law, such raids may be made!
ONLY between the hours Of A. ;,
and 6 P. NJ. The Mayor yesterday
afternoon appointed several police
men and ordered them to protect the,
property of Girard citizens. Special
Agent Baughan ordered his men to-
: arrest any one interfering with them !
Three hundred barrels of whlskey
were found and seized in one place
! in lower Girard. In a farmhouse five
miles from Girard stock of liquor
t estimated by Baughan to be worth
$4,000, was seized. Two men guard
! ing the liquor attempted to draw
: pistols, but were dsarmed by the
e deputies. They were released. but
later Baughan ordered their arrest.
] Girard has been known as wide
: omen" town despite Alabama's prohl-
bition laws. which are very stringent.
: 1t is said that many thousands OF dol
o lars worth of liquor, some placing
+ the amount as high as S30O,OO0 was
i carried across the State line when
4 Georgia's prohibition laws became ef-
fective, May !.
Following complaints made tc
State officials, according to reports
the officials Of Russell County, il
: which Girard is located. were notified
that Girard must be Cleaned up.
The officers. it is said, either were
o unable or unwilling to do so, ant
: the Attorney General, who is armed
r with wide powers under the prohi
J. bition laws. decided to take hand.