Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1916-07-28
thlef Mays Gathers in Single
Handed Four Negro Gamblers
One Becomes Abusive
Trouble May be Brewing.
(Conmunicated,)

l II
open town. and that liquor was bein-
sold Illegally, also that gambling was
gong ON. These rumors found their
way into print, several papers re-
lerrlnE to the matter Last week'a
oiihch Valley News contained n col
uhh on the subject, which included tho
correspondence between the editor and
tho Commonwcnlths Attorney. Ii
mas been chargod that liquor was sold
oyer the counter and otherwise. and
thnt ono could get any reasonable
quantity desired
while these rumors were going tho
rounds Pocnhontns people are aware
of the fact that quantities of The stutr
come and 20. The express Office has
been doing thriving business, and
lots OF IT is unlondcd and delivered to
points i'll town. Those who do not in
uuiEc IN the article do not observe any
selling by the drink or by the bottle,
though IL is rumorcd that this kind
OF traffic has also been going on.Thcre
II possibly some question about it's
being sold by the drink.
While IL has been generally known
that liquor was being sold it has
nevertheless been more or less diff
licnit Tor the officers To get evidence
to convict. The officers have also been
handicapped, they sny by Just one
thing, thnt is so nccdful in cxccut-
ing the law, and that is public senti-
ment. There was considerable in
ritation ON the part of the ones en-
gagged IN the business, us well as their
friends, over the loss of their business
nix months ahead of schedule time.
This irritation extended pretty gen
orally among the dealers and busi-
ness men ns well MS members of the
council. as the town was deprived of
about $4,000 revenue. There wns,
therefore, nm under current of sym
pnthy with the dealers, and feeling
That they had not bee treated right,
which had the effect, 80 far ms tho
mayor and police force were concern
cd, of making it. difficult for them to
carry out the provisions of the law,
with regard To prohibition.
The result IT. that questions have
been asked by many citizens Az to
why the law was not enforced from
the beginning. or failing in that why
was the illegal traffic allowed to con-
tlnnc. The members of the police
force claim they have done tho
best they could under the the circum-
stances, in view of the conditions ex-
lstlng ns above enumerated. The
police force also claim that the action
0l The council III again opening church
street has been hudrnnce to them
in keeping the town clean. Otherwise
saloon keepers have time and again
pointed To the conditions that eX-
list and ask why the town should not
have had II revenue if the business is
To continue. There is also Sprinll-
ing of men who are inclined to 20
slow in the matter of law enforce
ment, not withng to "kill the town
dead, by closing down the lid" There
IL also nn element of men who feel
like nothing much can be done until
November |. and things can drift
along about as they are until after
| November.
Anyway, il seems that the police
have not been altogether idle. Sew
cral arrests have been made from
time To time and different ones have
been fined. But the evil has not been
stopped, and the officers have come to
the conclusion IL is about time to see
who's who. They have had some AZ
surnncc which have given them on
c0urnEemcnt. The letter of the COM
mOnwcnlth's attorney last week has
caused them to realize afrcsh that the
power and dignity of the common
wealth is behind them, and woe be-
tide tn man, be he white or black,
who wilfully Violates the law. While
il is true that there were II number
here who were not in favor of the
closing down of the saloons until the
first of November, the commonwealth
of Virginia, through its legislature,
declared that Pocnhontas should be
under prohibition on May /, and that
should settle the matter for all law
abiding citizens
IL Therefore bchoovcs every man
who has the best interests of the com
munity ut heart to stand by the Of
ficcrs in their effort to uphold the
law. The officers feel that with an
interested and determined people be-
hind them they can break up the il
legal traffic. Pocahontas people are
law abiding, patriotic and public spr-
tied, and while they are not much
for getting in the limclght or MAX
ing noise they do lot of good
thinking and reasoning, and they have
enough civic pride and patriotism to
want to see the law respected and
their officers for, and they have IL
right to expect them to do it. That
is what they elected their councilmen
for, TO wisely administer the affairs
of the town, and assist the officers in
the enforcement of the ordinances.
They have taken an oath to uphold
the law, and it is incumbent upon
them to do their duty. If they have
not the back to proceed they
should resign before the operation of
the custer law relieves them Of their
Office.
This is not intended as reflection
on our officers, but rather as an in
centivc to our citizens to rise to this
responsibilities of citizenship and to
stand by their officers. Our officers
have shown that they are men Of
courage, and are not afraid Of any
body.
A preliminary skirmish took place
Sunday morning, when Sergeant. G.
W. Mays obtained an entrance into
n room over Smith and Branson's
pool room and arrested four negroes
who were gambling. Although alone,
he took them all to police court. While
William Smith, colored, who is one of