The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-10-15
RECORDS CONVICT
LIQUOR BUSINESS
Enforcement OF Prohibition Law Cuts
Down Size of Police Docket
In Memphis.

Memphis, Tenn, Oct. l4.-The re-
cord Of arrests by the police may not
be absolute proof of the results OF
enforcement of the liquor laws but
these records fall very little, II any,
short of being conclusive.
1t is only since June 2s. when
Mayor Ashcroft placed Captain ]. NJ.
Council In charge OF squad with In
structions to suppress gambling and
the liquor traffic, that there has been
anything like an earnest, conscientious
effort to enforce the law in Memphis.
A comparison OF the last three
months with the corresponding three
months Of 1915 does not tell the whole
story. There was some pretense Of
enforcing the law in 1915. and even
now there Is violation Of the liquor
laws in the form of blind tiger opera
tons and bootlegging.
The comparison is interesting,
nevertheless, and 1t will be hard to
reach any other conclusion than that
the reduction in the size Of the GRIM
inal record IL directly traceable to the
success that has attended attempts to
suppress unlawful sales of liquor.
During July, August and Septem-
Der Of this year. according to records
kept by Henry Nuetzel. court officer
at the police station. 1884 arrests. ex-
elusive OF four-mile violations, were
made.
There were SIT arrests for violating
the four mile law.
The total number for the CORE
spending months of 1915 was 2.9Os.
Classification OF the arrests is even
more Interesting than a consideration
of the sum total, and furnishes a
powerful argument In favor OF PROFIT
bition.
During three months in 1915, when
the law was not being as strictly en-
forced as 1t is now. the police found
1t necessary to arrest twenty-four per-
sons for begging.
During the past three months only
one arrest has been made for begging
In 1915. during the period adopted
for comparison, 1854 persons were ar
rested for disorderly conduct and 11s
for being drunk and disorderly. a
total Of 282. while the ombined total
for this year Of Our Lord, 1915, was
only twenty three.
Fast driving, under which head Is
included automobile speedings, seems
to bear a direct relation to violation
OF the liquor laws. The speeder en-
dangers not only his own person and
property. but Is a menace to others
During three months in 1915 the
police arrested 346 persons for fast
driving.
For the corresponding period Of
1915 the number was reduced to 1o3.
Pfckpockets seem to have ceased
operating During August one arrest
was made for that offense, and three
persons were arrested during the
present month. A total Of thirty
three was reached in 1916.
The number of arrests for larceny
has been reduced from l02 to eighty
five, lettering from 179 to only three,
trespass from seventeen to SIX vag-
ranoy from sixty-eight to only four.
and the number committed for in
sanity from fifty-four to nineteen
While there may be no direct proof
that the number OF persons held for
insanity was smaller because of the
falling off in the sale OF liquor, 1t is a
startling circumstance to be consid
cred in connection with the whole
question.
The foregoing record cannot be
minimized by saying that police effort
was concentrated against liquor SELL
ers to the neglect OF other law vio-
lators. The campaign against liquor
has been waged by Captain Couch
and handful Of men. and the re-
mainder of the police force has been
free to carry on the ordinary business
of the department.