The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-05
DOUIltGetR GOES FREE
ON BARE TECHNICALLY
John Beavers and Ray Williams,
Caught with Automobile Loaded
With Liquor, Acquitted by
Hcnrico Court.
ADMITS SELLING LIQUOR
Plea That He Was on Continuous
Passage Through State to North
Carolina and Not Subject to Vir-
ginia Law Sustained by Court.

How the phraseology of the law
may be juggled to fit the occasion and
how the clever criminal may provide
for himself loophole In the very
barriers the people set up for protec-
ton from just such as he was the
story to be told in the action of q
Henrico county jury yesterday that
freed John Beavers and Ray Williams
from a charge OF Illegally transport
ing ardent spirits.
Some time ago Beavers and Will
liams. in an automobile loaded with
liquor. were arrested at Glen Allen
by Sherifr Webb Sydnor and County
policeman Sesy. The prisoners had
trouble with their car, and had to
stop. giving tho officers an oppor-
tunity of discovering the liquor well
packed in the rear OF the machine.
The two men declared that they were
on their way from Washington Ia
North Carolina. and had not Intended
stopping in this state at Al! bat for
the tire trouble which ffecessi tated
their stopping. They were held. ana
"A grand jury indicted them for viu-
latins the prohibition laws. Yester-
day they appeared for trial and were
acquitted.
The plea put up 10y counsel for
the defense was that the men were
on their way TO another state, and
that they had 10 transactions in Nir-
ginia. Beavers was proved 10 he
merely Il Washington chauffeur hired
TO drive Williams TO the Tar Heel
stale The latter however by his
own testimony. was shown 10 he
professional bootleEger. and carrying
with him the liquor for the purpose
of Selling ii in North Carolina, He
lac. ia, af.fl ptsG
other hootlegger in Raleigh. whore
Williams lives
Admits He l. Bon,icgSer
williams told the court that hc ha
been III this Illicit liquor business tor
about a year aud that he has sold
great deal OF whiskey IN his state.
carrying it ia through Virginia from
Washington and other places. He
gets S. Il pint for it. he said, and that
il had proved II Very lucrative husi-
ness Tic claimed however, that the
virginia law had no right to touch
him, sitscc he was on continuous
passage 10 auother state
I'ouf.tnnWtaith's Attorney W. w
Beverly offered the plea that tic law
which would seem to allow the prison.
er TO carry on such apparently
nagraut traffic ia contrnband goods
arpIies only to tratfic on common
carriers" and that he automobile
was rot a common carrier. NY re-
fcri1ng 20 The dusty pages of long
goreotten statute however. Il was dis
covered tina, before he advent OF rail
roads and such vehicles - travel the
word common carrier was used. and
consequently ~ uld apply TO any mode
of travel y
section g. Of the prohibition act,
D. reads as follows: NO person o. iira1.
and no corporation Other than cot
uoratiou~ ANT hcrized lay the laws Of
this state 10 engage IN the tranSpor-
iati0n or erchardiEc, as common
carriers. shall bring into this state,
ff''' We" fs' mrs sr8te. from any poin:
without this state or transport from
one point /" another II this state, or
front any point ia this state to any
point " ithout this state any ardent
spirits. and no common carrier shall,
except as hereinafter provided. bring
into this state. from any point with
ont this state or transport from one
point 10 another within the state. any
ardent spjrits>eXeept as follows and
the one-quari measure Is prescribed.
Freed On Technicality.
Williams was allowed to go free.
since his hired automobile was recog-
nized as IA common carrier. or since
some technicality in the wording Of
the prohibition law. which had no in
tention of giving a free rein to such
criminals a. should care 10 avail
themselves of il, WAS resorted 10
superintendent E:rb. OF the local
Pinkerton ie%ective agency, stated
Yesterday that Williams has been in
trouble in Raleigh. and that the police
of the Old .sorth state will want 10
see him. He was involved in a robbery
conspiracy there, it is said, and has
heen on an enforced leave Of absence
from that state for some time
Williams had a book when he was
arrested which contained the names
of the men to whom he was carving
the liquor found in the car. and il is
said the list contained the names of
some very prominen. North Carolina
officials. II thought that the authori-
ties from Virginia's neighbor state
VIII place charges OF Illegally selling
I'm