The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-09-14
To SEEK REMEDY FOR
"txECRABLt" CONDITION
Commissioners Peters VIII Demand
That Railroad Agents Shall Not
Hinder Enforcement OF Law.
HALT OFFICERS ON
TRAIL OF BLOCKADE LIQUOR
yicc-President Duke Says searrh
Warrants Are Required but in Case
I'm Point Officers Contemplated No
Action Calling for Such Formally.

To what extent may a Waterman
ar other agent of a common carrier
use the police powers, conferred ny
the courtesy of the state, TO lnpeue
the officers and agents of the state IN
the enforcement OF the law
Unless a condition described as 'ex-
eersabie" bv Prohibition Commissioner
]. Sidney Peters is speedily remedleo
by the officials responsible therefor
the courts will be asked TO decide the
question. And thereby hangs tale
or possibly several OF them
For some time there has been com .
ing into the city. through Byrd street
station. considerable amount or
ahootleg" Uauor Two officers, one
OF them representing the department
OF prohibition and the other the Rich
rnend police Department, attempted 10
investigate. The oh ne Joyful had
been 6rouEh; in on ears which were
showed out OF the way of incoming
trains. ecessitating rather more than
a superficial investigation,
However. when the officers started
toward the suspected locality they
were halted by the railroad Waterman
and ordered of the premises. Their
protests of ample authority went un-
beeded and they left.
seeks Proper Assurances.
ftns1e9lafeiv Commissioner Peters
took the matter up with offfci8fx he
understood had authority in the mat
ter and was promptly assured that
there would be no repetition OF the
incident. But authority Is much d.
vided at Byrd street For time the
Atlantic Coast Line railroad has its In =
ming. and then the r.. +. e = takes
Il period at hat. in control of the STA
fi0n and yard
However that may be. when a Rich
IN f&satt yella8 tssg 5aeys fasasaSas sogssf3ss
tive Tuesday nigh; and started 70 IN
vestigate the supply suspected to he
coming in through Byrd -Street, he was
halted by a person describing himself
as assistant station agent and, accord
ing to the officer In question, this rep
resentatfve of the railroads declared
he had orders to keep all persons out
and that included every d police
man.
To File Formal Complaint
Now Commissioner Peters processes
10 act in earnest. In a day or two
he will file formal complaint with
Mayor Afnsiie and Chief Werner set
ting forth the interference of the rep
re8entatives Of the railway com panies
at Byrd Street with the efforts OF the
officers to enforce the laws OF Vir-
ginia and of the United States.
The opinion has been expressed that
proper procedure would have been for
the officers To have arrested those in
'terfering with them In the discharge
OF their duty.
Promptly Remedied mt @, q O. Depot
A somewhat similar situation arose
NJ the Chesapeake & Ohio depot In
this city. according to Commissioner
Peters, but all cause OF complaint was
promptly removed when brought 20
the attention of Chesapeake & Ohio
officials.
According to persons In a position
to form a correct opinion. consider
able liquor is being brought into Rich
mond both from wet and dry terri
tory. that from dry area being shipped
through the city to stations south and
then being shipped In such parcels as
not to excite suspicion.
VIII Require Search Warrant.
Last night a representative OF The