The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-03-12

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ourselves with such laws az were pass
ed by the last Legislature.
TROUBLE WITH CITIZENS WHOSE
IAAXITY NULkIFTElS THE LAW
Be IL said to the credit of our police
judge and Judge of the hastings court
that they have given their support to
the enforcement Of the prohibition
law. The trouble is not with the
judge. You citizens who serve upon
juries can nullify the prohibition law
by your laxity Conditions must have
been grave for a Judge to rebuke a
jury after violator of prohibition
law had been acquitted. 1t Is our re-
proach that Richmond Is the only city
In the commonwealth where o change
OF venire has been asked.
For another thing. policemen are
charged with being too vigorous In
arrests. and it is sta-ed in public print
that unless the purity squad is
permanently q iscortinued. there will
be a new chief of police" Who called
the plain clothes men a purity squad"
IL not the impure? What Is the au-
thority behind the statement that the
chief Of police will lose his position
unless these two men who have made
more arrests of the violators of the
liquor law than any ten policemen In
Richmond are taken from their spe-
cial task?
The police power Is concentrated in
the mayor. Concentration of power
is good thing in the hands OF
strong man. but 1t may be dangerous
in the hands of the weak. The mayor
has never been known for his ad-
vocacy of prohibition. and many have
fpa that rttr yua II in
'r these laws would be in the mayors
Office II looks as II the fears are
we'll grounded. The number of ar
rests for the violation of the liquor law
in Richmond has perceptibly decreas-
ed In the last few days, and men at
the station OF tho Washington and
Baltimore trains say that liquor is
coming by them in suitcase after suit
case.
Sweet and Bertucci arrested thirty
two liquor vtolators In January and
February. and since the prohibition
law went into effect they have erred
I'm their suspicious in only one case.
But now. for some mysterious reason,
these fearless and aggressive officers
must be put In uniform. and there is
letting up In the enforcement of the
law. The people OF Richmond should
face this situation fraught with so
much seriousness
RIDICULOUS HUE AND CRY
ABOUT HAVING WARRANT
Again. there is a hue and cry raised
all at once against taking suspects In
charge without a warrant. For more
than thirty years it has been the prac-
tice OF the police to arrest, for any
misdemeanor upon reasonable sus-
pcion. and without warrant. You
may find such cases on the police
docket every week. But, suppose the
wishes OF the opponents of prohibit
ton prevail. and the policemen must
go to the magistrate and secure a
warrant before he can nab one sus-
pected of violating the law. You see
how ridiculous the situation becomes.
policeman sees a man alight from
the train with suitcase full of whis-
key. He cannot arrest him, but must
go off and look up n magistrate. and
while he is gone the criminal makes
his flight / say here with all earn
estness, that this attempt In Rich
mond to make this law obnoxious VIII
be met by the people Of Virginia with
the intelligent resentment which it de-
serves, and the next legislature will
not fail to provide all necessary
weapons for the enforcement OF the
law.
/ Loyal prohibitionists and law ahid-
ing antis should actively counteract
every attempt to nullify and make
odious our prohibition law. They
should frown upon anyone who pen
aiizes an officer for the fearless dis,
charge OF his duties These officers
are to be commended for their dill
gence. On the other hand 1t is talked
around that evildoers, whose illwil
~ hoc {nn Al AZ q
a frame up" on him, and $3.50 was
mentioned as the amount of the aware
to those who got him" The minds
of the people are poisoned by OPP.
position to the efforts 10 enforce the
law. and sensational stories ars pa
raded before the public. intended Il
show that grave injustice has beer
done
One case was that of a negro
cleared In the hustings court, Hi
liquor had been confiscated. and HI
was said. after being put in jail. K
he left penniless, and an innocent mar
on his way to North Carolina, ant
IA citizen of that state. Here is hi
picture: Gallery, 574 Is his number
Since 1912 he had been arrested ter
times in Richmond for various crimes
including the larceny OF lot of whs
key. the larceny OF SIS In currency
larceny OIL IL kCl Oh SIloeB, IeiOHlOuSll
breaking into private premises ant
stealing clothes. larceny of milk. lar
csny of trousers. vagrancy twice. lar
ceny Of coat. and last. transporting
whiskey He hal spent months Ii
Jail and in the penttentiary. and wa.
well known by the officers as a va
grant and a thief But some way
under the ruse of being on his wa,
to his home In North Carolina, HI
was cleared of the charge of trans
porting whiskey, and then he wal
held up rs n case OF injured Innocence
The liquor men are working The
North Carolina ruse for all it is worth
II is very easy to buy ia ticket to NORTH
Carolina ard get off at Richmond, ane
stay here with the Illicit whiskey, i
the officers do not arrest you. but ir
case you are caught to set up as
defense that you were In interstate
commerce. and on your way to youl
home In the old North State.
y HERCULES is NEEDED AT
HEAD OF CITY GOVERNMENT
Various efforts have been maze II
bluff the officers, but they have dis
mally failed. One suspect defied tnC
officer and brazenly pointed his flnge,
IN his face and said, Arrest me Il
you dare. and you will pay for 1t