Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-08-20
WILL INVESTIGATE
BAGGAGE SEEING
Continued from FRS, Page1

imbursed for the damage done 10 the
baggage and contents
The Chief OF Police also stated that
the Mayor had not given him instruc
lions TO take Officer Sweet off the plain
clothes. or purity squad. 1t had
been agreed, he stated, that the va
rious officers suited for this character
Of work should be assigned in rota-
ton. Officer Sweet. who was formerly
for many months on the purity squad"
was put back in uniform for q time
and assigned to duty at Main Street
station. Recently he. has been again
act!"s In plain clothes under the chiefs
orders.
When asked why he had violated tho
Mayors instructions in regard to a
permanent purity squad" Major wer-
Ter said he had put Mr.. Sweet back
on the plain clothes duty when his turn
came around; that he could give the
names o. as many as 100 officers who
had served on the special prohibition
sluad since Officer Sweet was put back
in uniform.
In ihe case OF G. T.. Stanton Of $500
N'ns!nGton Avenue. who. some month.
ago, arrived al Elba Station with a
nanGtag containing Instruments Of mis-
profession, and who was taken from
street car and publicly searched at
Eiba Station b. members Of the pro.
hibition squad. Major Wcrner admitted
AT that time that the officers had yio
!aleo the law, but no steps were taken
against them for their excess Of zeal
/ IL was at that time that Mayor Ainslie
| gave pcremptory orders to the chief
that the illegal searching of baggage
must be stepped. The chief last night
stated that he had given orders to
olucers 10 procure search warrants He
d!d not say on what grounds warrants
we're 10 be obtained or what was to
constitute reasonable suspicion be-
lore the baggage of citizens was 10 be
ouoJected 10 search and seizure.
| MAKES SIGNED STATEMENT
OF BAGGAGE SEARCH
The signed statement of Mr. French
published in The Times-Dispatch yea
terday. follows:
y certain lady Of Richmond, recent
! ~ returning from New York, upon ar
rlvinG. gave her trunk check to the
transfer company. for them to deliver
her trunk TO her home. After several
/ hours waiting. 1t not having arrived.
sne' upon phoning. learned from the
transfer company that the prohibitio,
ponce were holding up all trunks, so
Jealous were they In their hunt for
liquor When her trunk nnany ar
| rived she found that the lock had been
FORCED and w:S hanging down. and
since then has been of no use 70 the
trunk. Further, the contents of the
trunk were materially upset The
writer. upon going more deeply into
the matter. learned that Officer Swec,
selected this lady's steamer trunk.
| which was similar to many others
there. and was properly labeled and
tagged with her name and address
thereon. and he decided. In the police
Vernacular. TO take a crack a. It.
After the cracking. no doubt much To
his dissusted Disappointment no liquor
| being found therein. the trunk was
| delivered to her home as aforcmen-
toned and described.
This form OF prohibition paranoia
may be part OF the laws OF a State gov
eminent run by the people and for the
people. but IT certainly smacks OF
might over right.
| Il had always admired the lighting
Virsinians. but alas! where a:e the
men OF yesterday? Whipped into y
cowed state. and wonder how long the
trance Is to last. and whether. with
the awakening, the people OF fine old
Virginia will shake Off their lc;harEy
and run their State as an honest de-
mocracy, which I translate as meaning
freedom Of the individual rights Of the
citizen. and not n despotic sdministra.
right to govern themselves"