The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-09-30
seized BREWERS
PAPERS WITHHELD
Anti-Liquor Men Eager to Have Evi-
dcnce in Pittsburgh Case
Brought to Light.
BRING OUT THE WHOLE TRUTH
Everhart Has Prepared Statement of
Matters Leading Up to Palmcr's
Startling Announcement.

New York. N. Y. Sept. 29.--Leaders
of the anti-liquor forces in this city
are much interested to know wheth-
err the investigation of the Washing
ton Times affair will really lead to
the exposure of the evidence against
public men and the brewers. gather
ed in the Pittsburgh case against the
brewers and since then withheld from
publicity. apparently because of the
prominence of the persons and per-
haps other newspapers they are said
to involve.
The Ant-Saloon League OF this
state Ia eager to have the whole truth
brought out into the light. Pending
further action by the senate commit
tee, Rouin O. Everhart, OF the league.
has prepared a statement of the mat
ters leading up to the announcement
by A. Mitchell Palmer, alien property
custodian, which uncovered the Wash
ington Times situation and led to the
adoption OF senate resolution for
an investigation not only OF that but
also of the Pittsburgh case papers.
Mr.. Everhart says the action has
covered the past four years. In
January, 1915" he says. the attor-
iney-general of Texas filed suit against
seven of the leading brewers of that
state for violation of the state anti
trust law for the use OF corporate
means and assets in politics and cleo
lions in violation of both general
statutes for government corporations
and special statutes
THE result of this action brought
about the publication Of several vol
umes in 1915 revealing the wholesale
control of Texas voters by Texas
brewers, the outright corruption and
payment of political taxes for voters
and the shaping and control of legis-
lation and elections which included
the local-option elections within the
state. AS a result, many brewers for
feited their charters in Texas In the
spring OF 1918 statutory state wide
prohibition was enacted. Texas has
ratified the constitutional amendment.
"E Lowry Huues, United States
district attorney for the western dis
trict OF Pennsylvania. inaugurated the
prosecution aimed at the Pennsylvania
brewers In 1915 for corrupt practices
in the election of 1914, when Senator
Boies Penrose was last elected. With
little evidence at hand, Mr.. Humes
cyan his case The early part of the
timony. but Mr.. Humes unearthed
enough facts against the United States
Brewers association to secure sub
poenas for some of its officers.
Thus Hugh Fox, secretary of the
association, and other members. were
subpoenaed to Pittsburgh with all
their documents betaring on the sub
iect. MIR. Fox went. carrying only
small handbag containing some UNI
important documents which he swore
were all the records in existence in
the association possession. as all the
others had been destroyed.
But Mr.. Humes was prepared for
this. and had given Instructions to the
federal officials to seize all documents
pertaining to the case from the Office
of the association in New York.
While Fox was testifying to the nom
existence of the documents. an official
raid was being made on the offices, and
nearly carload OF documents and
plans were discovered.
The attorney fxed a six-n1 onths
time for the proper classification and
sorting OF this matter, which covered
period Of ten years history OF the
sssSFsc fatfon- Tfumss continued To press
hts suit, using his own statements,
with the result that in order to avoid
publication of the facts contained in
these documents, the association
pleaded 'noio contenders,' which IL
the equivalent OF guilty. and paid
fine of $4,000.
The government still retained the
evidence in its hand. yet all the eff
forts on the part OF individuals and
groups OF individuals favoring the
drys since that time to obtain these
documents have always brought re-
fusa,s from those high in power, with
the explanation that the public rev.
citation OF these documents would
cause the ruin of more regulations
than any other documents in the
country's history The league has
been untiring in its efforts to uncover
these facts. but the way has always
seemed blocked by an adanant wall.