The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-28
LIQUOR THEFTS
SLOW DOWN FOR
WEEK-END SALE
Commissioner Issues One Of
His Usual PronunCiamentoS
Ordering Officers to Arrest
BootIeggerS as Migrants.

There were no wholesale robberies
of liquor shipments from freight cars
in the railroad yards or on side tracks
IN the city's wholesale district reported
during Thursday night or early Fri
day morning. The supplies secured in
that way during the past 80 days, to
which were added the receipts by auto
mobile by way of the overland route
from Cairo, and by river, probably were
deemed sufficient to tide the bootleg
gers syndicate over their Saturday
night and Sunday trade. Possibly no
whisky Laden freight cars were laid out
in. the railroad yards, and the whole
sale bootleggers are too busy placing
their recent thefts with the retailers
to haul off any more carloads.
The fact that wholesale thefts of
liquor were being made from nearly all,
the railroads entering Memphis was
not generally known until railroad Of
ficials compared notes several days
ago. Then it was discovered that the
losses from that class of thefts alone
were mounting up to figures that de-
manded action. What that action will
be remains to be disclosed, but that
action win follow the investigations
now In progress is certain, according
70 railroad officials.
Shipped to Morissey.
Little specific information is avail
able as to the robbeTies. for obvious
reasons. 1t is known, however, that
the Illinois Central had a car robbed
of large amount OF liquor; that one
car containing quantity of liquor was
robbed while standing on the side track
| near a big wholesale grocery, right in
| the heart of the jobbing district, and
| that another was robbed while stand
Ing in the local freight yaSds ot ans
other road. This latter car Is said to
| have been consigned to Tom Morrlsey,
Of Vicksburg, Miss, and DeSoto Island,
La. Morrisey's resort on the island 10
Well known and he figured some years
ago In connection with a boat that
| piled out OF the Memphis harbor, which
was reported 70 be purVeying liquor
to the passengers, who were always ne
groes. A letter alleged to have been
1 written to Morissey played part in
| the evidence In the flock of custer suits
yhicn appeared in Memphis soon after
4 ward.
Miller Writes Again.
Irrespective of the absolute freedom
| from arrest which the men higher up
| in the bootlegging combination enjoy In
| Memphis, which has led to the con-
viction that. they must be operating
under official protection, the recent
outbreak of many other crimes has
caused so much comment that G.. w,
| Miller, vice mayor and commissioner OF
fire and police and acting mayor, has
| issued another Of his usual Ironuncia-
mentos to members of the police de-
partment.
Friday he sent written communi-
cation to Police Chief j. b. Burney
stating that the most drastic action
will be taken, and policemen are liable
TO lose their jobs in droves unless they
at once proceed to arrest the known
bootleggers and bring them In at least
daily on charges of lettering and va
grancy.
His letter, addressed also to Hulet
Smith, chief of detectives, and to the
officers of the force, follows:
CAPTAINS, Sergeants, Detectives ant
Patrolmen.
Beginning this date you are hereby
instructed to make arrests of all per-
sons known by general reputation TO b,
in the whisky and gambling traffic. The
names of these men, their persons, alst
the number of their cars, are wei
known to you. After this date when
ever any officer is seen in conversation
with any of these men, or pass by whert
they can see them, or their cars, anC
fail to make arrests, this officer will
stand suspended from the city pay roll
Police and Leggers Pals.
There is not day passes that / d.
not personally see some Of our officer
in confidential conversation with som
of these men, and have personally OBJ
| served these cars, and the men driyinl
them, and there Is no. excuse for an
officer failing to arrest these men ii
; compliance with our oft-repated in
structions.
For the information of the men
} might add that we have out of tow
men observing the conduct of our force
and 1t will take decided improvement
in the conduct of a great many of ou
| officers, II they remain on the city pa
roll much longer. In a great man
: cases the cars belonging to these run
ners are standing at the curbs, withou
any drivers, and in such cases, wher
the drivers can not be found, you wi
phone the police station and we wi
arrange to send after the cars.
Y "There will be only one exception I
this order, and that Is this: that eac
one OF these men will only be arreste
once each calendar day, unless actual
4 detected in violation of the law Their
will be no deviation from this orde
and it is useless for any officer to com
) to us in order to be reinstated wher
E he has failed to cary out these instruc
| tions
. 1--WE desire to deal fairly with on
I men, and in return we expect them [
be fair with us and the city that give
A them employment,