The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-20
BOLD BOOTLEGGERS
Would BURN AUTO
OF u. S. MARSHAL

.
Government officials are conducting
q thorough Investigation 10 ascertain
the identity Of persons who made the
unsuccessful attempts 10 burn the big
Cadillac automobile used by the Off
GERS connected with the Unite AteB
marshaIs office. Deputy @. Web
ater, Killed In b gun flglM Frssiky att
ernoon with VIII Smiddy, has had
! charge Of the car almost since his con-
nection with the marshal's office.
Two attempts were made to burn the
automobile, according to Louis Hum
phreys, deputy United States marshal,
in whose charge the car was at the
time. The car was standing in front
of Humphreys residence, I'll Poplar
avenue.
According to the officer, several un-
identified men drove up In an automo-
bile and emptied the contents Of 10
gallon can q gasoline n the back Of
before the oil was lighted
Getting into their own automobile
they ciroled the block and returned
| to the government car second time and
| attempted to light the oil, Meanwhile
Deputy Humphreys had been aroused
| and police headquarters were notified.
made their getaway, however, and no
trace of them was found.
The oil was dripping from the gov
| ernment car when Humphreys reached
the sidewalk shortly before Emergency
| Officers Pride and Brunner arrived
w, ID. Kyser, United States district
| attorney, was apprised of the attempts
| to burn the automobile Saturday morn
| ing and Immediately started an inves-
| tigation The entire machinery Of the
| government at the command of the
| district attorney and the marshall will
be set In motion to run down the men
| who attempted this deed
Old Bootleg Game.
Bootleggers only few months age
took the flvver owned by the city and
used by the police department In Its
pseudo antibooze raids, to bluff or
the mississippi river and ran IT into the
| water.
The police seemed TO take that as
| joke and apparently no serious effort
| was made to apprehend the men.
Stanley II. TreEevant, United States
/! marshal, who has been away from the
city for nearly 30 days on his vaca
ton was notified Friday afternoon q
Deputy webster's death. He will
reach Memphis Sunday morning at
services for the slain officer are com
pleted he will take personal charge Of
the situation,
Government officers have waged wal
/ against the bootleggers since the heeO
| amendment became a law, Local Off
cials stated Saturday that their activi.
ties would be redoubled and every ef-
fort made to break up the gangs OF
bootleggers and whisky runners whose
operations have been carried on fol
months with but little interference
Just what action Mr., Trezevant will
take Is matter of conjecture. but Mr.
Kyser is very strong in his denuneia-
1 tion OF the general conditions that eul-
minated in the desperate fight between
Webster and Smiddy and In which both
were killed, Mr.. Kyser paid tribute L
the good work Of Webster, and STATED
that, in his opinion Webster was one oi
the best officers in the service of tht
government In Memphis.
That government officials will do ev,
erything in their power to land behint
the bars all members Of the bootlegginl
fraternity, whether they receive th'
support Of the local police department
or not, is now assured No effort moi
expense will be spared TO bring about
an improvement in conditions, and al
Of the forces Of the government will bt
put behind the movement,