The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-01-02
DETECTIVE TELLS LEO
KIDD LIQUOR STORY

staunton. Va, Jan. i.--One OF the
most interesting cases involving al
legged violations of the state prohi-
hilton laws yet to Ire tried in loca!
courts liz that which was opened Tues
day morning before Judge Henry w.
Holt in the circuit court The spec
tacular features OF this particular
case against Jas. NJ johnson, nine
teen-year- youth, who was caught
| in the automobile of the famous Leo
Kidd on that werl-rem embered early
! morning of November "a. at the toll
gate Just this side OF Waynesboro,
serve TO make il sound strangely like
a chapter from a story OF the wild
and wooly' in the days of the James
brothers.
The case is made doubly interest
ing ny the fight being made by the
attorneys for the defense upon the
testimony Of the commemorative
chief witness, c. Fl. FalweIl. a.
Baldwin detective.
Ire prosecution is being conducted
by Commemorative Attorney FL. Fl.
Kerr. assisted by T. w. Whitehead,
attorney for the state prohibition de-
partment-
Falwell states that he has been a
, resident of Lynchhurg all hts life
and ethat he got into the sleuthi,rg
ciai officer of Campbell county.
although Mr. Tfmberlake contfnu-
ally referred to him as "a ''s>-csll-
ed detective" He explains his pres
ence in Augusta county hy stating
that he was engaged by Sc veral pec-
pie of the Waynesboro section to
come down there and investigate
certain cattle thefts IN tfe noun
/ AIMS there s"op1
While admitting mat he had never
seen Kidd before. FalweI1 told OF
how he, in company with the late
Robert ScruggS. chief-cf- police Of
influenza. and Norman and Walter
Fisher planted themselves. we'll arm
ed with revoivers and shctguns at
the wavneshoro toli-gate shorty after
midnight
When the Kidd car came up, Fall
Heu corfrnated Kidd with a gun and,
Etold him to disembark. II was then.
saccordffss. 10 the detective. that he
saw from twenty to twenty-five
quarts of Cascade whisEey in indi-
vidual cartons both behind the oc-
d.
compartment in the rear frame -wG~Fy
of the seat and beneath the rear up
right cushion.
Kidd left the car but quickly
climbed aboard when nspment lat
er a second car in the rear pulled
up across the-road. -atf-cHFtaias
down, and opened a hot fire on the
officers. In the confusion that fol-
lowed. both machines retired in the
direction Of Fishersvflle, closely
pursued by the detective and his
fellow officers at a high-rate of speed.
Suspectfny that Kidd would re-
his men returned to waynesboro.
but instead of waiting at the same
gate. proceeded to the what Is
known as the Basic gate. before
long the Kidd car again came up.
This time Johnson was driving and
when confronted hv the officers, Kidd
loudly ordered Johnson to drive
through the rope that stretched
across the road. at the Same time
in pumping me you are bsimping
the United States government and
defantly Displaying bars pinned to
his bosom. which he declared show
ed him TO he first lieutenant.
Not feeling sure Of his authority
in holding an army officer, as Kidd
seemed to be. Falwell permitted
him 70 pass, but not until he had
taken down license number. Then
as the car disappeared UP the dark
mountain road. the detective scan
ned list of suspected hoo1e cars
and found that the number Of
Kidd's car was on the list He i'm
medlateiy sent a messenger back to
Waynesboro with instructions to tele-
phone the Charlottesville authorities
to hold Kidd IN that city. This was
done and the two men were later
returned to the local JAN
Johnson's defense is that he
came along with Kidd as driver and
that they were taking certain re-
pair parts to the Jones Motor COM
pany. IN Richmond His attorneys
also declared thew will prove there
was no liquor in the car at the time
It was xctxed.
At noon the Cadillac roadster.
which to all appearances is the
same N which Kidd was captured
on the streets OF Staunton when
the famous extra tire depository
for liquor was successfully intro
duced. wns driven up in front OF the
courthouse and the jury examined 1t.
The compartment in the back Of the
seat was found as represented by Fai.
wen.