The Washington times., 1919-04-15
ASK CITIZENS
TOHELPSTOP
BOOTLEGG|NG
Police Worried by Prevalence
and Desperate Character of
Whiskey Blockade Runners.
BY BILL PRICE.


Shooting Of citizens and policemen
by professional bootleggers is taking
on such q serious aspect as to alarm
the District Commissioners and the
Police Department At the same
time feeling Of revulsion on the
part OF citizens generally, who ere
reaching the conclusion that, for the
good name OF the Federal Capital in
All parts OF the nation, the time has
arrived when there must be closer
cooperation with the police.
With this cooperation and q strict
er Interpretation Of existing laws by
the courts. the violations Of the stat
utes Of Congress will at least be min
imized.
Appeal to Citizens.
All three Commissioners OF the Dis
trict spoke seriously Of the situation
70 The Times today: Commissioner
Brownlow, In charge OF the Police
Department, urged that every citizen,
regardless OF his views as to prohibi-
tion, Join whole-heartedly in dis
oouragtng bootlegging and violation
Il the prohibition laws in whatever
form. Without the support Of these
men the enforcement Of the laws will
be difficult.
The police undoubtedly need the
cooperation and help Of every good
citizen" said Mr.. BrownloW.
Yes" said Commissioner Gardiner;
this support should be given freely,
but came across an old law OF the
District the other day making it the
duty OF any citizen called upon by a
policeman to assist in apprehending
any person or persons whom II may
be the duty OF the police to arrest"
Fine for Failure.
The law referred to by Mr.. Card
insr imposes q fine upon the citizen
who neglects or refuses TO assist
Commissioned Kutz added that he
believed in the enforcement OF ell
laws and the putting down OF crime
waves.
Il may not be generally known to
Eho laW-abidinE public, but Il IL q
faet that the professional bootleg
gers and the police who are watching
Ror them are both going heavily
armed
Bootlegging proved % profitable
before the Reed law went into ef-
Feet that many men and women made
small fortunes out OF IT; have bought
high-po~ered automobiles with which
they run away from the police almost
at will and have become desperate in
their willingness to take any sort OF
,ehances for the big profits derived
fr0m the business.
Crry PiGfOIs I'm C~L
Many Of them carry loaded pistols
in their cars prepared to shoot down
police officers who interfere with
their crossing into the District With
this knowledge the police officers and
detectives now assigned to county
roads leading into the District from
Maryland are not only armed with
pistols, but are carrying rifles and
shOtguns. They are prepared TO de-
fend themselves to the limit
Development Of the spirit Of vio- |
Iation Of whislley laws is leading to a
general disregard OF all laws by the |
Blockade runners. Along with boot |
Jogging goes theft and other crimes !
far more shocking.
Almost wholesale Violation.
Detectives at the Union Station and
elsewhere report that there is prac- |
ticaIIy wholesale violation OF the |
Law Many citizens Of Washington /
who stand well, and would resent
suEEestions to the contrary. daily |
bring into the city from New York or
baltimore small packages OF whisky |
strictly and wholly for their own use |
because they are so fully engaged /
with bootleggers, the policemen are /
giving practically no attention to /
this class of citizens, but today de-
cIared that IL the spirit of personal
libertyS remains as extensive as at
present, the effect will be to en-
courage violators Of the law who are
doing SO far profit Many OF the lat
ter regularly tell the police they do
not see why they should be arrested
81 HRood citizens" themselves disre-
oard the law, despite the fact that
The motives are entirely different
A Bad Now ~ Ever.
Major Pullman thought when the
Reed law became effective he woul1
he able to control bootlegging. The
industry IL almost as large now as
under the Sheppard law. and is being
carried on by a type Of desperate men
prepared TO kill to escape capture.
Due to the decision Of the courts
that Transporting whiskey through
~dry'' territory does not violate the
Reed law, professional bootleggers
have resorted to new and successful
tricks TO escape detection. A pair Of
fhem will 20 to Baltimore together
and I'LL two sUitcases with contra
hand. They will have two other suit
cases, in one Of which is a bottle Of
vyhiskey. They will buy tickets
through 70 Alexandria Arriving at
the Union Station they will have q
Dorter 70 carry the loaded sUitcases
20 a taxicab, the owner Of which will
20 TO q prearranged rendezvous.
The bootleggers go on to Alexan-
Aria. throw out Of the train the single
bottle OF Whiskey TO escape arrest
IN Alexandria, return to Washington,
,-onnect with the cab driver, Vho is
= party to the deal, and obtain the
loaded" suitcases for distribution in
Another scheme is TO leave cases OF
,vhiskey just over the District line in
Maryland and then bring "the goods" I
ever in small lots by way OF paths [
and across country avoiding roads