The Washington times., 1919-04-20

State prohibition commissioner. He Is .
very earnest and capable official and the
tireless work Of his prohibition, officers
is pointed to as showing what can be done
to thoroughly eliminate liquor from q
State. with the right sort Of enforcement
law and vigorous measures to execute the
law the nation can be drained dry and
kept dry.
Mr.. Peters realizes that not everybody
fully approves Of prohibition and, there
fore. is not disturbed by complaints sucn
as were made by the Mayor Of Wilmington,
North Carolina Commissioner Peters
Iovally defends the acts Of his liquor depu-
ties, and in replying to those who dislike
their activities said: Prohibition Is
social revolution and inevitably proVokes
criticism. We may expect some irritation
here and there"
In some instances Commissioner Peters
has had to meet quite violent opposition,
but has stoutIy defended and stood by his
prohibition aides. When the four Virginia
State prohibition deputies charged with
the numbering of Hudson and Shackleford
were brought up for hearing at Woodstoek,
Virginia, recently there was almost an
uprising of the community. So serious
was the feeling that the accused prohiot-
ton agents-Harry F. Sweet, ]. H. Sulli-
van. W. C. Hall and W. M. DunleaVy-
were ordered taken to the Fredericksburg
jail under the protection OF the Richmond
militia company, which had stood guard
in and about the court house during the
hearing.
The prohibition officers received their
hearing in a room from which all specta-
tors were barred aAd at each door ana
window of which a member Of the COM
pany of Richmond Light Infantry CBlues)
stood with a fixed bayonet The agents
were brought to Woodstock late in the day
under guard of the infantry company, and
the jail in which they were confined was
closely guarded throughout the night.
Because of the feeling against the four
men throughout that part OF Virginia II
was decided to take them to Fredericks-
burg for safekeeping, pending the meet
ing of the Grand Jury. The infantrymen
acted as a guard for the prisoners, who
were threatened with lynching.
Counsel for the prohibition Officers
made no fight to prevent the men being
held for the Grand Jury. The prosecution
presented several farmers who testified
that they saw pistol flashes in the dark
ness after being aroused by the first shots
and that the flashes were outside the MUIR
ueTeu men dulOHODlle. n y GdIOeEs
garage owner, testified that holes, in the
curtains of the automobile in which
ShackIeford and Hudson were returning
from Baltimore showed that all the shots
were fired from the outside.
The situation throughout the nation
after the first Of January will vary If the
various States do not adopt uniform laws
for enforcement The new stringent law
in Michigan forbidding the possession Of
liquor Is expected to actually rid the State
of liquor But IL New York's Legislature,
for instance, refuses to enact lay which
will permit the search Of the family medi-
cine closet, then the rigors of prohibition
will not be so severe. The farmer. can
still have a little cider in the cellar, and
those who have bottle or two laid away
may keep them for sickness or grand ocea-
sions