The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1919-01-18
VICE WAR IS
INAuCURATED
IN RICHMOND
BY MINISTERS
Chief German Expresses Will
ingness to Cooperate With
Association in Campaign
Against Law Violations.
WATCH BOOTLECCERS

Alleged immoral conditions preva-
lent in Richmond are under investiga-
ton by a committee of the Minister
ial Alliance, it was learned today. and
a report may be submitted at a meet
ing Monday.
Rumors of alleged illicit sales of
liquor, bootlegging, violations of the
liquor laws, and the presence of
houses of ill fame are under investiga-
tion, it is said.
Chief of Police German discussed
the problem today. Violators of the
liquor law, he said, are hard to arrest
because they work secretly and dodge
uniformed officers. Richmond has
is willing to compare the number of
arrests made for violations Of the
liquor laws with those made in any
city Of this size in the state.
Evidence Needed.
II am willing to cooperate with the
Ministerial Alliance in detecting and
prosecuting violators of the law" he
said. 81 suggest. as one effective
means, the raising of fund that will
enable the hiring of two out-of-town
detectives to make a thorough inves-
tigation of the situation.
Liquor law violators do not work
in the open. They follow devious
ways. Officers have sometimes watch
ed for hours on the public highways
to catch certain men whom we sus-
pected of importing liquor. but with
nyrt Thar -
of crossing the Ohio line. Some men
cross in Union county, drive north to
Centerville and enter Richmond from
the west or from the north. To sue
cessfully break up the smuggling OF
liquor contraband, we would have to
patrol every highway leading into
Richmond and search every auto
mobile
eH is exceedingly difficult to obtain
evidence against alleged bootleggers
and importers of liquor, Chief German
said. ''If any man in Richmond has
evidence against violator of the Law.
and is willing to swear out an AFFIDAVIT.
for his arrest, l will be glad to CO.
operate. The police department is
handicapped in running down rumors
and catching violators because it has
no money to hire detectives. Every
patrolman is known to the men who
brazenly violate the law, and as a
result we must catch the violator with
the goods
Resorts Are Listed.
The police department has knowl-
edge of the rumors that have been
rife in the city for many months. OIL
GERS have tried to verify the reports
that liquor can be bought in fifty
places in Richmond: that bootleggers
ply their trade with impunity, that
whole truckloads of whisky cross the
Ohio line on the National road bound
for Indianapolis; that cars specially
constructed to carry $50 bottles OF
whisky pass through Richmond period
ically; that liquor is sold in stores
under many guises; that women are
actively engaged in the Illicit trans
portation and sale of whisky.
Slight verification Of these reports
can be found by the police department.
They asked citizens who made them
to help trace the rumors to their
source, but have been unable to find
evidence that would convict. A care
full watch has been kept on dance
halls, where, it was asserted, liquor
was given to girls. No evidence could
be obtained.
The Ministerial Association commit
tee, it is said, has list of houses of
questionable repute, which was COM
piled by two men.
The Richmond Federation of Church
es. one minister explained, would here
after investigate moral conditions, as
one of the objects of the organization
is the promotion of better citizenship.