The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-05-31
SHERIFF SAYS HE
IS BUSY ON lob
If Anything Is Wrong in the
County He Would Like to
Have Information.

Sheriff Perry has prepared n state
ment OF the activities Of his office since
he was sworn In on Sept. J., 1918, in
order TO convince the public that he is
doing his duty. He declares that the
dives in the county, TO the best OF his
knowledge, have been closed ana If
there Ia one open he would like to be
informed, This Is quite a contrast to
conditions that existed up 10 the time
he went into office when the town WAS
almost completely surrounded by wide
open liquor joints that drew their pat
ronage from the city,
The sheriff's statement follows:
During the seven months since Sept.
/, lslSspthat | have been in office, in
addition 70 the numerous arrests that
| have made for lettering, gambling and
all other crimes, | have made 6S ar
rests for the violation or the four-mtle
law, and have closed UP all the notori-
Gus joints In the county that formerly
existed. These have not been trivial
arrests, but have resulted In the con
viction OF 40 bo~otleggers,
Helped U. s. Court.
"0nly three Of my cases have been
nolle pressed, and seven bills have been
ignored before the grand jury, five Of
which were based on possesslon OF fed
eral licenses. ] have IS cases stu
tNfhNAhiM ~ NiiN hNhl W.T. VI wv
| expect 90 secure convictions In all.
These results Of my office have been
accomplished by four or five deputies
n myself after court hours,
In addition to these arrests, ! have
prosecuted four notorious bootleggers in
the federal courts, n have secured
convictions, and | have confiscated liQ-
uor TO the value OF over $40, 900.
These arrests and convictions have
also resulted in several bootlcggors
leaving the state.
II am not making this statement ms
any apology for my office, but merely
~ explanation 30 that the public may
know that my office has been active,
and has accomplished in this direction
more than any previous sheriff In the
county did In the full term Of office,
Welcome Investigation.
There has been a great deal OF talk
about the officers in the state. city and
county departments accepting graft, and
Know, my deputies are honest. but
n case II should develop that any of
these men, whether on my personal
STAFF or In magistrates offices, have
been guilty or accepting brides from
bootlegBcTs, they will o only be dis
charged but prosecuted and | win assist
In every way.
can OF these deputies, whether on my
personal staff or in magistrates offices,
have been charged with the enforce
iueht OF the four.mlle law. Constahles
are elective and are not appointed by
the sheriff, and are not under his con-
troll,
within tho last year, In two in
stances In the federal court, bootleg
gers have claimed that they paid dep
uty sheriffs for the privilege OF oper-
ating, but this existed before l was
sheriff.
Co-operates With ALI.
II have not failed to cooperate with
either the federal or city authorities,
and as n matter Of fact, four Of the
city police officers arc now commits
stoned by me and have full authority
10 go anywhere In the county.
Az " heavy personal expense, and
after chasing him through three states,
Missouri, Louisiana and Arkansas, |
brought back Il, A, Laughter, tho king
OF b~ootleggers, and he Is now serving
his time In the county w%orkhouse. |
also made him pay hts bond Of 81, 900,
which was turned over 70 the county,
II hope that tho local fee law now
before the supreme court. which places
my office on a salary basis, will be
declared constitutional, This law pro-
vides for the payment Of all tho OK.
penscs OF my office. and this would
enable me to employ moro deputies,
purchase h~igh-power automobiles. and
provide other machinery for the law
enforcement, which the county court is
unable TO allow"