New-York tribune., 1919-10-30
Fighting Starts and Bull
lets Fly When Revenue
Agents Enter Bar ON
AID St. Near 9th Ave.
Brewers to Begin
Test Suit To-day
Bars Quickly Start to
Close When Warning Is
Issued and the City Be-
comes Driest in History

New York City to-day is dricr than
ever before in its history.
The transition from d diet of mixed
"hard Ticker" to one of matted milk
and equally innocuous drinks was made
with the aid of revolvers in the hands
of revenue agents. Raids were made
on ten places and two men wounded
before the final closeup was brought
about
If single saloon in Greater New
York was selling anything stronger
than near-beer last night, it was be-
cause sixty oveYworked revenue agents
could not get around to their cases.
The nan who SOUGHT drink with a
kick" made a discouraged circuit Of
the clty without hnding anything that
would approach his requirements.
But the liquor interests still are
hopeful. Representatives of the city's
brewers closed a conference in the af-
ternoon with decision to begin an
immediate fight against prohibition in
the courts. To-day they will begin in
junction proceedings in the United
States District Court to test the valid
ity of the Volstead Enforcement act.
Elinhu Root and William D. Guthrie
will represent the brewers.
Counsel Advises Saloons to Close
Colonel d. L. Porter, VINO is charged
with enforcement of the dry" meas
ure in the. New York revenue division,
vas officially notified from Washing
ton that the Volstead act had been in
force since 3:40 o'clock Tuesday after
noon.
The colonel, who unit! recently was
fighting Germans in the Argonne, lost
no time in notifying William d. Hirst,
attorney for the city's brewers, that
the lid had been clamped down. Mr..
Hirst Immediately advised his clients
to lock their doors and obey the law
Then Colonel Porter sent his men out
to seek vioators
Revolvers were brought into play
in the "white light" district in the
evening when the two men were
wounded in the raid, and theater-
goers were treated to a spectacle al
? most as thrilling as any offered for
their entertainment on the other side
OF the footli~hts
Raid Starts General Fight
The usual crowd of betwen-the-
acts patrons was lined up before the
bar at O'Brien & Cotter's saloon. at
West Forty-second Street, near Eighth
avenue, when three men appeared in
The room and announced they were
revenue agents, and that the ace was
faided. They were In charge of a man
Who said he was Jacob Grossman.
Nobody was able to say Just what
provoked the fighting, but everybody
agreed the saloon soon was the scene
OF general fight. In the midst of the
struggle one of the three Federal
agents, said to have been Grossman,
hred FIVE shots into the crowd
Francis Delea of 2l1 Eighth Avenue,
was shot in the right leg and wounded
seriously. He said the ballet struck
hm while he was passing the door Of
me saloon. Thomas Toomey, Il por-
ter, was wounded by bullet that
srazed his head. He said he was sit
struck.
Shooting Starts Scramble
Others might have been injured but
lor scramble for safety that started
wath the firing Of the first shot Men
- evening clothes went over the bar
through side windows. into the rear
room and even under tables 1t was not
uhtil several minutes after the last
Hhot mad been fred and everybody fclt
sure 'ne holder OF the weapon intended
no iarther bombardment that heads
oeHah 70 appear from unbelievable
places
:, lhen the revenue agents arrested
nose who remained Six prisoners
;me'e taHen, including the two men in
Iured and the owners OF the place, John
y, " brlen and Michael Cotter. Mean
"hl;e, theatergoers had been appriscd
" me raid by the revolver shots They
spahdoned other entertainments and
hurried 10 the saloon. with the result
.na' " was necessary TO call for police
a'a rom the West Forty-Beventh Street
'.aHon. Lines were drawn across the
es'secs and the spectators were forced
Daex While the prisoners were led out
an to the police station.
me prisoners were released in 81 O00
Sai each Furnished before United
statea Commissioner Hitchcock. Gross.
nam sad they would be arraigncd this
""fning In the Federal District Court
f"fter Denies Shots We're Fired
,oionel Porter last night denied that
~ sh1ts had been fred in the raid ON
Vbrsen u Cotter's saloon. He aaid that
.ae .,.ne places were raided, and that more
.nAn twenty persons we're arrested aq
sDia,ors of the Voistead enforcement,
fouf resenne agents entered A sa.
tvpn a. 77s Sixth Avenue, corner OF
o1sy-fonrth Street, later in the even.
~, aryesting Thomas Fitzgerald. owne,
ths place, and Bernard Hanley. In,
bartender. They we're taken 10 tn.
~ .~-------~- l--.
Z Continued On pn0e three