The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-04-14

A "A ~ IL Ify lJlJ.
Ing an opinion upon the tragedy on the
! Shenandoah highway.
The courts are the proper authorf.
ties to try the case. and speak OUT u!
I this time only because of the emory
! which ia being made through the press
tc nreiudre the officers in the interest
OF the liauor traffic and to pre3udice
tho people against the enforcement OF
law. Since the enemies of prohloition
have appealed to the public unto the
public it's friends must go,
THE FACTS.
What are the presumable facts!
| % A man with a court experience
deliberately plans to violate the state
and federal law by bringing liquor INTO
Virginia
62) He does this, 1t Is reported
against the advice and over the -protes'
of those who loved him most.
! (9) He has an particeps crtminhs on
! the lawless and hazardous trip ooy,
known also to other officers, In whose
name the liquor was billed.
az He arms himself with gun and am
munitton, prepared to kill " caught-
the hoy also was armed. there being
three guns with the two outlaws
f5lHe meets the sworn officers OF
the law on the highway, attempts 10
(
he and the boy are both killed--the
mans pistol has three empty shells ano
he or the boy struck an officer on the
head with a bottle of whiSkey, lHeS
also knocked an officer down with inc
car. officer Halls coat had poWocF-
burned bullet hole.
great hullahaloo is raised by the
devotees of Bacchus and whiskey men
are tearing their hair In rage ano
ep1i+tine, their throats in denounclng
this crime"
what crime? The crime undoubtedly
committed by the hootleggers! NO
They are lionized as heroes-they are
covered with the flowers of martyrdoHe
The officers who were dischar gin +
.betr sworn duty are anathematized
and their conviction Is demanded
what should tho officers have done
The law authorizes arrest without war
rant when a misdemeanor or EraVei
crime IL committed In the presence
an officer An officer sees man csi
rying a concealed weapon. He mas au
thorftv to arrest without warrant ne
eaea man drinking in a public place
He has authority to arrest Withou'
warrant.
He sees man transporting hdnor
He has the authority 10 arrest witho"'
warrant 80, -,
rnnumerabTe illustrations could DC
given Of this practice which IS gen
era1ly recognized in Virginia The Ia"
soas NOT even say that the officer must
see the misdemeanor, but that IL sinai
be- committed in his presence.
No one can deny that these TWO noot-
y,rvers were committing misde-
r,espor The captured liauor--a lars
onartitv--proves the misdcmeanor' hau
there been no liquor. on their person OF
1, the car the case would be entfreiy
different.
can snv one deny that when thar car
came upon the officers in the road I,
va. tn their presence" actualiy ahu
within the meaning Of the law
Not 10 arrest. would have oeen
dereliction Of duty. n violation OF
sworn oath a crime coWparaoie 10 t''e
bootieggers' defiance OF law.
OTicerx Attacked.
Nav when the arrest was made the
er,rfnar- resisted what would those
who nrofess to be incensed Mt tnfs
~r,rrder~ have had the officers DO! iH'
fra Yaworeakers escape Then. every
man who is about TO he arrested mfen'
| resist and escape and the ontcerS NC
dIsarmed Of power. Soon every cr."
| iraI would feel secure in crime ne
| IA the aim of the organization which ID
hiring desperate characters to trans
rort LIQUOR into Virginia The conse-
a,enrs Of such practice wonfd ne
anarchy. People who have brains KNOW
such a condition would ensuc ana peo
nile who respect law know 1t wouid DC
| unbearable- a.
Again. in trying to ESCAPE arres.. IN.
| er,mirs1 nred upon the officers. VIVA,
vou,d these eulogists of tho martyrs
have had the officers do stand stu
ana he shot at and killed. Run away
to escape danger Tommyrot!
! Those OFFICERS had the primary run
damental right Of seF-defense ne'
fhey became Officers they did not sur
| r.nSsr that right Rather does the Law
! wake that right of an officer more Sc
| rure It must be so: otherwise no mar
| would become peace OFFICER ana III
| crease the peril in a dangerous posi-
ton of losing his life by being deprived
of the right of self-defense.
Analysed, the contention OF those
who deny these officials means inpo-
throughout the commonwealth On,
neople. particularly those who favo'
nrohibition. should keep their Wits
about them; should perceive inc ISSUE
involved in this case; and should weigt
the consequences did the onicers pur
sue another course. "
II is strikingly suspicious that al
though four Officers have been Killed II
virginia by yioiators of the prohibition
law there has been no protest IN behai
~ human life from the crowd now en-
ragged over the shedding OF blood. "er
not the lives Of these officers as sacre'
as the lives of those two men on IN
shenandoah pike7 Were not they a
dear to their families? Did they no
leave a larger number of dependents
Were they not as useful to the state
Did not their memory deserve ecua
. respect with dead lawbreakers?
Yet this liquor gang sent no mower
to their funerals. expressed no outfag
at their murder. launched no campaigi
. to strengthen the law they enforced
Same Old CinmOr.
The old liquor crowd, silent whel
officers were murdered. becomes clam
orous when liquor dealers lose thei
lives violating the laws of soverelgl
! state and OF the federal government
They do not protest too much ana
the wrong time.
The following dispatch appeared II
. the Virginia papers:
. To Ask Abolition of Peters Department
Washington, April Abolition
OF the Virginia Anti-Saloon league
commission and a state referendum
: on the question of prohibition is
asked in a petition form. of which
$4,000 copies will be distributed
throughout the state for signature
by the National Anti-Dry Referen~