Americus times-recorder., 1919-12-23
THIS BUSINESS
MUST STOP, HE
GIVES WARNING
Asks Cooperation Of
Public In Running
Down Offenders

win an open invitation TO clClzenS |
to give him information regarding any
illicit liquor operations going on in
Sumter county, which will aid in en-
forcement of the prohibition laws and
ending the traffic here, which infor-
nation he will hold in strict conf |
dence, Sheriff Harvey today declared |
renewed warfare on blind tigers. He
issued signed statement to the pub
lie, which is reproduced herewith.
"This business has got to STOP"
said the sheriff in discussing his ac-
ton, and he wasn't talking for pubh-
cation either. 'Not that am hide
bound prohibitionist or anything of
the kind. The people who have
known me long time know there are
no wings sprouting on me, and in the
past have had no quarrel with man
who took drink and behaved HIM
self, as l always considered that his
business and not mine. But this bus
mess has come to such state that
law abiding people cannot put up with
it any longer, am sworn to do my
duty, and consider 1t my duty to put
stop to it if l can. And I can go
long way toward it with the help
of the public.
A Record of Crime.
| When we look at that record of
crime through which we passed in
the three weeks of criminal court just
ended, ninety per cent of which, ac-
cordlng to my estimate, is traceable
directly to bad liquor, l don't know
now any man can stand up and de-
TEND 1t. Sunday week ago we were
down at the river, following the trag-
edy IN which man and little girl
lost their lives as a result of LIQUOR.
After | had worked hard nearly all
night trying to find the bodies in the
mood, someone spoke up and told me
he didn't know l worked so hard at
my job. told him-and there were
number standing around-that any,
thing that was worth doing at all was
worth doing well. And furthermore.
might say, for the benefit of those
who had criticized me for trying to
break up this whisky business II
told him, and in the face of tragedy
OF this kind, hereafter when a man
dares to stand up and tell me it is
none of my business I am going to
take buggy trace and get him be.
fore crowd and larrup the stuffinp
out of him.
Not Locking Ahead.
That's the way feel about it. Il
don't care bit about what people
think of it or me for it. Some have
said that next year is election year.
and that the liquor forces would get
me if / kept it up. Well, I want to
say that if that kind of people are in
the majority here, I don't want the
office again, for you may be sure /
don't want their support.
However, don't believe this kind
of people are in the majority. | be-
lieve the recent demonstration of
crime that we have had has brought
about marked change of sentiment
against this business. The substan-
tial people of the county see that it
must stop-that it cannot go on fur
ther. That was evident by the man
ner in which juries convicted liquor
cases at the last term of court, COM
pared with previous terms when it
was often very difficult to convict
unless the evidence was such that
there was no other way out for the
jury And so I am hopeful that the
people will help and that we will put
an end to this business. But, what
ever people think, am going to do
my duty, as I see it."
Sheriff Harvey and his deputies in
terrupted the operations of band
of surreptitious liquor makers on the
farm of John Sheffield several miles
south of Americus yesterday by
smashing their still and pouring out
barrel of beer. No arrests were
made, however, and no clues as to the
| identity of the operators were found /
The still, large tin can affair with
considerable capacity, was located tar
! in the woods in an obscure old shack,
the remnant of a saw mill which had
once occupied the site. Nearby was
cool spring which assisted material
iv in the operations of the band. There
were evidences that the still had been
operated regularly recently. 1t is
the belief of the sheriff that a party
Of negroes of the neighborhood were
operating the still, which was COM