The Washington times., 1920-08-10
LIQUOR TRIALS
| TRANSFERRED
Police Court Will Handle Cases
Formerly Heard BY
Commissioner.
HIT TO ISSUE WARRANTS
lnformations Will Be Obtained
From Office OF District
Attorney.
HIT TO ISSUE WARRANTS

All violations Of the prohibits
law will hereafter be tried in the
United States branch Of the Polics
Court. This was decided upon today
by the prohibition officials here, and
several cases that were to be brought
before United States Commissions
Hit were transferred to the Police
Court.
WILL FINISH DOCKET.
Commissioner Hit has, held several
preliminary hearings on cases that
have been postponed, and he will
finish these cases, but will hear no
more.
Commissioner Hit said today that
he had cases that were scheduled for
hearing soon. but that he would have
his docket cleared by August Is, when
he plans to leave the city on q vaca-
tion. Commissioner Hit has spent
q very busy two months hearing cases
Of violation OF the prohibition law and
issuing search and other warrants
for the revenue and prohibition eff
GERS.
All information will be obtained
from the District Attorneys office,
but Commissioner Hit will continue
to issue search warrants, which viii
be his only activity in connection
with enforcement of prohibition
laws.
Thomas e. Stone. prohibition dirsc-
tor of the Maryland-Ohio district.
which includes the District of Colum
bia, was In Washington today and
sioner Kramer for a long time. Mr..
Stone before seeing the commissioner
criticised the action OF the attorney
general for the State of Maryland for
not showing a better spirit in work
ing with the prohibition officers. The
attorney general for Maryland has
ruled that city policemen IL they see
q violation of the prohibition law
can make arrest, but they cannot Ar
rest on other evidence.
Mr.. Stone said that this action was
unfair. as the prohibition
officials of the country were depen-
dent to a large extent on the CO.
operation of the police forces. With
out this. he said the small prohibi-
tion force could do very little In the
enforcement of the law.
HAS MAJORITY SYMPATHY.
He said that the better class of
people were in sympathy with the
efforts of the prohibition enforce
ment officers, and that a majority Of
the people were also in favor of
them, but that there were q very few
that thought that the abolition Of
liquor was a blow to personal liberty
could.
This condition cannot last very
long. he said, because, the i'll effects
OF the lack Of cooperation by the
Maryland police with the prohibition
officers would be a boomerang to the
state, and that IL cooperation were
not speedily given, the condition of
affairs in Maryland would be such .
disgrace that popular opinion would
force cooperation Of the police.
At the Department OF Justice to-
day, 1t was said that the Attorney
General would take no steps in the
Maryland situation. preferring to see
what action the Treasury Depart
ment would take.
Prohibition Commissioner Kramer
yesterday addressed a meeting of pro
hibition and police officials at the Of
fee of Major Gessford, Superintend-
ent of Police yesterday afternoon.
He praised the work Of the Washing
ton police, and said that If all police
officials of the country gave as much
cooperation to the prohibition Of
ncials as the local police were doing.
the enforcement of law would be easy.
Detective Livingstone. of the SEQ
ond precinct, with the aid of revenue
officers last night arrested Susan
Stevens, colored, 1917 x-and-a-half
street. on a charge of selling liquor.
Detective Livingstone worked up the
evidence and when the time for the
arrest was ripe he called upon the
revenue officers for help.