New Britain herald., 1920-02-23
STATE AND FEDERAL
 OFFICERS CLASH IN MICH. .ON FLAWS
Government Agent Seeks Armed Aid to Quell "lncipient Anti-
 Prohibition Instruction"

COUNTY PROSECUTOR SAYS
 HIS CHARGES ARE FALSE Declares That Liquor Taken F'rom
 Federal SIcutl,s Was Confiscatcd at
 His Order-DoubtS Authority of
 Washington Man-Somc State Off,
 ciaIs Say They Have Expected
 Trouble. Others Scofr at Idea.
 Chicago. Feb. 23.-Major A. V. DaI- rymple, federal prohibition commis sioner for the central states, received word at 12:30 o'clock that the tele- graphic authoriza tion for him to lead an armed expedition of T.. $. agents into the upper peninsula of Michigan had been sent from WaShn gton.
 Prohibition Director Kramer, at the capital. was in unication with Major Dalrymple by long distance tel ephone.
 Dalrymple with about 30 men will leave Chicago late today for Ne gaunee, Mich, where they will be joined by a troop of Michigan state constabulary.
 Attorney General Palmer, who passed through Chicago last night de clared Major Dalrymple had full au- thority to force the law and would have the complete support of the gov ernment machinery.
 Open Revolt Denied.
 p 4 NrD0n01Jph DrOSQcI1finp l. torney of Iron county in a statement issued last night. assumed ''an re- sponsibility' for taking the wine from the federal agents and denied that the county was in "open revolt
 Statements of MT. McDonough and Leo J. Grove, supervisor of federal prohibition enforcement in the upper peninsula, on whose report Major Dalrymple based his appeal to Attor- ney General Palmer for aid in arrest ing the prosecutor, two deputy sher- ifs. two puliccnl en and three owners -- -saffsthe wines agreed in part as to the steps that precipitated the present status in Iron county.
 Wine Taken From Men.
 Grove, accompanied by Lieut.. F. c. Strope and two troopers of the state constabulary, had seized Il barrels of wine at the Virgil location, a mine two miles from Iron river, the statements of both men agree, when Grove and his party were met by Prosecutor McDonough and the officers. That the federal officers right to have confis- cated the wine was questioned and the liquor was taken from him by force, statenle ents of the two further agree.
 Accused Men Defended.
 There their stories diveree. how ever. The prohibition agent main tained he Was acting within his au- thority in seizing the wine which was the property of John, Joseph and Steven Stalcuzzi. brothers, principal directors of the Peninsula Packing Co. at Iron river. and owners of the little towns largest store. Mir. Grove as- serted the liquor was kept in the store and thus wits subjected to governm ent seizure.
 MT. McDonough said the wine was maintained in the mems home. their residence being above the store and that the brothers had been dismissed recently after having been brought to trial in the state court in connection with the ownership of the same wine. He said the Stalcuzzis were found not guilty Of Niola ting prohibition laws.
 The prosecutor added that he took little stock in this letter. referring to letter carried by Grove in which it was stated that he had been ap- pointed a district deputy prohibition enforcement officer.
 He could not produce the regular credential card carried by federal of ticials'' Mr. McDonoueh said, and could not show a warrant for a raid on 0 private home.'
 In Thirsty District"
 At Grand Rapids, Mich.. District Attorney Myron H. Walker said that four years ago. when prohibition went into effect in that district. he had to issue fully 4o rrants and collected s6,0U0 in fines.
 Some Michigan state officials are understood to have reported recently that they anticipated "trolibtt' in that vicinity hecaust of the prohihi- tion law. but some officials view the present disturbance as a minor affair.