Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-02-26
ARMED INVASION
Of WET ZONE IS |
: CALLED OFF BY .
j. s. OFFICIAL.
Major DaIrynpIe and His
Forces, Who Went to
'CIean Up" Iron County,
MiChq Give Up Chase.
FEDERAL AGENTS ARE
W0RSTED IN CLASH
Leader of the Dry Party Is
Summoned 10 Washington
to Confer With Chief; No
Arrests Have Been Made

tsN soHuNo JOURNAL sPSeAL LEASED wtesl
Iron River, Mich, Feb. 25.-Thir-
ty-five federal agents and members
of the Michigan state constabulary
who arrived here last night under
Mai. a. V. Dalrymple, prohibition
commissioner for the central
states, to "clean up" Iron county
tonight we're en- route back to their
| home stations, while Major Dali
rymple was bound for Washington
to confer with Prohibition Com
missioner John Kramer.
Major Dalrymple, who led the
armed expedition to Iron River in
the heart of the upper peninsula
iron belt with the avowed purpose
of arresting county and village off
| GERS on charges of conspiracy to
obstruct the enforcement of the
| prohibition law, was called off by
Mr., Kramer and ordered to meet
the opposing sides and seek a COM
promise without legal action.
The worsting of federal agents in
the first clash with state officers
| in the enforcement of the eight
eenth amendment to the constitu-
| ton has given a serious blow to
the enforcement of the dry law,
Major Dalrymple declared before
he left for Washington.
Martin S. McDonough prosecut-
ing attorney of Iron county and
leader Of the county authorities.
who, Major DaIrymple declared,
were in open revolt against the
United States, received telegram
today from District Attorney M. II.
Walker at Grand Rapids, advising
him to take no action until the dis
trict attorney could come here to
| investigate the case.
Mr.. McDonough obtained a
warrant for the arrest Of Major
Dalrymple, charging him with ma
| licious libel, and planned to have
1t served when the train bringing
the federal men arrived last night
A telephone message from Crys-
tai Falls, fifteen miles away, how
ever notified McDonough that Ma
jor Dalrymple, In anticipation of
trouble, had issued fifty rounds of
ammunition to each man in his
party The prosecutor then advised
Iron River citizens to go home and
avoid any demonstration tffat
might provoke open hostilities.
Today Mr.. McDonough waited
upon Major Dalrymple at the hotel
where the latter was staying. aud
warned him that if he carried out
his announced plan and arrested
any one in Iron county, the county
officers would "arrest every man In
your party and put them in Jail"
The prohibition director already
had received orders from Mr..
Kramer at Washington. calling off
the armed invasion" and as a re-
suit no arrests were made.
Reports that | took the eleven
barrels of wine from Leo j. Grove.
federal prohibition director for
northern Michigan. and the state
police and returned it to the Ital-
ians from whom IL was taken, are
absolutely false" McDonough de-
c!ared today. II confscated this
wine when / found it in the pos
session of Grove. l placed my own
men in charge of it and put the
barrels in a safe place Nk
Major Dalrymple found nine
barrels of the wine in the basement
today, and destroyed the liquor
after taking samples from each
barrel for evidence. McDonough
explained that the basement of the
parish house was the only one in
Iron River with a secure lock and
therefore was borrowed as a stor-
age place for the wine.
"Dalrymple's action in Destroy
tt,o ,xyt,f faI, hn nd
evidence, was ridiculous" McDon-
Cugh declared. at gave the major
{, fine opportunity to pose before
the movie cameras while he knock
ed in the barrel heads. But that
is the only thing see he gained
by the performance"
Major Dalrvmple in a statement
tonight declared he was enforcing
the law in accordance with the di-
rections of his chief and of Attor-
ney General Palmer and that fall
ure of Washington officials to
back him up was a serious blow TO
the prohibition agents in his dis
trict.
Prompt and vigorous measures
we're necessary to show these men
that the law must be obeyed." he
said.
Il failed to receive the co-opera-
tion | had right to expect from
the district attorney at Grand
Rapids" -s
Iron River miners worked far
into the night at their usual occu-
patton The lore" they brought to
the surface, however, was liquor
buried two days ago when word OF
Major Dalrymple's contemplated
armed invasion" first reached the
community. I'VE took our supplies
out in the woods and buried them"
citizens laughingly admitted today,
"and tonight after Major Dalrymple
has left they will be dug up again"
Iron River was quiet tonight
after one of the most hectic days
in its history. The federal officers
left for Chicago at $3.50 o'clock this
evening and but few persons were
at the station to see them off.
Major Dalrymple announced be-
fore leaving that he would return
with Mr.. Gaylord if he learned the
assistant prohibition commissioner
already was enroute to Iron River.
otherwise Major Dalrymple said
he would continue on to Washing
ton and lay all the facts concern
ing the cases here before Mrs