New-York tribune., 1920-09-03
Dry Agents Say;
Raids Fail to-
StopRu1n Sales
Thirsty Only Get Fine List
: of Places Where Drinks
Can Be Bought, Declare
Prohibition Officials 9
Only 20 Held in Bail
liquor Is Kept in Homes
Near Saloons That Are
Immune From Search

Near Saloons That Are
Immune From Search
Tht liquor raids made yesterday and
the day before have succeeded in do
ing at least ono thing. They have given
thirsty and adventurous citizens
large list Of places where they can get
booze. Wednesday evening, after the
raids made on cafes in the old Tender
loin district, some Of the establish
ments that had been entered earlier in
the day were again selling liquor, ac-
cording to prohibition agents.
Thirty-three liquor dealers caught
In Wednesdays raids appeared yester-
day before United States Commits
sioner Samuel Hitchcoc. Four Of them
were dismissed. The other remaining
twenty-nine waived examination and
were held in $500 bail each. The bond
was provided there and then by the en-
tire number.
Keep Liquor in Homes
Prohibition agents outside the Office
OF John j. Quigley, assistant supervis-
ing prohibition enforcement agent, ad
mitted that some of the raided places
were still selling liquor.
1--WE don't know it from our own
observation, naturally" said one of the
agents, "but we have no doubt that it's
SO. What are we going to do? The
court won't give US warrants to search
private premises. Cafe owners keep
their stuff at home or in apartments
near the saloons. No sooner do we
go away with all the liquor in place
than another batch is brought in.
Sometimes we raid one place five and
time"
not seem to mind being raided. They
take the loss of their wet goods calmly,
pay their bail and continue in the
same old way. "They don't care" said
another prohibition agent. "If the
court finds them guilty, they are fined
., couple of hundred dollars. Maybe
they get day or two in jail They ere
risks. They can afford to violate the
law. They won't stop until judges be-
gin to hand out Jail sentences"
The corridors in the Federal Build
ing outside the United States Commits
sioner's Office, were not so congested
yesterday as Mr.: Quigley would have
LED one. to believe as a result of
$4,000 worth of booze They visited
nearly 100 places suspected of having
liquor, and only twenty-nine were held
At Work in the Bronx
Dry agents tried the Bronx yester-
day. They searched Systematically and
with care. Only two saloons yielded
any liquor. Albert Schiff, bartender in
Allen ]. Borstein's place, at 229 st.
AIMS Avenue, was subpenaed. At 2374
Third Avenue the bartender, Siegmund
Hochfelder, and Richard Cans, the
owner, were served with subpenas.
No search warrants were used.in the
Bronx raid. The agents tried to be-
guile the barkeeps into selling them
drinks, and then, when this failed, an
noQnceo themselves, and asked the pro-
prietor if he would IKE to have his
establishment inspected. Whether the
not known. Anyway, Mr. Quigley re-
marked that in nearly all the places
visited by his men the proprietors were
behind the bar in person ready to re-
ceive them.
Staten Island was mentioned as the
possible scene of the next raid. Be-
fore Frederick ["Robert"] Eckert. boot
logger, was murdered near Fort Wads-
worth and the investigation of his
death revealed an intangible whisky
ring. Staten Island was known as "Lit-
tie Cuba"
Prohibition enforcement agents are of
the opinion chat there must be some
liquor worthy of confscation on the
island. At least four agents are said
to have been at work there for a week
Prohibition agents arrested John
O'Brien, of 470 West Forty seventh
Street, for impersonating an enforce
ment agent. He was arraigned before
United States Commissioner Hitchcock
and held in $4,000 bail for hearing.
Soldiers Arrested
The arrest was made by Agents Lord,
Nangin and Green. According to their
story, O'Brien went to Robbins's jewel
ry store, at II Eldridge Street, few
days ago. He had with him nickel
badge on which was inscribed agent"
He wanted the word made larger, and
said that if the work was satisfactory
he would bring in six more badges. The
agents were awaiting O'Brien when he
came to the store yesterday, and in the
flashing of badges that followed the
agents won.
United States District Attorney Le-
roy w. Ross, Of Brooklyn, said he
would ask the September grand jury to
consider the possibility of bootlegging
in Patchogue, l.. l., in which soldiers
and army officers are said to be in
volved.
Three arrests haye already been
made in this connection. Those arrest
ed are Henry Ridenhauer, a taxi
driver; r. E. Curry, a soldier, and
Henry Bernstein, who operates a taxi
service to Camp Upton. Suspicion in
the case points to army officers at
Camp linton, who are believed to have
been selling liquor to soldiers.
Raritan Bridge Opened