New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-06-05
3 ) Are ted
As Dry Agents e
Open Offensive
Federal Raiders Begin City
Wide Drive Against the
Illitit Sales of Liquor;
Bogus Permits Traced
Leniency Held Drawback
Dealers, Making Big Profits,
Said Not to Fear Law I'm
der Present Conditions

ger resent NOIidliNiFIS
Prohibition enforcement agents
launched an offensive yesterday
throughout the city against the Illicit
sale of liquor The local force OF
agents augmented by mon from the
South, arrested thrty-five saloon
keepers and bartenders, charged with
violation Of the Volstead Act.
Late last night twenty-five of the
, captives had been examined by Francis
G. Caffey, United States Attorney, and
held in $500 bail for arraignment be-
fore United States Commissioner
Hitchcock to-day.
Three Caught in Trap
A trap was set by James Shevin
supervising prohibition enforcement
agent, and John B. Qugley, his assist
ant, to establish the identity of the
men, who, it is said, have obtained
more than 100000 gallons of whisky
from storage on false pretcnccs. Three
men We're captured Through Informal
ton supplied by them, Mr.. Shevlin ex-
poets to get at the bottom of the plot
The agents, seventy srong, met at
rendezvous in Brooklyn at s o'clock
yesterday morning and set out to gar
ncr offenders
Herbert Lane, one of Mr.. Shevlin's
agents, bargalned with Il man to de-
AVER to him at house in West Eighty
seventh street 500 gallons of whisky
at $23 gallon, including carriage
Iour OF the raiders, headed by Lane,
waited at the house and a motor truck,
Ich oil =
ershlp had been painted out, delivered
the liquor. The four men who formed
the crew Of the truck were arrested.
Bogus Permit Found
On one of these was found q bogus
withdrawal permit. After a threehour
examination it was decided that the
chauffeur Of the truck was innocent
and he was released The other men
Will be questioned further to-day
The small ines imposed for viola
tons of the prohibition amendment in
this city virtually nullify the efforts of
enforcement officers and agents, one of
these officials declared yesterday. Cases
were cited wherein offenders have been
arrested repeatedly and each succeed
ing time were fined less than the pre-
ceding one.
The Federal Permit Bureau, at %
West Twenty third Street, has ceen 1c-
celving as many as a dozen letters
day from persons VINO complain Of il
legal liquor sales in their vicinity. The
letters ask why the dealers are not
put out of business after repeated ar
rests These letters are used to follow
up the "repeaters,' but after charge
arc preferred the enforcement officers
authority ends.
Fines imposed here are declared to
he far ma How |np j
other cities and towns of the state.
Cites Illustrations
case which, in one officials opin-
ION, is illustrative OF results obtained
in enforcing the Law here was that of
a saloon proprietor and three different
bartenders
The saloonkceper, posing as a dealer
in non beverage spirits. obtained a
withdrawal permit after putting up
$4,000 bond. On November 90 1919.
investigation resulted in charges being
preferred against him and his first
bartender for maintaining a common
nuisance and for selling spirits in vlo-
lation Of the war time prohibition act.
respectively.
On December / both were arraiened
before United States Commissioner
Hitchcock and held in $500 bail each.
On December the proprietor and an
otner bartender were rearrested on the
same charges. On December 5 they
were arraigned before Commissioner
hitchcock and held under bail of $500
each
On March 81 the proprietor and his
flrst bartender appeared before Fed
eral Judge, and the case against the
proprietor was dismissed. The bar
tender pleaded guilty to the charge OF
selling and was fined $50. On the same
day and before the same Judge the
second case against the proprietor
came to trial. The proprietor pleaded
guilty to violating the wartime prohibj
ton law and was fined $40. His second
bartender also pleaded guilty and was
fined $25.
On May /, 1920, a police officer of the
Sd Inspection District made case
against the same premises The COM
plant against the proprietor was dis
missed on the ground that he was not
present when the violation charged
against his (third) bartender took
place. The bartender was released on
$3.50 bail. On May 5 this third bar
tender was arraigned before another
Federal Judge and pleaded not guilty.
His case Is pending.
wi hen drinks are sold at 75 cents
and dollar-somctimes more-and
the offenders arc fined $40, $25 or $50"
the Federal official said, ait can easily
be seen that the profit of engaging in
illegal selling il such as to encourage
continued violations.
The dealers stand in no fear of the
law when they can make thousands Of
dollars month and get off with
small fine. They must laugh when they
contemplate their financial gain"
Taking Of Testimony