The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-11
STATEDRY LAWS
INVOKED IN FIGHT
ON LIQUOR SALES
,ssw YoSa Arrests 50 Under
Tax Statute, Jersey Uses
the Crimes Act.
CONFERENCEFRUITLESS
City. State and L. S. Off
cials Fail to Devise Any
Plan of Cooperation.
DRY AGENT is CONVICTED
Man Who Accepted Bride Of
$500 Sent to Atlanta for
Eighteen Months.
CONFERENC EFRUITLESS
DRY AGENT is CONVICTED

Police officials said yesteday that
there had been fifty arrests under the
Walker liquor tax act by men Of the
uniformed and plainclothes force since
November 20, when John A. Leach.
then Acting Police Commissioner. an
nounced that the department had re-
ceived an opinion from the Corpora
ton Counsel. which held that, accord
ing TO judicial opinion SO far handed
down in this State. the Walker law is
still in effect in so far as it prohibits
the sale of liquor without a license.
There has been, the police say, at
least one arrest in each inspection dis
trict, with a view to having the cases
come up for trial in as many courts
as possible. 1t is understood that the
department is making no effort to pile
up a large number of cases. because
there is some doubt whether it will be
possible to obtain convictions under
the Walker act, and that care is being
taken to present only cases in which
the evidence is of the strongest. So
far only one case under the act has
reached court. and that was dismissed
for lack of evidence.
No Definite Plan Worked Out.
On November IT, little more than
three weeks ago, there was a conference
between representatives of the Police
Department. the county District Attor-
neys. the United States Attorneys and
the State Attorney Generals office at
which two plans for cooperation with
the Federal authorities in the enforce
ment of the Federal prohibition act,
with concerted action on the part of
state, county and city officers. The
other was for police enforcement of the
State liquor tax law. Nothing was
determined upon at that conference.
No date was set for another. 1t was
understood by all those present that
they were TO take the matter under
consideration.
There has not been another confer
ence. There has been no date set for
future conference. At no time has
there been any consultation with the
office OF the Federal enforcement agent
for this district with respect to the
most desirable form of cooperation, al
though repeated statements have come
from tat office to the effect that CO.
operation on the part OF other authori-
ties in the city would be most welcome.
Benson Laverty. the prohibition en-
forcement agent who was charged with
accepting a 500 bride from the proprie-
tor OF a roadhouse at Hallett avenue and
Fresh Pond road. Queens. was found
guilty OF extortion yesterday before
Judge Chatfield in the United States
District Court in Brooklyn. He was
sentenced 70 serve eighteen months in
the Federal prison at Atlanta.
The sentence was followed by another
jail sentence for prisoner convicted OF
violating the Volstead act. Judge Chat
field gave William Werz. who has
saloon at Prospect Park West and Fiji
teenth street Brooklyn, six months and
fined him 500. His bartender, John
Dempsey was sentenced to five days in
Jail and fine Of 500. werz pleaded
guilty to selling liquor for the third
time.
New Jerseys first Jail sentence in the
recent roundup OF liquor dealers was
imposed yesterday by Judge Peter F.
DAILY In New Brunswick. who gave
Frank Kwiatowsky Of South Amboy one
month In Jail and fined him $1,000.
kwiatowsky pleaded guilty TO a charge
Of selling liquor in violation OF the New
Jersey crimes act. under which as many
convictions are now being obtained in
New Jersey as under the Federal
statute.
Enforcement agents. under the direc-
ton OF Acting Federal Supervising En-
forcement Agent Knox b. Pheagan,
seized more than $4,000 worth OF bot
tied whiskey in the Lackawanna freight
wards yesterday. The bottles were al
ready secured in barrels marked empty
bottles" About 200 barrels marked In
this fashion had been brought TO the
Yards during the day. The agents found
that the filled bottles had been packed
IN thrty-seven barrels. while the actual
empty bottles filled 1913 barrels The
consignment was so arranged as to
avoid detection ordinarily. The con-
signor and consignee were not known.