The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-02-19
Officials Look Over Keno
sha to See How Prohibition
Laws Are Being Obeyed
in the City.
TELL OF PENALTY FUNDS"
Some Saloon Men Are Declared to Be
Flirting with Fate by Dealing Out
Hard Liquor to Friends Who Want
to Pay Price Demanded for It.

The United States government is In
vestigating the observance of the pro-
hibition law in Kenosha and to this
end a number Of mex who represent
the government made rounds of the
"soft drink parlors" In Kenosha on
Thursday, checking up Kenosha condi-
tons The men have made no reports
of what they found Or what they didn It
find but the discovery that the men
were at work here is said to have
caused cold chills to chase each other
down the backs of some of the men
who are alleged to still be dealing in
liquor Ewith kick in it.
1t is given out that the government
agents were not investigating the sale
of lemon essence either, but that in
some cases reports laid before the gov
eminent men showed that it was not
beyond the realm of the possible to
get drink Of whiskey in Kenosha pro-
vided the thirsty soul who came up to
the mahogany had the money to pay
for it. One man said: 'FThe only
change in the situation now is that you
have to pay IS cents for drink of
Wiskey instead of SO cents.
Saloon Men Deny Accusation.
Leaders of the saloon men in the city
when seen today admitted that they
had heard of the visit Of the federal
sleuths to Kenosha but they asserted
that they did not believe that any
great traffic in liquor had been found
here. cit is possible that some men
are violating the law" said one of the
leaders of the saloon men, "but the
saloon men themselves are urging that
the law be lived up to. Most saloon
men in Kenosha have divorced them
selves from even the appearance Of
evil by taking all hard liquors out of
their places of business and [ do not
believe there are ten saloons in Keno
sha in which there is drink of whis-
key"
Police officers are in doubt as to
whether or not the law is being en-
forced. They cite the fact that men
have recently been arrested who were
under the influence of alcoholic liquors..
"They claim. it is homemade wine, :"
said one of the officers, "but their
breath smells suspiciously like whis-
key"
Expect Indictments Soon.
It is admitted that some of the men
in Kenosha who have violated the law
are expecting to be indicted by the
United States grand jury when it sits
in Milwaukee and these men have
stated that they have put away fund
to be used in paying the penalty of
the violation of the law. In some ca
SEES it is said that the sum set aside to
meet these penalties of the government
is an amount as large as the total of
an average saloon in year.
Stories of the number of indictments
to be made of Kenosha men have been
circulated about Kenosha but not one
of these stories has been confirmed by
the close-mouthed federal officials
"They will have to wait and see" was
the only reply that these sleuths would
give.
The Investigation of the shipment of
cars Of liquor to Kenosha has been on
for some time and, several of the gov
ernment agents have been here looking
especially into this matter. They have
limited that there is a possibility that
the men who brought in this liquor are
not liable to prosecution on account of
the fact that all provisions of the law
were met in the purchase and shipment
of it. If the liquor is sold in Kenosha,
they declare that there may be another
side of the story.