New-York tribune., 1921-04-02
U. S.Crand Jury
Asks Dismissal
Of 4Dry Agents
Criticizes Type of Men in
Prohibition Enforcement
Service and Charges
Gross Violations Here
Chief Hints Shake-Up
Presentment to Court Hints
Extortion Basis of Plea to
Remove Three of Men

The type of agents to which prohi
biton enforcement has been intrusted
IS severely criticized in prescntment
handed up to Judge John G. Knox in
the United States District Court by the
March term of the Federal grand iury
upon its retirement yesterday. The
foreman of the jury was Robert Adam
son, onetime private secretary to Mayor
Gaynor and a former Fire Commits
sioncr.
The grand jury finds "thcre are
gross violations of the law in the
southern district of New York" Its
presentment names four agents VINO it
believes should be dismissed from the
service, and says:
Members of the grand jury have
been strongly impressed by the fact
that almost without exception agents
who have appeared before US are not
men Of the type of intelligence and
character qualified to be charged with
the enforcement of this difficult and
' '"ii0 VoSi di law, ana generally
speaking thei, testimony has been such
as to indicate looseness and ineffi-
cheney on the part of these AGENTS
which we believe should he ca,1sd IsI"ta -
the official attention of the head OF
the prohibition department in New
York City,
The grand jurors express the belief
that unless the branch of the govern
ment charged with the enforcement of
prohlblhon ls to be brought into dis
reputc the standard of its personnel
Will have to be improved. adding that
prohibition is now a part of the or
ganic law of the land and must be en-
forced.
Attorney General Notified
Judge Knox instructed Ass;stan.
United States Attorney Robert A. Peat
tie to send copies of the iury's find
'ngs to the Attorney General and Ern-
est Langley supervisor of prohibition
enforcement here.
Ag gents Peter Reager, II. L. Everett,
Saul Fraser and Joseph Fassler are re-
1erred to in the presentment, which
says that testimony in a case before
the grand jury was such as to point
strongly 20 an alleged effort on the
part of the first three to extort money
from man under arrest by them on
a charge of violating the Volstead act.
The jury says that the testimony did
not show that Joseph Fassler, who. was
IN charge of the squad, had any knowl-
edge Of their actions, but it did in
dlcate to the satisfaction of the Jury
that he is unfit to hold a position Of
such sponsibiity.
The jury says "the first three agents
under oath gave confi cting and CON
Trajectory explanations of the circum-
stances" but "tEc testimony in this
case was perhaps not sufficient to war
rant their Indictment"
Supervisor Langley said last night
when informed of the action Of the
grand jury that he had no knowledge
of the case in question. as it probably
occurred before his appointment. But
he added that when he returns from q
trip to Washington he will go over the
case with Mr.. Peatte, and ii the facts
warrant it he will recommend to Com
miss ioner Kramer that the men be dis
missed from the service
Demands Trustworthy Men
81 am going to surround myself with
men who can be trusted absolutely"
he said. He also declared that he is
insisting upon stricter enforcement
than seems to have been the standard
among agents heretofore
Prohibition Agent Charles J. Prcus-
ter, attached to the New Jersey en-
forcement office at Newark, who is
accused of effecting the release of two
men who had been arrested when 300
gallons OF grain alcohol were seized
at Bradley Beach on Tuesday. was