Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1921-02-11
PROHIBITION AGENT REPLIES
TO EDITORIAL.
Iitor Crawford's Weekly:


Your recent editorial entitled "a
Why Asked" naturally created n
great deal of comment and quite ma
turally some other why's are being
asked.
The editorial in question said that
curbstone observers were wondering
why prohibition officers have so lit
tie luck in catching the big liquor
blockaders and such good luck in cap
turing little consumer" who hap
pens to have n quart in his automo-
bile leaving the casual reader to nat
urally infer that curbstone observers
were of the opinion. that the officers
are not trying to apprehend the big
violators and that they are only in
terested in the little fellows.
1t is fact, as about every body
knows, that whiskey is being made
all over the country and that auto
mobiles are transporting whiskey
over about every road that can be
traversed leading to q market. There
are thirty six Federal Prohibition
Agents in Virginia and not more
than half a dozen in all Southwest
Virginia. 1t is, of course, impossible
for such small force to patrol every
road in the country and to police all
of the mountainous country where
whiskey is being manufactured. They
are doing about the best they can
along that line and are receiving bu.
very little assistance of any kind
from county officials of from citizens.
But if curbstone observers honest
ly believe that prohibition officers
have never caught any of the big
fish who are engaged in violating
the prohibition laws as n business,
then the word observers" is n mis-
nomer and they should receive some
more applicable name.
Prominent Men Engaged In It.
1t is matter of record and mat
ter of common knowledge that prohi-
bition officers have within the past
two years arrested large number of
very prominent violators of this sec
tion operating stills and transport
ing large quantities of "moonshine"
whiskey. And when l said "promi-
nent" l intend the term to embrace
alike those who are prominent be-
cause of ancestry, because of social
and business standing and those who
have gained notoriety because they
have amassed almost small fortunes
manufacturing and selling whiskey
1t is generally supposed that when
officers catch n violator red-handed
and hale him into court that he had
as we'll calmly fold his arms and
meekly receive the terrific and swift
punishment that courts and juries
are willing and anxious to mete out
to him. Once Federal courts were as.
sociated in the public mind with the
vengeance of the Lord. Not that, per.
haps, but something very near it
But such is not the case now, ant
just here is where the other why's
are being asked.
1t is n fact, as | have said, thai
prohibition officers have arrested
numerous well-known and persistenr
violators all over this section within
the last two years. It is fact that
by reason of cumbersome technicali
ties and the laxity Of juries, few o
these violators have been convicted
officers have been on hand. ready ant
willing to testify to the facts in th
case, which would have been conclus
i've as to the guilt of the defendants
That they have been let off with nom
inal fines or turned scot free is no
! the fault of the officers.
was up before the court for operat
/ ing q still the second time. The de
/ fendant, by advice of his lawye,
pleaded that he was not the owne
Of the still, that he was merely work
: ing for the owner. Then the burde
: was placed upon the officers to prov
!. that he did know it was violatio
E to work at q distillery. 1t was, @
e course. impossible for the officers t
J. show what the man knew or did nc
8 know, and he was released.
I recall another case in which
o man, we'll known all over the mour
y tains for his cunning in evading til
t prohibition officers, was caught wit
d one of his pals transporting an autt
G mobile load of whiskey. The me
y were arrested. the whiskey destro!
: ed, the car sold and the men indie
r ed. This happened more than tw
/ years ago. At each term of coul
d since that time ono or the other {