The New York herald., 1921-04-09
DRY VIOLATIONS
TO CLOG COURTS
District Attorneys Office
and Police Department
Find Procedure Slow.
II ARRAIGNED In DAY
Enright Says Enforcement
Will Not Depend on
Federal Aid.
TRUCK WITH RUM SEIZED
Almost Fifty Arrests Are Made
in Manhattan-Majority
Held in Bail.
II ARRAIGNED IN DAY
TRUCK WITH RUM SEIZED

Ii became evident at the District
Attorneys Office and at Police Head
quarters yesterday that il the newly
passed State liquor enforcement law
goes unamended. or is not replaced by
a statute which will permit liquor
cases TO be tried directly in Special
Sessions. both these arms of the law
will have time for little else besides
the work of making New York dry
In this county alone since the law
became effective on Monday the Dis
;rict Attorneys Office has received
about eighty sffidavits submitted by
the police charging various infrac-
tions of the Nolstead act. 1t is esti-
mated that at least two hundred have
been submitted throughout the greater
ments in Magistrates courts yester-
day.
Albert B. Cnger. Assistant District
Attorney. who was placed yesterday In
charge of the presentation of cases be-
fore the Grand Jury for District Attor-
ney Swann's Office. has prepared seven
teen cases He expects to submit some
of these to the Grand jury Monday. 1t
will not be possible TO submit all Of
them. as there Is an average Of three
witnesses to each case.
District Attorney Swami announced
that one of the Grand Jurics sitting in
the Criminal Courts Building would de-
vote its entire time to the consideration
OF liquor cases.
Confusion In Situation.
Chief Assistant District Attorney
Banton declared that the amount of
clerical work which the new law neces-
states on the part of both the District
Attorneys Office and the Police Depart
ment. together with the confusion re-
sulting from the TACT that no officer or
Judge in New York city has yet received
a copy of the law as ii was signed,
makes il remarkable that any headway
has been made at all.
He said the telephones in his office
were kept busy with inquiries from
policemen who had found violations of
the liquor law and wanted to know
what they should do about II. Mr.. I'm
ger had long conference with police
officials yesterday at which an effort
was made to straighten out the tangle
concerning the use OF forms and tho
keeping of records. For each case the.
police officer submits he must fill out
a form which rivals the income tax
blank in conplexity.
To put liquor case through will re-
uuire much more of a policeman's tine
than ne spends in getting his evidence.
He must appear before the magistrates
court: then he must come before the
Grand Jury. and IL an indictment Is OBJ
tanned he must appear before the petit
jury that is to try the case.
Nevertheless Commissioner Enrght
made this emphatic statement: '"The law
Is there and the Police Department will
enforce 1t. We will proceed as II there
were no Federal authorities, although we
will be glad TO aid them and 10 get their
cooperation
Enforcement to Letter.
Mr. Banton. speaking for all the Dis
trlct Attorneys of the city and for the
Police Commissioner. said Il is the in
tention of the authorities TO enforce the
Muilin-Gage law to the letter. I'VE are
going to give the people an opportunity"
he said. ito find out whether they want
prohibition or whether they don't III
strict enforcement makes the law alto
gether Objectionable they can vote II out.
While II stands there is only one thing
to do. and that is to obey it."
Should indictments result In any of
the cases which are to come before the
Grand Jury Monday, some Of them will
probably get preference on the court
calendar from the District Attorney and
preference VIII be granted By the court.
Unless the liquor cases are admitted 10
Special Sessions II is expected that the
courts will become hopelessly clogged.
Police Commissioner Enrights com
munication TO the Board of Estimate re-
uuesting sufficient appropriation to
provide for 1000 additional patro.men
In obtaining evidence against saloon
Keepers and others. was referred yes
tcrday afternoon to the Committee on
Finance and Budget. No comment was
made. IL is considered probable. how
ever. that his request will either be
turned down or his demands consider
ably modified.
Almost nifty arrests were made by
the police In Manhattan yesterday. The
charges included all the common viola
tions OF the liquor laws--selliug. trans
porting without a permit Illegal pos
session, and illegal manufacture. Most
OF the prisoners were held in $500 or
$1,000 bail for further examination.
Onc large SEIZURE was fnade--the flrst
big one since the police pitched In. A
whole truckload OF whiskey and cham
payne, taken in transit on i65th street.
valued at $4,000, was piled UP in the
Mcrrisania Police Court in The Bronx.
There we're forty-three cases OF whiskey
and one hundred Of champagne.
The police had their eyes open for
liquor carried by pedestrians Frank
Reggini OF ~ Grove street was brought
into Jefferson Market Court charged
with having a case OF gin in the street
near his home. Patrick Fitzgerald OF
254 Eleventh street, Hoboken, was found
In a hallway at 435 West F'lfty-fourth
street with two bottles OF whiskey.
Benny Leonard, worlds champion
lightweight. was among those who APP
peared In court yesterday. lie was not
under charges himself but was said 20
have been one or party that brought
twelve bottles OF champagne and two
OF whiskey into Rcisenwebers. Bernard
Brown. a broker. OF si0s Harrison ave-
nue., The Bronx. was arraigned lin the
West Side Court. charged with carrying
LIQUOR IN his suitcase.
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