New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-04-30
$;7,OOO,OOO in
Liquor Seized,
Says Enright
All Rum Confscated by the
Police in Three Weeks of
Dry Enforcement Turned
Over to Sheriff Knott
Custodian Is Puzzled
Has No Place to Put Booze
and No Money to Hire
Guards; Asks Legal Aid

Police Commissioner Ehright esti
mated yesterday that more than ST.
100000 worth of liquors had been
seized by the police in the three weeks
they have been enforcing the new
state liquor law.
Sheriff David H. Knott has been
designated custodian Of the supply of
seized liquor. In this connection
Deputy Police Commissioner John A..
Leach wrote to him yesterday: II
Concerning disposition of liquor
after conviction the judge will make an,
order compelling the Police Depart
ment to turn over all seized liquors to
the Sheritfs of the counties of the City.
of New York to be disposed of as they.
may direct for medicinal purposes"
Sheriff Isn't Overjoyed
The Sheriff was not especially
pleased with his new duties He did
not know what he was going to do
with the liquor. He conhded his
troubles to his attorney, George w.
Olvany Together they catalogued
the difficulties of the situation.
The Sheriff has no place to store the
liquor. He has no fund to provide
such a place. He has no money to hire
the necessary guards.
Commissioner Enright also an
nounced that 2269 arrests for liquor
law violations had been made to date
There were only siXty-five persons ar
rested by the police during the twenty
four hours ending yesterday. The Com
missioner remarked the falling off in
the number of arrests and said that it
was due to two reasons: There is not
so much liquor as there once was and
the bootleggers are becoming more
cunning in their illicit practices.
The April grand jury in Brooklyn
yesterday returned a record number of
indictments There were 119 defend
alleged violators of the Mullan-Gage
law. In it's presentmcnt the grand
jury recommended that two grand
juries be impaneled. one to work in
the forenoon and one in the afternoon.
1863 Indictments in Manhattan
The grand jury in Manhattan which
was continued during the last month
had disposed of 200 complaints having
to do with dry violations, finding 1859
indictments In it's presentment the
inv said that it had found indications
Of the existence of we'll understood
sources of supply and means Of trans
portation. AS in few instances only
had complaints been brought against
persons apparently controlling supply
and transportation to the retailer, the
grand jury recommended that such
violations be traced to their source.
Commissioner Enright in comment
ing on this said that the source of
supply was the homes of liquor deal,
ers. He said saloon keepers still had
small supply on which which they
kept in their apartments and brought
in bottles to their places of business.
Judge John F. Mcintyre in General
Sessions, yesterday held that the Null
lan-Gage act was constitutional. He
made this decision after listening to
argument on a demurrer interposed by
Jacob Lasker, an attorney. in behalf
of Louis Untcfredo. restaurant keeper
at 10 Mott Street, in whose place a
quantity of alleged liquor was seized
. shortly after the new liquor law went
into effect.
Upholds Legislature
Lasker was attacking the constitu-
tonsiity of the new law. Judge Nc
1ntyre replied that the Legislature had
the right to legislate under the police
powers of the state and that its legis-
lation was modelled on the Volstead
act, which had been held by the Su-
preme Court to be constitutional. He
sad
Il am not going to set my judgment
in opposition to that of the highest
court in the land. The Legislature
has enacted the law and it must be
upheld. Remarks made recently by
certain persons are injudicious and
tend to encourage violations of the
law"
The jury in Judge William Bayes's
part of the County Court in Brooklyn
Yesterday acquitted five men charged
with having in their possession in an
automobile five gallons of red wine.
Each of the defendants denied POS
session. They admitted. however. that
it was wine and that it contained more
than per cent of alcohol. Their
counsel said it was home brew. ON
such cases" their counsel said "the
men are not guilty unless the jury says
So" The jury did not say so.