The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1921-04-08
S. C. JUDGES DECISION
CAUSES BOOZE FURRY
Com'r Kramer Holds Very Little
Seized Grog Will Have to
Be Returned
CASE TO BE APPEALED
New York Liquor Raids Proceed
ing Uninterruptedly Despite
Courts Opinion

an announcement in New York on
March 20 that confiscated liquor
stocks valued at millions of dollars
might have to be returned to their
former owners. This opinion was
based on recent ruling of the United
, States Circuit Court in South Caro-
lima that the Volstead Act supersedes
internal revenue laws in SO far as they
apply to Intoxicating liquors. The
belief that the ruling would require
the return of seized liquors was so
strong with the authorities that As
sistant United States Attorney Rob
ert Peattie advised Ernest Langley,
supervisor of Prohibition enforce
ment in New York City, to postpone
seizure of several hundred thousand
dollars worth of liquors planned for
Saturday until he had received COM
plete information regarding the case
from Mr.. Kramer. Naturally liquor
owners who had lost their stocks in
raids by federal agents were watching
the outcome with keen interest.
The New York Tribune of March
p said that some estimates fixed the
amounts of such liquors to be re-
turned as high as four-ffths of the
quantity seized by the government
since Prohibition went into effect,
and added that the bulk of the con-
traband liquors taken charge Of by
Prohibition agents was seized in New
York City. II is intimated that the
Circuit Court opinion which held
that the Volstead Act nullifed and
repealed the old internal revenue
statute under which much of the liq-
uor was confscated, will be appealed
to the United States Supreme Court
The action of the agents in New
York in hating the proposed raid was
brought to the attention OF Prohibi-
ton Commissioner Kramer who gave
it as his opinion that very little liquor
will have to be returned as a result
of the United States Circuit Court
decision. He said that the great bulk
of the liquor seized by the govern
ment was taken under the Volstead
Act while being transported illegally
and this liquor would OF course not
be affected by the new interpretation
Accordingly on Monday, March IS,
the New York agents proceeded with
the raid which resulted in the largest
haul since the Nolstead enforcement
act went into effect. according to a
New York Associated Press dispatch.
This raid netted the agents liquors
valued at 100000 Two thousand five
hundred cases OF wine, each contain
ing three gallons, and 500 barrels of
wine, each containing 50 gallons.
were confiscated in the raid on the
Bowery warehouse of the Menorah
Wine Company. This liquor was es-
timated to be worth $250,000 Earlier
ain the day the same agents visited FIVE
other places where they conhscated
wines and WHISTLES valued at $4,000
An idea of the excitement of the
thirsty caused by the announcement
that most OF the confiscated liquor
would be returned to the owners can
be imagined from the fact that an
unofficial inventory of the whisky and
red wines in the Knickerbocker ware
house made on March 7 gives the
quantities as $4,000 cases and 5000
barrels of whisky, and $4,000 barrels
of wine, and this represents liquor
seized in Manhattan and the Bronx
only. In addition much miscellane-
Gus liquor such as gin, brandy, cognac,
champagne and other wines, are
stored there.
The Prohibition enforcement de-
partment's fear that the South Caro-
lima court decision would seriously
interfere with law enforcement also
seems unfounded, according to Mr..
Kramer. He said he did not believe
the ruling would greatly interfere
with the enforcement for at present
very little real liquor is being taken
by federal agents in raids. Most of
the illegal liquors seized, he explained,
were imitation connections trans
ported by bootleggers for sale as old
established brands of whisky.