The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-10

do with the case in question. How ever, I would like to have the read CTS of your paper cast their thoughts back few months and picture an other little Widowed mother with
 four small children in north Ala bama. who was made so by her hus- band being shot down in cold blood or the Tennessee road from ambush while returning to his home walk | ing, without any cause whatsoever except by the utterance of his mur- derers that 1t was mistaken iden-
 tity, this little widow and children having nothing but hsr deceased hus- | bands small salary to exist on. This
 was a federal officer who was sworn to and had performed his duties un- der his cath, MT. Howell of Albany. Another Instance l am reminded Of that shocked me. and saddens me to even think of, was a young Chris tian man who had graduated from Howard college with high honors, a model man. if there ever was one being shot down in cold blood in St Clair county, within the year. by vio- lators of the prohibition laws with shotguns, and left on a wintry night alongside the road in the chilly rain | in a dying condition for hours to his fate, even being assaulted after receiving death wound and lying on the ground helpless; this young man having such 6 bright future be- fore him. Just entering into man. hood. Two of. the agents in the pres- ent tragedy were present (Horton and Eubanks), but powerless to as- sist their comrade, and through prov idence alone miraculously making their escape under a shower of shot gun and rifle fire from almost every treo nearby This young man was transmitted to his loving and, devot- ed mother and heart-broken father ct Newvilie, not as the same bright young man, not as happy reunion for Christmas, for this was during Christmas month, but as one whose lif1 had been snapped away wholly uncallsd for, while serving his coun- try to rid itself of the most nefa- rious practice imaginable. Think of these dear ones In connection with the dear little widow in St. Clair county, all of whom need the sym pathy of every human being hearing of the tragedies. Mrs. Don Stephen son, at Tuscumbia, also deserves the same sympathy, for she, too, has sui fered the loss of her husband, while assisting in enforcing this same law. The writer draws no distinction In any of the cases referred to. and feels that he should not be criticised when he was powerless to prevent any of the occurrences.
 Let Justice Re Done
 Let's let justice prevail, and not be swept off our feet, so far as the cause is concerned, for prohibition has come here to stay, no matter what advantage is taken of 1t. It is the best enactment of law for the bet torment of the nation as a whole of any other written on the statute books, and even those who do not practice the law, admit tho same, anC are against the return of the legalized sale of whisky. All that can be gained by the open saloon on the one hand Is greed and money while on the other is misery, pau perism and degredation.
 "We continually howl that tho eu forcement laws are a complete fail- ure. Replying to this, so far as Ala bama is concerned, wans to con- tradict such statements, for liquor making and selling, as stated above, Is actually on the decrease. and the statistics will reveal this statement true You might just as well say that murder, that theft, that rapc, that highway robbery and every other law on the statute DOCKS was failure, for the crimes af~going on and have been going on ever since time immemoriai. none of which, l dare say, leaving 1t to the reader 70 be the judge, have decreased In pro- portion to prohibition violations.
 Again referring to this case, have but to say that trust that the pub lie. will let the state and federal courts which, after all, means no one but the public citizens themselves. settle the same in the proper way, and not let what Is being said and done at this time through the press influence you against the cause itself. AS an official of that cause. do not think that anyone will become of- tended at me personally or otherwise oy these utterances, inasmuch as l have tried not to get into the lime light, and trust that nothing in this article will be considered or con- strued to be to the detriment of any one.
 Thanking you. am, very respect fully, W. l.. PIERCE.
 Federal Prohibition Agent in Charge
 in Alabama"