Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-26
MORE DRINKS HERE
THAN IN WET DAYS
Conditions Admittedly "Horri-
bIe," Due to Flood Of Poison
Gus Rooch, Officials Admit
POLICE PICK UP HELPLESS

Philadelphia has more "druuka' now
than in the most thoroughly saturated
days before prohibition.
These statements are the plain inter-
probation oi public police records, taken
from the central city districts. where
most flourish tn" purv"yors of bad
liquor.
In cider salo6Hns. cnnouhaged "res-
tnurnnts. "harbor shops and even
mushroom "hardwnrC stores the thirsty
individual with the price and willing.
ness to "tnke n chance can get all
the "whitc mule" or 'block and fall
or 'undcrtakcr's delight his thirst
Lay crave and his stomach can bear.
The records of arrests for drunken
ness. and all other crimes and misde.
meanors In the Sixth District, with a
station house at Eleventh and Winter
streets. show q tremendous increase in
tho last three years.
Similar Records Elsewhere
Similar figures nre reported by the
station at Tenth and Buttonwoou
streets. This is one of the toughest
districts in the city, in the matter Of
arrests, though the records show that
virtually all of those arrested there are
from other parts of town. The district
is bounded by Vine and Poplar streets,
Seventh and Broad. Tho expectation IL
that it's total arrests for the whole year
will be 10000
Similar figures might be cited for
other districts. In the Seventh Dis
trict, for instance, arrests for drunken
ness increased from 36 In October, 1919,
TO 149 in October, 1921.
Police officials made no attempt to
Cover up" when asked for the arrest
figures in their districts.
Captain Van Horn, who has done no.
table work in apprehending criminals
and keeping down crime in his division,
which includes all the toughest" Of
the central districts, admitted readily
that conditions we're "dcplorable.
"And yet he said, we are striving
with might and main to better them.
There are many mushroom places
where a musty sandwich and an an.
cient hard boiled egg serve 20 give the
place its name of restaurant while
really it Ia only n speakeasy or a refuge
for bootleggers who sell stuff Of tho
vilest kind.
we have cleaned out as many Of
these joints as possible, but it is diff
cult job.
I'VE have arrested hundreds Of boot
leggers. The police are doing the best
they can-really excellent work in view
of conditions
Rutter Admits Places Exist
Prohibition Enforcement Director
Rutter. sent here from Washington to
clean up the city, admitted that
many such mushroom places exist,
whore bad liquor is sold in great guam
titles.
"Wc would be only too glad to wipe
out such Places" said Mr.. Rutter, ''if
we had the men and could get the in
formation. Our greatest effort now is
to stop intoxicants at the source.
Acting Lieutenant Thomas Walsh.
who has been in charge of the Eighth
District since February, 1920. declared
that conditions in his district were mot
only dcplornble, but horrible.
''ln all the years I have been on the
force" he says, II have never known
conditions to be as they are now. They
TO my way Of thinking. is due to the
springing up OF rhc Mushroom stores
that sell booze 50 vile that it is only
n wonder that moro az" nor killed by It,
'EvrrybodF who goes there goes to
get a drink, and the stuff they buy is 80
vile that II is no wonder We huvo had
four or five deaths already in tho dis
trict.
"WIth their restaurant license the
cider joints keep open all night and on
Sundays.
"a fcw Of these places aro kept by men
Of criminal records. | have their pic
lures in my prtvat" rrgucs' gallery at
IN" station house. Thry are ycgcmcn,
Ntick-ups, second story workers. dips.
every variety Of roughncCk and strong
Il al IL