Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-02-18
HOBS0D PREPARES
-FOUR INDICTMENTS
in LIQUOR SCANDAL
draws Two Each Against
Dry Agent Brown and
Harry Sweet, Sr.
CHESTERFIELD C GRAND JURY
WILL RECEIVE THEM TODAY
Theft and Illegal Transporting
Are Dual Charges to Be
Preferred.
OTHER NAMES MENTIONED
Whether Action Will Be Taken in
These Cases Is Now n Mat
ter of Speculation.
CHESTERFIELD GRAND JURY
WILL RECEIVE THEM TODAY
OTHER NAMES MENTIONED
Whether Action Will Be Taken in
These Cases Is Now n Mat
ter of Speculation.

-Four indictments. two against III.
D. Brown. State prohibition inspec-
tor. and two against Harry r. Sweet,
Sr.. have been prepared by Common
weath's Attorney Haskins Hobson,
and are ready to be presented to the
special grand jury of the Circuit
Cour, OF Chesterfield County for their
action this morning. 1t was announced
yesterday. Tic indictments were
prepared in accordance with the in
structions OF the grand jury. which
hearh the testimony in the case last
Tuesday.
In the indictments both Brown and
Sweet are charged with theft OF
liquor alleged by the grand jury not
to have been turned in following a
raid on the place OF Pcte Ittner, 1:
farmer on the New Road. in Chester
field County. Brown and Sweet arc
also charged with illegally transport
ing liquor.
Smith to Furnish Bond.
II was announced yesterday at the
oii'ce Of Prohibition commissioner
Smith that as soon as they have Of
fetal information that the indictment
has been found by the grand Jury
against Inspector Brown. the COM
missioner and Brown will go to Ches-.
terrified Courthouse to arrange for
bond
In connection with the case the
names Of Harry t.. Sweet, Sr.. Harry
+. sweet. Jr.. and Julian Planz have
been mentioned. These men are al
legged TO have heen In tho party which
Ia fl. II
when the fifteen cases of liouor were
seized whether or not any action
will be taken against them is not
known.
The report the grand jury returned
mentioned companions" along with
the name of Brown. These COM
panions" are alleged to have been
acting under instructions of the in
spector. Brown and his party are
charged with searching the premises
OF Pete and \. Ittner at night and
without proper authority in law, and
with being unnecessarily rough and
profane with the inmates OF the house.
IN addition to this, they are charged
with Offering immunity from arrest
TO the occupants of the house If they
would divuige the hiding place of the
liquor Brown and his party are al
Iesed to have seized ll5 quarts ur
LIQUOR according to the report OF the
grand jury. or this amount only
nineteen quarts were turned in to the
police for safe Keeping
The rest of tho liquor was misan-
propriated by Brown and his party.
't is alleged. Thirty-nine quarts arc
alleged to have been turned over 10
the bootleggers for silence, and the
remainder peddled on the streets by
accompiices OF the prohibition agents.
Already Fined for Trespassins.
AS Brown and Sweet have both
already been iired $40 and costs for
entering and searching the home OF
A. i'ther without search warrant,
II Is not likely that charge of tres
piss VIII he preferred against them.
testimony was given by Pete Ittner
on whose premises the liquor is al
iesed TO have been found. The de-
tense which is offered by the prohi-
hitioh agents is that some OF the
liquor was removed from the place
before or after officers arrived there
ana by persons others than the origi-
nal owners. This substantfates the
statement made by the dry agents
mat the hootleGgers were double
crossed by friends.
II has been limited by the defense
that when the party OF dry agents
was driving up to the Ittner farm
an automobile was disappearing in
The distance. This caused the dry
agents 10 suppose that the liquor was
stolen by others before they arrived,
ana IS. perhaps, the defense which
will be offered