The New York herald., 1921-02-26
COL0RED ALCOHOL
FOR SALOON FOUND
MDRUGSTORERAID
Dry Agents in Brooklyn
Uncover First Evidence OF
Secret Booze Source.
ONLY 25 CENTS A DRINK
Ross Plans to Invoke Vol
stead Law to Close Viola
tors Places Tor Year.
ACCUSED COPS ACQUITTED
400 Quarts of Whiskey i'll Oil
Cans Seized by Police OH
Staten Island.
ONLY 25 CENTS A DRINK
ACCUSED COPS ACQUITTED

Prohibition agents uncovered yes
terday what they said was the first
evidence obtained here In several
months against retail druggists who
are distributing liquor illegally, and
serving as handy sources of supply
for saloon keepers. They raided
drug store at 225 Hamilton avenue.
Brooklyn, and reported the seizure OF
quantity of alcohol and coloring
matter, some Of which, they said, was
about to be transferred to saloon
across the street and sold as whiskey
at 25 cents a drink.
The drug store is operated by w.
Hofert & Co., who have permit al
lowing them to purchase and dis
tribute liquor for medicinal purposes.
Agents Langley and Goldstein, who
made the raid, found one case and
several bottles of whiskey. which they
did not confiscate because it was held
under legitimate permit.
But they found also ten barrels and
thirteen five gallon cans of alcohol, five
five gallon demijohns of colored alcohol
and one gallon of colorins matter. They
said they found evidence which satisfied
them that liquor was prepared there for
sale through other than legitimate chan
ncls
offered 500 to "Forget It,"
Agent Langley alleges that man in
the drug store offered him 500 to "go
away and forget about it" when he be-
came suspicious and asked to investi-
gate. Langley said a man went into the
drug store with. whiskey bottle, which
he admitted he intended to have filed In
order to replenish the supply of the
saloon across the street No arrests
have been made pending an investigation
of the facts.
/ II was announced yesterday by United
States Attorney Ross of Brooklyn that
the power of injunction proceedings
would be used against saloonkeepers
who have been persistent violators of
the volstead act, with a view to closing
| their places of business for as much as
year. Authority for such action Is
contained in sections 21 and % of the
/ Nolstead act.
1t is the feeling of Mr.. Ross. besides
that of many others occupied with the
enforcement of prohibition, that the ef-
/ feet of criminal proceedings against bar
| keepers, saloon owners and others, with
the fines and occasional Jail sentences
| that have been imposed, has not been
drastic enough to really stem the flow
of illegal traffic
They point out that the huge profits
| in bootlegging and Illegal selling make
| II possible for those engaged In the
trade to pay big fines without thinking
| twice about 1t and to accept short Jail
sentences with the comfortable feeling
that when they are released they will
soon be able to more than make UP for
their lost time.
Can Close Places for n Year.
Section 21 of the Volstead act pro-
vides that "any room. house, building.
boat vehicle, structure or place where
intoxicating liquor is manufactured.
| sold, kept or bartered Is n violation of
| the law and declared TO be n common
! nuisance" and that the court may
order that the room or house shall not
be used or occupied for one year there
after"
1t is believed that the proofs or adj
missions which were sufficient to cause
the imposition of penalties In criminal
actions against saloonkeepers and others
will be sufficient TO sustain an equity
action.
-Four hundred quarts OF whlskey, con-
cealed I'm oil cans covered with card
board, were seized yesterday at Port
Richmond. Staten Island. by policemen
who found the liquor in a truck which
was just leaving the ferry from Bay
onne. William Scheer OF 543 West 1921
street and Robert Graham of 175 Perry
street, who were on the truck. were ar
rested. At the New Brighton police sta
tiou they refused to say where the
whfskey came from or where they
planned to take 1t. admitting. however.
that 1t was not TO be delivered In Staten
Island. Both men were held under bail
and will be arraigned in Brooklyn to-
day charged with illegal transportation
of liquor
Detective Sergeants Patrick A. Burke
and Harry Walsh. who were charged
with conspiracy to obtain protection"
money from Bay Ridge saloonkecpers
were declared not guilty yesterday by
Federal jury in Brooklyn. The jury
spent n little more than four hours in
arriving at the verdict.