New-York tribune., 1921-04-29
Rum Blockade
Set Up as City
Gases Go Dry
Enforcers Turn Efforts to
Preventing Liquor Com
ing In and Stage Raids
ON Vessels i'm Harbor
Hip Toters Are Set Free
Only 19 Indictments Out of
40 Cases Found i'll Kings,
but New York Is Strict

It became evident yesterday that the
police and Federal enforcers OF pro-
hibition believe they have mopped up
the puddle of liquor that Law on the
city and now are devoting their ener-
gies more particularly to stopping any
more from coming in.
Customs raiders have tackled the
harbor front and its ships with encour-
aging results. A new police. bureau
was organized yesterday under Inspec-
tor Thomas Mcdonald for the purpose
of ridding the city of those Jew remain
obtainable.
The Kings County grand jury yes
terday morning returned only nine
teen liquor indictments out OF the for
ty-nine presented to it, but the New
York County jury Offset this by fnd
ing true bills in thirty-nlne of the
forty-eight cases presented. This is
. record.
The action Of the Kings County grand
jury showed that 1t was not inclined to
indict persons possessing home brew
or hip toters, or those having liquor in
their possession while dining in res
taurants. The grand jury in Manhat-
tan showed no such tenderness. It in
cluded in its indictments all sorts of
cases from manufacturing to selling
taking in possession and the varied
forms of transportation.
Nearly Starts Riot
In his search for liquor Wednesday
night, Inspector Thomas McGoldrick
of the customs service reported yester-
day, he nearly started riot on four
ships and barge.
He said that he was stationed at Pier
25, North River, and began the busi-
ness of finding liquor by boarding the
Italian ship Dante Alighieri Below
decks, he says, he found six men in the
act of holding up the storekeeper, de-
mandng of him either liquor or his
life.
McGoldrick rushed back on deck for
reinforcements. A searching party
happened to be passing, ten strong. To-
gether they returned to the ship. In
the meanwhile the six men had come
on deck and escaped.
At Pier 8, East River, customs in
spectors boarded the Munamar, of the
40 bottles of liquor. On the adjacent
Tivives dozen bottles of Scotch are
said to have been found.
The Fort Hamilton was searched in
vain. Just as the guards were leaving
the pier, however, they were attracted
by several barrels of Bermuda pota-
toes. One of the guards fell over one
Of the barrels and broke it. Liquor
came forth.
Yesterday the customs men visited
the PolishAmerican liner Gdansk, at
Pier 2, Army Base, Brooklyn, and
found, SO they say, more than $50 bot
ties of liquor and quantity of Ger
man cigars.
1900 Wet Complaints
Up to last night approximately 1900
complaints of dry law violations had
been lodged with the District Attorneys
Office. Assistant District Attorney
Moses Ryttenberg said that prohibition
cases have already put the trial calen
dar thirty or forty cases behind nor
NAL.
Magistrate George Simpson in Tomb.
Court yesterday discharged James So
lario, of 81 Lawrence Street, Brooklyn
charged with having nine bottles O.
whisky in his Office and said:
"An Office or home should be sacree
and should not be entered by the police
without search warrant. Some of the
methods employed by the police in max
ing arrests are outrageous. | thinl
the MullanGage law is contrary to the
Constitution of the United States ant
the State of New York, and would give
up the eight years I have to serve
ahead of me for one day on the bench
of the United States Supreme Court t(
pass judgment on this law"
Frank E. Holahan, counsel for the
Liquor Dealers Association of the
Bronx, yesterday demanded jury tria
into the facts surrounding the issu
ance of search warrant which re.
suited in the seizure of $4,000 worth
Of liquor from his client. Herman
Weissiker, Of 267 City Island Avenue
City Island. Weissiker claims lega
ownership of the liquor. The case will
be put to trial to dete ermine ownership
of tho nropartv