New-York tribune., 1922-08-24
Raiders Smash
Way to $4,000
Liquor Cache
Three Heavy Doors Shat
tered in Jansse 8
III { bran Haus and
Choice Whiskies Seized
Diners Are Not Disturbed
Scotch, Irish, Rye and
Champagne Carted Away
While Broadway Watches

Panels in three heavy oaken doors
were smashed and heavy locks shat
tered with sledge hammer welded
by general prohibition agents of
Zone Chief John ID. Appleby's division
yesterday afternoon when they raided
August Janssen's Hofbrau Hans, a res
taurant at 50 West Thirtieth Street.
extending through to Broadway.
Liquors, variously estimated to be
worth from $4,000 to $4,000, were
found behind the wrecked doors and
were confiscated. No choicer nor wider
assortment of ,lisuors ever have been
seized in raid, the agents said.
From 2:30 until o'clock the ten
agents engaged in the raid, all of
whom came here recently from various
parts of the country, carried out case
after case of the finest Scotch, Irish,
rye, bourbon and blended whiskies;
imported champagnes, absinthe, creme
de minthe and other cordials. These
were loaded in a truck from the
Knickerbocker warehouse and carted
away.
Proprietor Not Present
August Jansen, proprietor of the
place, was not present when the raiders
were working. He has home at Great
Neck, but was not reached there.
the seizure on the ground that all the
liquors had been purchased prior to
prohibition.
The agents charged the raid was
based on a purchase of beer at 40 cents
bottle made on the Jansen premises
several days ago by prohibition general
agents, and said that the date of the
purchase of the unusually fine stock of
wines and liquors did not enter into
the case.
When the raiders entered by the.
two entrances to the establishment all
tables in the restaurant on the first
crowded with fashionably dressed
women and men. The agents, who are
among the best trained in the govern
ment service, went about their work
Systematically and without disturbing
the diners.
The few agents who were forced to
walk through the dining room attracted
little attention. The army of employees
stood by silently while the agents
worked from the basement and engine
room up through the five floors, all of
which are occupied by the one concern.
Locked Door Smashed
On the fifth floor the agents came
upon heavy locked door, which en-
poyees said led to the linen closets.
They asked for key to this door and
said that no key was forthcoming. The
heavy hammer was brought into play
and three panels crashed from their
| frames. The agents reached through
| the apertures to work the lock from
| the inside. 1t refused to work, so it
was smashed.
| Inside the first door was hallway
into which two doors opened. These
were found locked. Employees pro-
tested that the doors shielded only a
valuable stock of linens. Keys were
asked for and when they did not arrive
in what the agents regarded as rea-
sonable time the hammer again began
| to swing. Panels We're torn out and
locks smashed Behind the doors the
alleged liquor stock was found nested
on shelves in orderly array.
| While the raid attracted little atten-
tion inside the restaurant it created
no end of curiosity on the streets when
the gayly painted warehouse van began
to bulge with its cargo of rare wines
and liquors.