The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-06-12


and county officials. Judge Henry
Cleveland. sitting in the Hammond
city court. today charged authorities.
sworn upholders of law and order.
with responsibility for the wave of
immortality that is sweeping the
county, supplanting liberty with IL
cense, law with lawlessness, sunshine
with moonshine. and reducing the
state statutes to a thing of barter
and trade for silver and patronage.
EE ADMITS IT
In his bitter denunciation for ths
laws laxness he fully vindicates his
adamant demand for thorough
cleaning out of city and county Of
fices by admitting that since assurn-
ing office his court has been made
the laughing stock of bootlegger.
booze maker and lawbreaker through
the Vaccinations of INSCRIPTIONS
lawyers and because Of the ease with
which other authorities have wink
ed at law violations and have work
ed TO undo the best. though limited.
efforts of the city court to instili in
the citizenry of the county q whole
some respect for the law.
PHIL snnDr's CASE
He cites the case OF Phil smidt.
operator of fish resort on the lake
front. raided last October by federal
prohibition agents and local police.
In Smidt's place the raiders found
this: 25 gallons of colored moon
shine; two quarts OF moonshine; one
quart OF Gordon gin; one quart
measure full of moonshine (this be-
hind the bar. and forty-hve cases
of beer that tested 275 and 5.5 per
cent alcohol.
The raid was made by federal
agents on telegTaphic instructions
from Bert Morgan. state head of the
prohibition department
The raid was made on a federal
warrant
But smidt wasn't brought before
a federal court. Not snidr
WHAT'S THE ArswERY
Instead. a second affidavit was
made by q state officer On This
affidavit smidt was arraigned in
city court. He was fined All this
on the q. [ Then the original affi-
davit, sworn out by the federal
agents. was ouashed. No one knows
how. There's no explanation. There
isn't even an explanation why Smidt
was not given a Jail sentence when
arraigned in city, court. He had
twenty-five gallons Of rnoonshine and
z5 cases OF Illegal beer. Yet Snidt
got away with IT. Contract this with
the case of any one Of dozen others.
Less fortunate than Smidt But they
bear the brunt of the law. What's
the answer?
Judge Cleveland wants TO know.
DO THEY xNowf
DO the people of this county know
what's goin on? Do they know one
county official can't even trust an
other? Do they know the law is
honey-combed with dollar marks,-
That's what Judge Cleveland asks.
Again he cites an instance to prove
his utter disgust with the trend OF
law in Lake county. He. a member
of the bar. jurist, a public official.
has the temerity. the courage. the
P1D44C spirit Inc honesty 10 come
out, open and above board. and pil-
lory to the gaze of all. that which
has been long suspected. talked about
dreaded. yet tolerated because no one
had the nerve to say anything. to
attempt anything, And he says he
has but started He says he has
the law abiding interests behind him.
1t says IT is time for the taxpayers.
the home owners. the parents Of the
county. to assert themselves
THE Law CHEATED
In concluding his denunciation,
Judge Cleveland tore back the shield
Of secrecy that has masked the act
tivities Of the sherin-s office and re-
vealed conditions there so potent OF
evil as to make the blood boil. He
assured this writer that sentencing
a man to the county Jail was but a
subterfuge. that the man would not
serve his sentence, that justice would
be thwarted and the law cheated.
He cited as one case alone. that
Of Tony Rose. found guilty in the
city court Of violating the liquor
laws. Rose lives at 325 Kane ave.
1t viii be recalled that il was his
14-year-old son who was caught bv
police delivering moonshine to a soft
drink parlor and pool room. Rose
himself later was caught He uas