Evening star., 1922-10-02
ACCUSE us: AGENTS
Of SEEING LIQUOR
FOR THEIR OWN USE
Federal Grand Jurors Report
Severely Condemns Depart
ment of Justice Men.
GOODS GIVEN TO FRIENDS.
PHYSICIANS AND OTHERS
Most of Whisky Was Taken at
Union Station-No Indictments
to Be Returned.

Declaring its Investigation disclos-
ed large number of trunks. suit
cases and other receptables contain
ing liquor had been withdrawn by
government officials between July %
| and September II. 1920, without war
| rent Of law. the federal grand Jury
IN special report today to Justice
stafford, presiding in Criminal Divi-
sion l, said that such conduct on the
part Of government officials Cannot
be too severely condemned
The grand jury report was in con-
nection with charges that officials
and representatives Of the Department
OF Justice had taken for their own
use and given away intoxicating
! liquors which had been seized and
| was being held in government ware
! houses.
Omcials Scored.
While the evidence does not warrant
an indictment. Eugene E. Thompson,
foreman of the grand jury, in his report
says: The grand jury considers that
the representatives Of the Department
| Of Justice. none OF whom are named,
were signally lax in not confirming the
| seizure Of this liquor by proper legal
| process and also by permitting its dis
| position" The report shows that the
| liquor was not sold by the agents or
representatives Of the Department OF
, Justice. but it was appropriated to
their own use by making gifts to rela-
tivss, friends, physicians and hospitals.
and by destroying such as appeared
unnt for consumption" Such conduct
/; on the part Of the government officials
the grand jury declares, cannot be too
severely condemned"
Seized at Union Station.
The seizures were made mostly at
Union station, when the trunks and
| other containers. were in. transit be-
tween April 4. 1918. and September II,
1920 The Withdrawals according to
the grand jury's report occurred prin-
cipaily between July 2s, 1920, and Sep
The report of the grand jury fol-
lows:
20 the honorable Chief Justice of
| the Supreme Court of the District of
Columbia:
Sir:
AT a regular session of the grand
jury of the District of Columbia held
this date the following report was
unanimously approved and adopted:
In response to the personal request of
the United States District Attorney
and to various reports appearing in
public press and in letters address
ed to the grand jury with reference
to certain alleged intoxicating liquors
which had been seized and disposed
of by representatives of the Depart
ment of Justice, the grand iury
unanimously determined to inves-
tlgate the allegations so made.
Twenty-EfEht Involved.
With the assistance Of the district
attorney every person known as hav-
ing any direct knowledge of or TAX
Ing part in such seizure or disposi--
tion embracing officers and employees
OF the Department of Justice. the
bureau Of investigation and a few
private citizens, in all twenty-eight
persons) were summoned as Nit-
nesses and duly examined by the
district attorney. his assistants and
members of the grand jury
This investigation developed the
fact that large number of trunks,
suit cases, boxes, chests, etc, pre-
sumably containing alcoholic liquors
In indefinite quantities ranging from
gallons In others. had been seized by
agents of the department, for the
most part at the Union station in this
city. and stored in rooms of the De-
partment of Justice building and
warehouse space rented for that pur-
pose during the period from april 4.
1918, to September IL, 1920, and that
memoranda made by various agents
and warehouse records show that
during this period many removals of
such trunks, etc, were made, princi-
pally between the dates of July 90
and September II, 1920, the final
withdrawal having been made Sep
tember II. 1920; that during such
period of seizure, storage and with
drawal no warrants were issued nor
legal process instituted with regard
to the persons Transporting or to the
parcels of liquor transported: that
the liquor SO seized while supposed
to be forfeited to the United States
was not in fact so forfeited for the
reason that such seizure was never
confirmed through legal action by the
proper officers of the Department of
Justice and therefore neither the
liquor nor the persons Transporting
1t ever came into custody Of the court;
that the persons who seized such
liquor and parcels were tresspassers
by reason of their failure to comply
with the law relative to seizure and
forfeiture and therefore their acts
| were in fact acts of private citizens
| and at their individual risks.
Methods Of Distribution.
'It further appears that certain rep
| resentatives of the Department of
Justice disposed Of the liquor in
| various ways. viz, bv appropriating
it to their own use, by making gifts
, to relatives, friends, physicians and
hospitals and by destroying such of
| it as appeared to be unit for con-
sumption, but no testimony was given
to show that any of said liquor was
sold for a monetary or property con-
| sideration. Much time of the grand
Jury was consumed in this investfRa-
tion and every effort has been made
| TO ascertain the facts and determine
the responsi bility of all persons In
any way connected with the case.
'It is the sense of the grand Jury,
| based upon conclusions deduced from
the testimony. that the representa-
tiyes Of the Department of Justice
who were concerned with the seizure,
storage. and disposition of the liquor
f! in question were signally lax in not
| confirming the seizure of this liquor
| by proper legal process and also by
permitting its disposition as herein
before set forth. t
Declared Dangerous Precedent.
"In view of the unprecedented cir
cumstances surrounding this case. 1t
| is our opinion that the testimony ap-
pears to be insufficient to warrant the
| nresentment of an indictment. Here