The New York herald., 1922-01-18
CATROW ROW LEADS
TO PERMIT INQUIRY
1000 Case Order, Said to Have
Caused Dismissal, May Go
to Grand Jury.

Palmer Garfield. former Mayor OF
Kingston. N. Y. recently appointed as
sistant to william Hayward. United
States Attorney. Is investigating the
withdrawal permit for 1000 cases oi
whisky issued to the Progressive Drug
Company Inc, 1888 Park avenue. II
was this permit which brought on the
Catrow-Day controversy which shook
prohibition headquarters here. II Mr..
Garfield finds that the facts warrant
the permit matter will be presented to
the Federal Grand Jury.
David II. Blair, Commissioner OF In
ternal Revenue, was In the city yester-
day, comforting with Ralph II. Day.
State director. Commissioner Blair said
the Catrow-Day affair had been referred
to informally" and that he had not
talked with any one else concerning
It. lie said he thought Director Day
was making progress"
Tho Commissioner hopes to increase
the size of the prohibition force through
out the country, and assorted that New
York might have fifty additional agents
within the year. He continued:
"It will not be possible to increase
the salaries of agents, but we feel we
are gradually building up staff of well
trained men. Many OF them started
green. but they are improving in eff
cheney and quality"
Mr.. Blair said the control of alcohol
was giving the prohibition department
quite as much trouble, II not more, than
liquor itself. He regards the use by
bootleggers Of denatured alcohol. which
they obtain freely and distill In order
to remove poisonous substances. some-
times performing this operation imper-
40 kA
lens In connection with enforcement. He
added:
There Is no panacea for the enforce
ment of prohibition. All we can do is
to go ahead, making as many arrests
and obtaining as many convictions as
we can"
Judge Louis d. Gibbs. In Bronx Coun-
ty Court, in passing sentence on James
Crotty. saloonkeeper OF 139 Willis ave-
nue.. The Bronx, spoke his mind about
prohibition. saying:
You can walk along Broadway and
get any amount Of liquor in any restau-
rant or cafe IL you have the money to
pay for 1t. The attempt to enforce the
liquor law IN New York city is both
ludicrous and disgraceful. However, the
law is here, and 1t makes no difference
to me how other judges act on 1t. We
must enforce it.
Every saloon in New York now
operating Is operating purely because
1t sells whisky. The saloons couldn':
exist IL they depend on the sale OF
lunches and one-half of one per cent.
beer The prohibition law Is in contempt
and Is bringing other laws into con-
tempt"
Charles Madden Of 13 Dean street
and George Palmer of 431 Pacific street
Brooklyn, were sentenced to two years
and one year, respectively, In Atlanta
Penitentiary, by Judge Garvin in the
Federal Court in Brooklyn. They were
found guilty Of impersonating prohibi-
ton enforcement officers In an effort tc
obtain protection" money from saloon
keepers. Both used imitation badges
According to the police. Madden has hao
three previous convictions and Palmer
was said to have served two terms II
the State penitentiary. :,
Capt Daniel Docherty, skipper and
owner Of the steamship Javary
was convicted by jury in thu
United States Court on a charge O
smuggling. The Javary arrivet
here on December 10 with 25'
drums Of alcohol. a total Of 27,500 gal
Ions, to be shipped from Baltimore K
Constantinople The night of the vessel:
arrival here hose was run aboard ant
thirty-six drums of alcohol were emp
tied into casks on the pier, which were
then carted away. Mr.. Garfield. wh'
prosecuted the case, estimated that hat
all the alcohol got into the hands o
bootleggers 1t would have meant $5,000,.
900 to them as whisky.
Capt. Docherty was held In $500 bal
for sentence January so. The jury, af
ter celebrating fifteen hours. recon-
yuepded yenfencv