The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1922-07-29
Force Iron Safe and
Get. Goods on
Negro Bootlegger
Abe Merriek Always g Forgot
Combination Wine War
rants Came Around - Of
fcers Spend Night on Job
cFlorence Times9

(Florence Times3
Two and a half gallons Of COM
mon naoonshine liquor, mean as the
regular run of its class of stuff were
found this morning by federal Of
fcers ;sho forced open an iron safe
belonging to Abe Merrick,. negro
shopkeeper on Mulberry street.
Abe, all his stock, and his improy-
ised storeroom, were taken into
custody-he to answer charges Of
bootiegging and the stock and
safe as evidence.
The forcing OF the safe this
morning. came as the climax to a
night and day vigil by officers,
lasting through most Of Sunday
and last night Yesterday morn
ing Federal officers Stacy and
Youmans, with federal warrant,
called upon Merrick to search this
safe, which has been an object Of
much suspicion and notoriety for
mcntlas. Merrick pretended to
have forgotten the combination Of
the lock.
Siziug up the situation, the Of
fcers calmly sat on the safe and
wired to Judge Smith, in Charles
ton, fer a court order to break it
open. Evidently the wire did not
reach him for up to the conclu-
sion this morning Of the seizure.
no answer had been received. The
two officers continued resoutely sit
ting on the safe till about II
o'clock last night when they called
for cot, and cover and such sleep
ing cenveniences. Turn by. turn,
through the night, one officer slept
while the other one kept watch
of the safe and Surroundings.
Challenged this morning by the
smartness OF this African American
the two officers determined to wait
no longer for anyone or anything.
Calling a local mechanic, they OF
dered the safe forced open. A hole
was bored through the door in
such :: way that the officers We're
able 10 pick the tumblers Of the
combination lock and open it. In
side hey discovered the liquor-
Chief McIver and other city Of
fcers were called to aid by the fed
eral officers through their ordeal.
and responded fully and promptly
to every call. Last night, when
the report of the situation became
current in negro quarters of the
city, a gang of the residents known
to the officers as doubtful charac-
ters, gathered in mob fashion round
the premises of Merrick. Chief
McIver preemptorily ordered them
to leave and stag away or he would
lock up everyone Of them. They
took both his word and their de-
parture. Also the police depart
ment furnished the cot and other
:conSeaiences to aid the federal
officers in their nights watch.
!. Me,rick and his iron safe depos-
tory Tor wet goods have become
notorious through the negro sec
tion of Florence, Chief McIyer
said this morning. For sixsmonths
the p11ice department has been
trying to get into this safe. Every
time, this smart negro would squat
down beside the safe and tumble
at the lock, only to smile at the
officer and scratch his, head and
remark, "You know. Ise forgot
dis cpmbination::' On subsequent
calls by the police, the negro has
commented, 81 amt remembered
dat combination yet"
About 10 o'clock last night, D.
Gordon Baker was called by the po-
lice to see il he could induce the
negro to open the safe. When Mr.
Baker appeared the negro opened
up with the query els you one OF
desc bootleg lawyers? Mr. Ba-
ker's reply soon relieved Merrick
as to who he was-and also as te
any u, certainty of how any furthe,
smartness of that caliber would be
received.
So long as the officers found the
LIQUOR in the safe. they are relfev-
ed of any liability in having forced
too ssafe