The Washington times., 1922-12-08
D. C.. HEAD
SCORES !.
JURY
Demands Action on Bootleg
and Gambling cases-oor-
don't Stand Questioned.

Gamblers win continue to gam
BILE with the law as long as they
know they can get away with it,
and they will be successful in
getting away with it 30 long as
the grand Jury fails to act on
the several hundred pending boot
leg and handbook cases.
Not Pleased with Excuse.
!. This is the contention Of Police
Commissioner James r., Oyster s;who
ID incensed over the failure Of the
grand jury. in its busy sessions Of
the past six months. to take up o
single one Of these cases.
Commissioner Oyster n not salts
fled with the excuse Offered by Dis
trict Attorney Peyton Gordon that
his office cannot pay particular at.
tention to any particular class OF
law violators. He does not expect his
office to dispose of bootleg and
handbook cases to the exclusion OF
everything else, but he does expect,
and he will demand. that they sand
wtch q sufficient number OF these
cases In their usual grist TO put the
fear of the law" In the hearts OF
Washington's bootleggers and hand
book men who are today Laughing
up their sleeves over the Police De-
partment's predicament. say District
officials.
Superintendent OF Police Sullivan
In preparing as rapidly as possible
the record during the past few
months made by his department
among bootleggers. Both he, and
Commissioner Oyster, are anxious to
prove their activity In bootlegging
and handbook circles and also that
after they have made arrests and
prepared cases they are helpless
without cooperation OF the courts.
Can Buy Liberty.
District ATTORNEY Gordon. In com.
menting on Commissioner Oysters
determined demand for judicial aid.
explains that his office 10 moro
anxious to dispose Of cases where
the principles are unable to fur
nish bond than those where bond IL
readily supplied.
On the other hand Commissioner
Oyster points out that this encour-
ages the present practice of<Ram-
blers to buy their liberty" and calm
ly chalk 1t up to profit and loss.
1t IL pointed out by Commissioners
Oyster that practically every boot
logger and bQokmaker in Washing
ton, knowing he In in for q periodic
arrest. lays aside q special fund out
OF his profits to pay for the neces-
sary bond and attorney fees. He
also reminds that these classes Of Of
Tenders, guided by their past ex.
periences, know their cases will Ne
come rnildewed with age In the
courts with q good chance Of their
eventually being nolle prossed.' ~
Despite the fact that Major Cor
don, in the opinion Of District Of Co.
lumbia officials. has utterly faiiedsin
locA bootleg and handbook cases., he
today pointed out that since he took
offics, August /, 1871. 10000 cases
have been tried or otherwise disposed
Of. In speaking Of more important
cases, he means thoss Of murder,
rape. robbery. housebrealring, mar
cotic violations, assault Of every.
kind. larceny, embexxiement and
forgery, Al wen az a large number
of other cases purely Federal, such
a. violations Of the postal regula-
lions. national prohibdtion laws and
revenue acts.
Anxious to clear, his Office, Dis
trict Attorney Gordon announces
the issuance, withip q few days, Of
D report relative to the condition
OF the district attorneys office. II
will show, he says, that out Of the
vast number of cases brought into
his office only 214 by the Commits
sioner's own figures. are handbook
cases and these are not considered
OF the Importance that THOUSANDS