The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-12-22
PADLOCK LAW EMPLOYED ID LIQUOR
Club Is Incidental Victim of Concerted Drive to Curb Prohibition Law Viola tions, Says Director
 Sartain

edTly ueSuay morning was merely
 an incident of concerted drive to l curb violations of the prohibition
 laws in Birmingham and Alabama,
 with liberal use of the paddock
 clause of the Vclstead law, planned l under instructions issued by Roy
 Haynes, national prohibition dicsc-
 tor, Charles M. Sartain, federal pro
 hibition agent for Alabama, de-
 ciared Thursday
 Under the injunction clause of the prohibition law, sealing and
 locking for year of premises where liquor is sold is permitted. This
 weapon is being used throughout
 the country against all offenders.
 In New York, 300 injunctions re-
 straining proprictors of restaurants,
 cabarets, clubs and other places are
 expected during a special holiday drive, to continue until January g. The procedure, according to federal
 authorities, is to ask an injunction
 restraining these places from
 further violation of the law.
 This measure will be invoked Fri
 day morning against the Southern
 club, when a petition for an injunc-
 tion restraining officials, employees
 and members of the club from vio- lating the national prohibition laws will be asked in United States dis
 trict court, Judge w. I. Grubb presiding.
 Procedure Outlined
 The procedure followed is as fol
 lows, according to federal men; and
 has been carried out In this inatance and in that of several other persons
 in Birmingham:
 An equity action is brought in 1 the name of the United States against l the offender, setting forth prior vio- I lations and charging the existence of
 common and public nuisance upon i the premises. Upon such complaint temporary writ of injunction is is- sued. In the event evidence of a violation is secured after an injunc- i ton has been granted, not only will ] the offender be brought before tho United States court and charged wit,t l contempt, but the action will be 1 pressed upon the calendar for final 1 injunction so that the place may be closed for one year by order of the 1 court.''
 1 Representatives of the Southern ] club visited the offices of the United i States district court Thursday after ] noon, according to Jim C. Smith, as- 1 sstant district attorney, who said 1 they were told that nothing would 1 be done until the hearing was called before Judge Grubb Friday morning.
 kennamer Sees Crisis 1 District Attorney Charles B. Ken i namer declared Thursday that a ! crisis in law enforcement faced the l country and that the fight for ob- ] servance of the laws would be car !, ried to the limit. regardless of the ! prominence of persons concerned. He ] threw out various hints.
 1 There Is a crisis in law eLforce- ment and the time has come for l drastic action" asserted MT. Ken
 manner. The raid on the Southern ! club was made under the direction l of enforcement officers. The dis 1 trict attorneys office decides when 1 evidence warrants further legal ac- ton. If information which we have l in hand is substantiated there is going to be an embarrassing situa- tion for persons in prominent places as well as the common bootlegger."
 MT. Smith said that action against 1 the Southern club was taken as in l the cases of others wkere restraining | orders were issued.
 There Is nothing to warrant any :. other action against any person or establishment where evidence shows | that the prohibition laws are being 1 violated" declared Mir. Smith. Had Two Informants Judge Sartan said Thursday that information had come to his office l from two reliable sources that q large quantity of whisky had been received at the Southern club. that 1 officers from his department had as- | sisted in the search for the whisky 1 and that his report to the district attorney had closed the matter so far
 as his department was immediately l concerned.
 1 We have been instructed to tight | en up on prohibitions, declared Judge 1 Sartain, "and shall do this with all l our resources. We have no inten- ! ton Of singling out the Southern l club It is my opinion that nine 1 tenths of the members of the South ern club have no intention of vio- lating the prohibition laws. The raid disclosed very little whisky on 1 the premises.
 ! However. we are instructed to CO., operate with all forces working to i enforce the prohibition laws and to l; use the paddock on any place that :! persisted in violating these law1. l This is being done all oyer the 1 United States. We shall take such l action against any person, or place 1 showing a wilful and persistent. pur- 1; pose to sell intoxicating liquors. i There will be no extra drive because 1 of the holiday season because we ! are doing all that we can to en-
 force the law, regardless of the time | of year"
 1 Notice that the petition would be 1 heard before Judge Grubb Friday has been served upon club officials.