Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-08-28
JtRI-BRIBING PLAN
OF PA. BOOTLECGERS

|
Continued From First raI"l
ANA enter the jury box holly prciu
diced against such unahashed tactics
~ Is h"inE round. too. tina, while
)"r'"S incline To icnicncy toward the
SmaU-fry liquor vjoiat"rs. the indI-
Nldua! who has offended by 'possrss.
'ng' "r "'rauSp"rtIng" insut,,.i.n,
quantities for rriva," purposes. they
are giving both hurr"is'' TO mon
engaged in ""mmcrclal!zcd infractton
"' IN" eighteenth amendment that
- l" SAY. IN" professional h"otl"rr"r.
Iraphi" indication Of the Wild.
spread prevalence ~ livuur oialawry
is afforded by IN" fact ,ha, ahnm,
haif IN" tim" ~ United !S,.tt"S ,olir, :
IN PENNSYLVANIA IL taken ,r with
prohibition case. \ mass nf i'm
roTthnt ciri! litigation. including TAX
cases involving many millions Of
dollars. is in consequence subjected
:" costly dclay.
During tho las, SIX months tn.
Federal Court q, Ihiladciphia has
S"l|"d f"rty-,w" truck loads OF IL
lirit stu equipment Nine Fedora!
prohibition agents. charged with dis
honesty In enforcement activities
we're tried and convicted The Fed
"f prosecutions f"r January. F.brn.
AIRY. March. April aud May. l.22-,hc
latest avaiiahi"-iu IN" thr". FnI
eral court Jurisdictions Of pcnnsylya.
MIA eastern. midd!" and western
make "a brave showing 81 Increased
activity compared with the CORES.
pondinG period OF 1921
But when tho grand total of ar
rests in the stat. for the nrst I'VE
months Of this ycar-52l-is CON
Slder"d In the liEht Of the notorious
ana wholesale violations occurring
under evnryhody's eyes. the nrures
vinCinE. az the total Just mem
toned. 1922 arrests ar. credited ~
the Eastern or Philadelphia Fed
erai district Tho indcscribablv wet
area which ranges around PITTS.
hurEh and Eri" ,,he western Fed
"rai Jurisdiction achieved total
az seventy arrests In Ave
months nf l:22. Ia the correspond-
Ing period last year there were 90.
arrests
Forces Entirely Inadequate.
tn" truth about prohibi-ion- VIC
lauon statistics is tina, they are
'am"ntnbly and ludicrously uninsor-
ma'iv" ms 10 actual conditions ANY
schoolhov knows that for every
recorded violation and conviction
there are 1000 unroCord.d and un.
convicted cases. Tho Federal PRO
hihition enforcement field force in
PENNSYLVANIA marshals the magnit-
cent total of seventy mon for
a population Of about 5000 900
Bootlegc!rR is not DISCOURAGED in
Pennsylvania ny any rigid system OF
failing Fines continue to he the
principal punishment meted out in
the Federal courts OF los prohibit
ton violators convicted during the
early months Of 1922, ninety-three
received sentences imposing hnes
and only twelve were sent to TAIL
Tn" bootleEetr vii! do almost any.
thing 20 avoid a siege in cell He
pays eminent counsel huge fees /,
conviction carries with II only.
fnes and no imprisonment
County Judges throughout tho
state are beginning. where local
prohibition sentiment lis strong. to
give sim jail sentences. The re-
sultant "n"ct on the local boot
Logging situation is prompt and
lasting. Tho writer finds every
wher" In the United States feel
ing that more jail and lrss hnins
for bootlnrccrs is the most cHica
cious way OF dealing the Industry
Even five figure fines moan nothing
10 the hiR hootlcGger-a fortnight =
profits. perhaps \ $1,000 fine often
represents nothing more than DAYS
turnover. There mr." hootlegg"r rob
cr-birons who would cngerlv nav
$500 In fnes rather than no lock cd
up for thirty days. Their lawyers
have orders TO secure flnca at any
cost
Federal prosecuting authorities in
Pennsylvania arc meeting with the
same difficulties Mt the hands OF no
lltically appointed prohibition agents
that United states attorneys en-
counter everywhere. That tho rank
and file OF these agents are Of minor
mental and moral capacity is sad
fact-it Is the Inevitable consequence
OF our ward hccicr system that passes
for politics"
The u. g. Agent Goes Dumb.
4 prohibition case is in court IL
has been carefully prepared Evil
dence of guilt Is fairly conclusive
The governments main witness Is A
Federal prohibition agent. He Ia
called to the stand. For reasons that