Evening star., 1922-10-01

old poolrooms and disguised shops,
where tho anti-volstead beverages
were freely bought and sold, to the
elaborate apartment houses and
homes where only the air Of refine
nent and dignity seemingly exists il
presenting an srduous task for po-
lice and federal officials to cope with.
The carly days Of prohibition in
Washington. when nearby cities were
an easy task for the law enforcers.
Arrivals in the city with suspicious
looking parcels and guilty appear
ances were watched and often de-
tected. OF course. many illegal
packages were brought in, for no
law has ever existed that was not
broken: Police courts and criminal
courts will always conduct their
trials.
Then the volstead law became the
law Of every state and city as we'll.
Countless numbers of places came
into existence, concealed for q while
under the names OF garages, pool
rooms, fruit stores, cigar stands and
the cheaper class OF hotelS For
while these places ran wide open.
Haunting the law on every side. But
one by one, except for 4 few which
still exist. these liquor dens were run
down, the conduct In and around them
showing their identity to tho police.
Bad an Injurious ingredients were
sold and the buyers themselves be-
came informers
At this time the prohibition office
was of the opinion that tho illegal
traff1c was about to cease. Intoxi-
cants OF any nature became scarce in
the city. and for a long time licensed
drug stores were tho only places
liquor could be obtained. Then q now
era approached Men and women of
a little higher class put their minds
together. the vision Of great revenue
urging them on.
T IQUoR again became plentiful in
IL the city. and most Of it good,
STUFF" too. The police and federal
agents were at loss to understand
how it was being peddled around.
Notorious places where the TRAFFIC had
been conducted were watched and
rafded. but no discriminating eu-
denoe was collected. except in a few
minor cases.
How was the liquor being sold"
was the question often raised. yisi-
lance OF the law enforcers was again
Increased. but to no avail
SThe situation finally became known,
but methods Of putting an end to it
are more puzzling than any before
confronting the arm Of the law. Fash
ionable apartment houses and resi-
dences in Tthe best sections of the
city are housing bootlegsers on a
gigantic scheme. Where suspicion
would be the smallest to the unknow-
ing. there thrives the trade. The DO
lice cannot suspect everybody. In or
dinary criminal pursuit, the police
know their men. know what kind of
men to look for. and know what
kind Of places to investigate.
Now they are at loss, for the old
order Of things has changed and given
way to the new. The new bootleEEers
able" but still violators Of the law.
They are harder to detect. for their
higher education and culture can
more easily turn away suspicion.
Caution is their only motto. No in
Productions by phone or letter are al
los 1f l.
this: A friend who has gone the way
before you takes you up to the apart
ment, announces himself at the
switchboard, and with the seeming
air Of conducting you to an old friend
or member Of the family. Leads the
times is the case. along the corridor
to a door, If the abode Is on the first
floor.
The bell receives a slight ring or.
in some instances. the knocker is
gently raped. Upon being ushered
apartment himself or herself. as the
case may be, you are formally intro
duced. the ceremony rivaling perhaps
the formality of 4 new year rkcep-
tion. You mind yourself very gracious
ly greeted and offered chair. The
room in which you are seated gener-
ally will be handsomely furnished
and decorated with artistic taste.
For a while no mention Of the OBJ
ject Of your visit is made. A CONVEX
sation is engaged In with man or
woman elegantly dressed, although
not fiashily. He or she speaks with
good English and exhibits a manner
of culture and refinement. Some are
middle aged, others quite elderly. with
their coiffeurs entirely white. Some
times a couple Of children will come
in, and perhaps an older daughter
will give few selections on the
piano. frequently giving few clas-
sizes.
Sometimes a photograph viii be used
instead
r<HEN. in a quiet manner. when
i you have almost forgotten what
you came for, the host or hostess
Jeremiah. etc. whose consistent