The Washington times., 1923-02-03
OYSTER To
MOP CITY
DRY
Commissioner Tells Police to
Go Limit in Cleanup of
Liquor Traffic.

The drive against the bootleg
gers of Washington, inaugurated
yesterday when forty-two alleged
illicit rum Allers were taken into
custody, is just beginning.
This is the statement today OF
Commissioner James F. Oyster,
in whose province falls the official
direction of police department
activities.
To Mop City Dry"
81 have instructed the Police De-
partment to keep on the job every
hour and every day in their en-
forcement Of the liquor laws. the
Commissioner said. The Capital
city viii be mopped dry in rev
weeks. We know and admit that
LIQUOR is being brought into the Dis
trfct, but we are doing our utmost
to cut 1t off at the source. 1t is at
the source that we hope to stem
the tide of rum running into the
city. I know that the policemen
are doing their best and / have the
fullest confidence in them.
Major Daniel Sullivan, superin-
tendent of police. stands shoulder to
shoulder with Commissioner Oyster
in his determination to make Wash
inston really dry. Major Sullivan
is fully aware that there are many
bitter opponents of the dry laws IN
the city. and that he will encounter
strong opposition from rich ana
poor alike But he is determined TO
make no distinction in putting down
the rum trade here.
"The law is framed for all TO
cS.,Il mi 0Vad
my duty to enforce that law, and
am determined that the law shall be
obeyed."
Dry Forces i'm Drive.
The future activities in the boot
ieggef%dr will be conducted jointly
by the local prohibition unit under
Director Read and the city police.
Read, while of course refusing to
divulge the plans for the use Of his
agents in the dry drive here, con-
officials that the wholesale raids
made yesterday were but the be-
ginning of the campaign here.
j. L. Asher, Of Louisville. KY,
titled by prohibition officials 1.-The
best revenue agent in the country,
10 to disappear from Washington
as mysteriously as he came as soon
as the forty-two liquor violation
cases he made are disposed of by
the District courts.
The city-wide "clean-ups" by the
resourceful Kentuckian has put his
life in danger, according to local
dry officers. His varied DISCUSSES
may protect him from dark alley
vengeance by infuriated bootleg
gers. but not for long, his col
lna LAIs ~ IL,
he will be sent to other cities in
the local enforcement district.
Baltimore. it is said. will be the
next city to hear from the ken
lucky Colonel The intention OF
officials is to send Asher from
4 city TO city, removing him before
his identity becomes plain and be
fore violence reaches him.
According to Federal dry officials
the Read campaign, to which the
Asher episode is only curtain
raiser, is intended to offset proDa
ganda spread through the worl6
by forces opposed to prohibition en-
forcemeht to the effect that Wash
ington is the wettest city in the
, United States.
That this report is being widel,
circulated is evidenced by letters
and n>zspaper clippings received
at the prohibition office from al
parts of the United States and from
overseas. The recent expose o.
bootlegging in the Senate enc
House Office buildings has consti
tuted, in many cases, a peg or
which to hang these allegations.
While Edgar n. Read. chief O
the general agents for the Washing
ton division, declined as a matte
of policy TO divulge his furthe
plans for drying up Washington
he admitted that the work woul.
go on with renewed vigor
AS a Kentucky colonel popula
with the ladies at fancy balls, al
an ice mans helper and Goa
HEAVIER Asher got an intimat
glance at Washington behind tn
scenes.
In one disguise-the society cole
mel who'd have fooled mint julie
got the confidence of bootlegger
who serve the exclusive set. Drol
ping to an iceman and a coz
HEAVIER, he accepted more than on
pint as reward for his service, a
the same time occasionally assis
Ing a liquor merchant in movin
cases OF choice stuff into wine &c
lars Of the thirsty.