Evening star., 1923-02-18
BOOTLEG BUSINESS
JO[TED BY RAIDERS
Flying Column Strikes IS
Places, Gets $500 GAL
Ions, 80 Prisoners.
HAUL VALUED AT $65,OOO
Sixty Men Divided Up Into Ten
Separate Parties With Lists
of Places to Visit.
HAUL VALUED AT $65,OOO

A summary Of their activities yes
terday reported by police and revenue
officers late last night showed that
the flying column Of policemen and
prohibition enforcement agents which
swept through the heart of Washing
toms wettest districts yesterday, raid
ed 40 alleged bootleg rendezvous,
arrested 80 men and women on
charges OF violating the dry laws, and
confscated approximately $500 gal
Ions of intoxicating liquors, valued
at $4,000.
1t was the second major offensive
the authorities have launched against
the bootleggers this month and re-
suited in the greatest hauls the police
have yet made.
Led by Lieut.. .. #. Davis. Sergt.
McQuade and J. l.. Asher, whose ex-
ploits in the past few weeks have
made his name the terror Of the moon
sinner, sixty men were split into ten
separate parties and given a list OF
places they were TO visit. Before sup
per they had swooped down on every
suspected place named and more than
$4,000 had been pledged at the second
and third precinct stations last night
as bonds for their victims.
Bootleg District Dead.
Washington's bootleg district, where
whisky and virtually every kind OF
intoxicant could be had without
question heretofore, was dead
Just now. the nerveless few who dared
ask for "a pint" were eyed askance
and told to ''beat IT.
The raids yesterday were largely
made possible through the remarka-
BILE detective work of Asher. assisted
by Policeman Bauer, member of the
police departments vice squad AS
suming varied disg uises, these police
men conbed those sections of Wash
ington long known to be the favor
ite haunts OF bootleggers and moon
sinners. One day they were huck-
sters, another fish mongers, still an
other wandering minstrels, always
ready to entertain the idle with harp
and violin for few pennies.
But every moment Of the time their
eyes and ears were wide open. BY
innuendo and direct questioning they
succeeded in obtaining the names OF
hundreds OF persons who could sup
ply good stuff" at any time. Asher
and Bauer worked slowly, but sure
named by them failed to produce the
evidence the police went after yes
terday.
Stacked High in Rooms.
Intoxicants Of every description
were to be found in the evidence"
gathered in the raids. Several rooms
at both the second and third pre-
cinct stations were stacked high
with cases OF imported whiskies.
cheap hom ebrew, various grades of
corn, high-priced Italian wines and
lone bottle of very well known
the police were still taking stock
and II was intimated the amount of
intoxicants seized might even ex-
ceed $500 gallons
Another visitation by the whisky
battalion" may be expected momen-
terily. Not only have the police vet
to finish running out the tips fur
nished by Asher and Bauer, but it
has been learned there is a phantom"
at work for the authorities. He is
known even to the police officials
only by number, and he was heard
from again last night
While Lieut.. Davis and his asso-
ciates were still busy taking count
the room of the vice squad at the
second precinct rang sharply. A
voice informed the lieutenant that
large touring car was unloading
whisky into a certain fashionable 2
street apartment house. Ten minutes
later three automobiles filled with
police were converging upon the
place. They found the machine and
three bottles of whisky, but the
owners had disappeared. The "phan-
He watches, never arrests.
Warrants for Fifty.
The raiders met at the second pre-
cinct yesterday morning. By 10
o'clock they were racing to their re-
spective fields Of activity. BY noon
prisoners and professional bondsmen
jammed the station houses almost to
capacity.
The raiding squads carried war
rants for almost fifty persons before
they started out. Additional evidence
picked up in the course Of their work
resulted in the other prisoners being
taken and in most instances two or
more offenders were seized at each
alleged bootleg rendezvous visited.
Some warrants still remain to be
served and the list Of persons ar
rested probably will be swelled to-
day.
Every bootlegger in Washfngto
probably is on pins and needles to-
day Ashers presence in the city
came as a surprise to every one. 1t
had been reported around that he was
working in Pennsylvania, following
the raids here some time ago. In
stead, however, he and Bauer had
been carrying out their investigations
in disguise.