Evening star., 1923-12-30
NEW LIQUOR LIST
REVEALED BY BLAIR,
CALLING FIRST MYTH
1,400-Name Record Con-
fused With Smaller One,
Says Commissioner.
DENY HINTS OF FRICTION
IN PROSECUTORS OFFICE
Gordon Allays Rumors by An
nouncing Presmont Will
Stay on Case.


A new list of names in the alleged
rum syndicate came into the lime
light last night through David H.
Blair, commissioner Of internal rev.
enue, who brought out this hitherto
unnoted fact in an official statement
denying existence Of the famous
1,400-name list.
This list contains about fifty names,
according to Mr.. Blair and is the
second that 3 held. A list of twenty
one narzrs Is also in the hands Of
the investigators, he said in the
statement
Explained Mystery List.
A detailed explanation of the mys-
terry surrounding the list of names
was made by Mr.. Blair in letter
dated December 28 to Representative
Newton in reply to a letter from the
latter.
After denying that a list OF 1,411
names had been discovered, Mr..
Blair said:
THE press has no doubt been mis-
led by the fact that code numbers
were discovered, indicating that
there were 1,411 customers. Neither
the police nor the officers of the spe-
cfal intelligence unit were able to
find list Of those customers. but we
have succeeded in getting from some
of the defendants the names of a few
people they say were customers of
the liquor syndicate
TT appears from the affidavit OF
one Of the defendants that there was
black book containing a list in
code Of all the customers and. as
above stated. evidence was discov-
cred indicating that 1,411 of those
code numbers had been issued, but
that book has never been found,
either by the police or by the spe-
cial Intelligence unit"
This served to clear the atmosphere
OF a foggy Interpretation of state
ments by police and special agents
relative to the existencs OF the list,
newspaper men believing that they
originally asserted they had posses
sion of that list, whereas they have
maintained since that they asserted
only knowledge that such a list ex-
listed
Referring to the two lists men.
toned above. Mr.. Blair continued:
foutside OF the above-named lists.
neither the police nor the special in
teiligence unit have any lists what
ever and all reports to the CON
trary are untrue.
LISTS To BE withheld.
"It is not deemed advisable to pub
lish the names that appeared on
this list because this might mate
rally interfere with the inveetiga-
tion and, besides, the fact that name
Is on the list only raises a suspicion
and gives a clue. but is not in itself
sufficient evidence upon which to
base legal action" In the concluding
paragraph of the letter Commissioner
Blair states the police and agents
are working in Complete harmony"
and are intensely interested in this
case"
He adds also that a thorough in
vestigation will be made "of all the
people. regardless of their standing,
and all the facts will be presented
to the district attorney as quickly
as the investigation can be COM
pleted."
The discovery OF the ffty-name
list was made by Lieut.. Davis, chief
Of the vice squad. last May, through
a lucky chance. He was investigat-
ing a case in which one OF the de-
PENDANTS in the present case was i'm
plicated. He saw this person get into
an automobile, so the story goes, and
drop a bunch of papers. He picked
them up. and among them was found
the list of names.
AS soon as the present investiga-
tion was set on foot and the data
turned over to the special intelligence
ment, this list of names came into
prominent significance. And now, ac-
cording to Mr.. Blair, Investigation is
being made to determine whether the
persons named on this list are GUS
toners Of this particular syndicate"
BIair's Statement.
The full statement of Mr.. Blair
was as follows:
when asked about list of more
than 1.400 names of supposed Gus
toners of the bootlegging syndicate
which is under investigation. d. III.
Blair, Commissioner of Internal Rev
enue. stated that no such list was
found either by agents of the special
intelligence unit of the bureau of in
ternal revenue or by the city police
who conducted the raid. The only
list found was one containing twen-
ty-one names. and that list with Ger.
tain receipted bills Is the one for
which Special Agent George E.. Gold
ing gave the receipt which has been
published in some of the papers.
This list Is now in the possession OF
the special intelligence unit and the
agents are investigating every per-
son named therein. This is the only
list OF names found in connection
with the recent raids.
Some of the defendants have fur
nished the names of some of the
supposed customers Of the syndicate.
The bureau also has In Its possession
q lit of not exceeding fifty names