Evening star., 1923-12-21
Prominent Names in Files of
Syndicate Said to Be
Clients.
CAPITOL AND LEGATION
FIGURE IN DISCOVERIES
Elaborate and Intricate System to
Supply District Uncovered
in Seizures.

governments case against an alleged
gigantic conspiracy against the
Nolstead act in Washington at the
office of United States Commissioner
Macdonald today, when four were ar
raigned and released on bonds: war
rants were issued for two Others. and
attorney James +. O'Shea announced
he would surrender another two az
soon as possible. Four others had
been arrested last night.
Assistant United States ATTORNEY
Presmont, in stating reasons for re-
quiring a large amount of bond to
Commissioner Macdonald, disclosed the
magnitude OF the case in the view of
stating:
This case represents well defined
attempt TO hold in contempt the ma
tional prohibition act on a gigantic
scale, and consequently we are forced
to ask for bonds commensurate with
the Importance of the case
January IS was set for the hearing
before Commissioner Macdonald.
Those arraigned were:
II. Curtis Lamson, thirty-three, or
Mount Ida, Va, investment broker.
Girl Among Prisoners.
Pearl Bryant. pretty seventeen
year niece of one of the men
named in the case, a clerk, of 4o3
Woodward apartments.
Joseph Marks. twenty-nine, unem-
ployed
H. r. Bates. salesman.
Attorney O'Shea, representing the
four above named, announced that he
would produce Milton E. Scarborough
OF Clarendon. Va, s soon as he ar
rived in town in answer to a wire
already sent and that Benjamin F.
Morris of Silver Spring, Md, would ap-
pear for arraignment as soon as his
condition would permit him to leave
the hospital
Bond was set at $4,000 for Marks
and Lamson and the government
asked that similar amount be set
for Scarborough and Morris.
Bond of $4,000 was set for Bates
and $1,000 for Miss Bryant.
Four Others Released.
-Four oehers arrested and released
on bond last night were: John Cas-
/ per Mack OF 1417 Belmont street
twenty-five years old, who says he is
photographer.
Miss Naomi Middleton, nineteen, of
469 H street
Allen Clyde Witherite, twenty-five.
of 53S 14th street, a mechanic.
Marian Adams, thirty, of 321 !
street northeast.
In this case police said today they
have smashed a bootlegging syndi-
| cate whose books-now in possession
| Of the police-list prominent Wash
| ingtonians, including some in the
capitol and some in the House office
building, clients.
Against all of those arrested are
| charges of conspiring to defeat the
purposes of the Volstead act.
| According to the police, operations
of the syndicate were directed from
a headquarters Office in the Cont
mental Trust Company building and
from a subsidiary office IN the Dis
| trict National Bank building.
Legation Figures in Case.
! Complications with foreign lega-
tion entered the case yesterday, il
is stated, when an attempt was made
| by the vice squad TO seize liquor
stored in the alleged warehouse of
! the concern. When visit was made
| to the warehouse, where thousands
| of dollars worth of liquors are kept.
! the secretary of legation here
! claimed that the liquor was exempt
| for diplomatic use. Attention of Of
! ficials at the State Department al
ready has been called to this fea
| ture. Police withheld the name OF the
| legation concerned.
Lieut. Davis and Sergeant Mcouads
of the vice squad were handed the
/ case many weeks ago by Commits
| sioner James f. oyster.
! At that time there had been some
| complaints about the many arrests
of the "half-pint" bootleggers in
wholesale raids, while the big men"
were allowed to continue without
molestation.
! Ordered to Get Leaders.
Get to the bottom of this" ordered
! Oyster. Il don't care who is mixed
up in 1t. Get it and bring 'em In"
According to the police, their in
vestigations divulged the fact that
Washington had been the field Of
operations for syndicate with three
master minds" backed to a liberal
extent by moneyed persons, who
were conducting bootlegging as
scientific enterprise.
| The Syndicate" il was stated, had
| an elaborate system of street men"
| who were in constant communication
| with headquarters" The street men,
! it was stated, had automobiles which
| were stocked with liquor at all times
| When the stock ran low a call to the
| warehouse would send hurry-up
i wagon to some deserted alley, where
! the stock would be transferred and
the salesman replenished.
One office was in the District Ma
tional Bank building. it was alleged
| This handled the small retail trade.
The other Office was the headuuar-
ters for the big orders. 1t was in
the Continental Trust Company build
ing, the police state.
Now, Davis and McQuade, aided by
a force working under them, got far
enough to discover that this syndi-
cate had tentacles which stretched
| into the seat of legislative activities $
for the the entire nation-the Cap
itol.
They dug deeper and were able
to uncover some records of trans
actions and books of the syndicate.
They took a look at some Of the
names and whistled in amazement.
Then Commissioner oyster received
another call from his vice squad
leaders.
go out and get them and don;
worry me about names" replied the
Commissioner. You're here and I'm
here to try help enforce this law and
it's up to you to get every body coon
nected with this thing"
One Of the big strokes, the police
say, was obtaining confessions and
; | afidavits from the four arrested last