San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-11
HAMILTON SAYS SALE OF
COPPER JUNK OFFICIALLY
! REPORTED TO WASHINGTON
Treasury Department Notified of Transaction
Dealer Called in Asked for Bid on Bottles and
Destroyed Still-Never Heard Of Others Named
in Ranger Charge-Has Nothing to Conceal.

sented in my possession. 1t is as fol-
lows:
No. 440.
San Antonio. Tex, Sept. %, 1923.
SECURITY STATE BANK AND
TRUST COMPANY.
Pay TO II. b. Hamilton or order S14.21.
Fourteen and 21-1O0 Dollars.
ED SEIDEMAN."
Hamer Had big Cacc."
"When, having written my report,
started to cash this check to buy
the money order, noticed it was made
out wrong, not giving my name COR
rectly, and l kept it to get in touch
with Mr.. Seideman and get a new
check. Hence the circumstance that !
still have it.
Monday night, just after my arriv-
al home, Ranger Captain Hamer
phoned asking If could come back to
town to his quarters. He merely said
he had "big case" and l did not
not know any act of mine was in
question. / replied that was sitting
by my sick wife. who was very i'll and
had been so for ten days. Captain
Hamer then very kindly asked me to
come next morning, which did early
Tuesday morning, and was detained
until the charge was filed and / was
released on bail Wednesday afternoon.
II do not know. and so far as re-
call. never before saw or heard of the
two men who were jointly charged
with Mr.. Seideman and myself. and
who. it is claimed, subsequently ac-
quired the made-over stills. never
had any agreement nor understan ding
and did not conspire with them nor
with Mr.. Seidemnn nor with any other
person for the making over, nor use as
such, of any still nor any equipment
for or concerning liquor. I did not
conceive that any Of the materials
would be used in violation of the law
| | have for the past % months been Mt
so much pains to enforce. else l should
certainly not have sold it. wish it
distinctly understood that these stills
had been destroyed as such in the
usual and customary manner adopted
for that purpose. and that we had long
since certified to that effect. Being
under the necessity of getting rid of
the materials disposed of them in
what thought was a proper and law.
full manner. to the best advantage of
the government which. had labored
diligently and faithfully TO serve.
Was Not Suspended.
"The occasion has beeL seized on
to circulate many erroneous reports
about myself and my office--one to
the effect that liquor ha. been or
! could be bought from my office.
never sold. nor permitted the sale or
any other unlawful disposition Of. any
liquor nor other thing from fhe office
Mt any time. SO far rs ! know. no
bottle nor other quantity of liquor
was ever taken by sale or theft or
otherwise from my office. Many thou
sand of bottles Of liquor have come to
that office, and all. 50 far as / believe,
have been accounted for by written re-
! port and destroyed or disDosed OF as
provided by the law. l have never
tolerated so much as the taking of n
drink in nor from nv office. This
was the second lot of junk material
disposed Of. 1t has also been circu-
lated. and by some believed, TINT l
have drunk to excess and been intoxi-
Gated. 1t so happens. ! do not boast
of the fact. but merely state 1t Is such.
that I never took drink OF liouor in
my life: though have never objected
10 others doing so in lawful way. ]
can say. however. that so far as
know and believe. and so far as our
very carefully kept accounting system
has revealed. no bottle nor other guam
tity of liquor seized by our forces has
ever been disposed of unlawfully by
sale. nor gift. nor theft.
"Neithpr 1t is true that / was or am
suspended from office. On learning OF
the accusation against me. Mr.. Cole.
my superior officer. came from Austin
to San Antonio. and on his arrival. |
turned over my keys to him, stating
that / did not feel it proper to exer-
else the duties Of group head officer
while this charge was under investi-
CATION"
|