The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-07-14
YEL.LON[EY
ALARMED
A 7 VICE
Talk
Suspended Agents Criticism
Of Force to Be Subject
Of Inquiry.

Alarmed by sensational charges
Of graft made today by Leon
Alderman, suspended prohibition
agent, high officials Of tile dry
unit today went into conference,
with an investigation Of the
Washington division in view.
Officials Confer.
For the greater part Of the morn.
ing Prohibition Commissioner Roy
A. Haynes was closeted with &. c.
Yellowley, Fedora: chief of general
agents, and it was generally known
throughout dry headquarters that
AckerInan's assertions Of corruption
were under discussion.
Harry M. Luckett, acting chief Of
agents in the local division, who
was instrumental yesterday in ar
resting Alderman and George An
thony FuEitt, an informer, on bride
charges, probably will be asked to
take hand in the probe.
While ostensibly the dry officials
looked at the Alderman affair as
"a closed incident" the disclosures
today shook the bureau to its foun.
sdations and practically forced an
Investigation. Of the truth OF the
agents statements.
Alderman was released on $4,000
bond and Fugitt on 81, 500, on
charges OF accepting brides, yes.
terday.
Politics Changed.
Alderman declared that politics
runs riot" in the prohibition unit
ana that ''some agents stand in
others stand out"
AS the appointment Of agents
and higher officials is not sub.
Ject to civil service restrictions,
but is largely dependent upon po-
litical pull" it is felt that there
is considerable grave truth in the
agents allegations.
Dry officials reasoned today that
II the charges made by Alderman
were altogether ignored, they would
crop up again If the case goes TO
trial, In open court.
Prohibition Commissioner HAYNES.
in his forthcoming book on enforce
ment Of the Volstead law, shows
that he Is aware Of attempted corrpu.
ton by disclosing the fact that
agents have been offered brides run.
ming into six figures for protection.
Ackerman's contention is that
such brides are not only Offered,
but accepted in many instances.
For the past several months, ru-
morS OF graft in the Washington
division have circulated through the
prohibition unit. Until the Acker.
man case brought the alleged cor.
ruption into the light Of publicity,
the dry unit has been successful in
concealing possible knowledge of
graft by permitting accused agents
to resign.
The open charges made today,
however, and the consequent con.
ference indicate that the prohibition
unit will now proceed on a different
tack and find out to what extent
revenue agents in the Nations
Capital are building up large in
comes through projection money.
Luckett In Charge.
It was broadly intinlatAd today
that Harry NJ. Luckett, who was
recently named to head the general
will do his share Of the work in the
forthcoming investigation.
Since his late appointment. Mr..
Luckett has announced an aggres.
sive policy OF stamping out the boot.
leg traffic in nearby Maryland ami
Virginia: has planned and executed,
through his agents, one OF the most
sensational series Of daylight raids
in the history of prohibition in the
District. and has pressed charges OF
graft against one Of his own men,
after discovering evidence of posi-
BILE guilt.
It was pointed out today at pro.
hibition headquarters that Commits.
sioIler Haynes might have asked
leniency in Ackerman's case had he
not set the dry bureau agog with his
revelations. Through his state
ments, Alderman has forfeited all
claim to assistance from his former
superiors, it was said, and the case
made against him will be prosecuted
warmly.