Evening star., 1923-12-22
State Department Prepares
for Probe When Legations
Are Reported Involved in
Big Ring Found in Raids.
OYSTER ORDERS PUSH
THROUGH THE END"
District Attorneys Office Says
Names Found in Seizures Will
Be Given to Grand Jury-Anti.
Saloon League Enters Case,
With Wheeler's Statement.

Purchasers as well as dispensers
OF liquor in the conspiracy cases set
on foot yesterday with nine arrests
and three warrants will be prose-
cuted, it was announced today by
Assistant District Attorney Pres
mont, who has been placed in charge
of the preparation of the case.
Police claim to have in their pos
session n list of names OF between
1000 and 1000 Washingtonians. some
of them prominent in official and So
cial life here. who are suspected to
have been purchasers of liquor from
the alleged syndicate.
Report to State Department..
Possibility of foreign legation COM
plications in the case was said by the
police to have been contained in re-
ports forwarded by them to the State
Department for investigation.
At the State Department It was
said that no formal report had as yet
arrived, but that on receipt of detail
ed charges the department would
take up the matter and consider the
advisability of making an investiga-
tion.
Regardless Of the social. political
or official prominente of persons who
are shown to be purchasers of liquor
from the alleged syndicate" Mr.
Presmont told The Star today, the
names will be placed before the grand
Jury.
Prom statements of the police, it
looks as though a scandal in WASH
ington may be precipitated' by such
hVVk yhA,a
is made against sellers of liquor
there is no reason why the buyers
should escape prosecution"
All Forces Unite.
The United States Attorneys Of
fee will have the backing. OF the
case, case as Well as the investigators of
the special intelligence unit of the
internal revenue bureau OF the
Treasury Department, 1t was said to-
next week to discuss procedure on
the prosecution of purchasers of
liquor from the alleged syndicate:
Commissioner oyster today indi-
Asto the full and complete co-opera-
ton of the police department in
handling the case to its extremities.
Right through to the end" was
when asked his opinion OF pushing
the prosecution even of the purchas-
ers.
Officials of the special. intelligence
unit of the internal revenue bureau
also declared that every facility to
prosecute every one connected in any
way with the alleged conspiracy
would be rendered to the office of
the district attorney.
Wheeler Makes Statement.
Thus the two investigating agencies
and the prosecuting agency of the
government have announced their
lineup in the case. The Anti-Saloon
League also has come to the front
In this case General Counsel Wayne
3. Wheeler today Issued the follow
ing statement:
Every one of the alleged $500
1iouor purchasers disclosed by the
bootleggers' books should be prose-
cuted for violating section s of the
national prohibition act The pur-
chaser is more cowardlW violator
of the law than the bootlegger.
Every friend of law and order should
insist on the prosecution of these
1900 -conspirators.
"If public officials will use all of
their power under the law they Will
prosecute them also for violating the
conspiracy statute. which carries a
penalty of two years insthe penitenti
sry and a fneb of $4,000"
The fact that police have obtained
four confessions in the case and are in
possession of the list of names in
code form is looked upon as a basis
for the procedure about to be under
taken.
Papers Being Decoded.
Police today were centering atten-
the case.
McQuade of the vice squad, but also
commissioner Oyster late yesterday
and this morning, they said, were
receiving calls from persons known
10 them for some time to get bit
ing of the names. 1t seems that
quite a number Of purchasers are in
terested in learning whether their
names are contained on the lists
More than hint has been given
that this case is by no means COM
pleted. Last night Louis Dulane, a
representative of the American Lee
Eion, was arrested on a warrant i'm
made against twelve others.
This brought nine into the jurisdic-
tion of United States Commissioner
George H. Macdonald. All these nine
have been released on bond. Promises
for the surrender of two others have
g.
O'Shea, while two warrants are out
for an additional two.
Out ON Bond.
Those out on bond on conspiracy
charges thus far are H. Curtis Lam
son Of Mount Ida, Va; H. r. Bates,
Miss Pearl Bryant, Joseph Marks.
Miss Naomi Middleton, Allen Clyde
Witherite, Marian Adams, John Cas-
per Mack and Louis Dulane.
O'Shea promised Commissioner Mac
donald that Milton Scarborough and
Ben Morris would be brought before
xfrn voluntarily as soon as possible.
Mr.. OShea pointed out to United
States Commissioner Macdonald yes
Serday that as soon as his clients
were aware that there was breath
of suspicion against them, they I'M
mediately asked to be brought be-
fore the proper authorities.
Prosecution of purchasers was said
today BY sofiioials of the Department
lConfInueds Pare :, 1>oiumnI}a