Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1923-02-22
MANY ARRESTS
UNDER DRY LAW
Second Drive for Rum Hounds in the
City of Warrington Nets More
than Eighty Offenders -.
Revenue Agent as Detec-
tive in City
Man Who Had Previously Led the
Local Police in Successful Raid
Again Spots the Hooch.

Washington Feb. II. - Through
the magic strains of "when Johnny
Comes Marching Home Again" from
the strings of a violin in the hands
of J. L. Asher, Washington's versa
tile revenue agent who for a week
has been assaying the role of mod
ern pied piper of Hamlin, more than
eighty alleged bootleggers have been
uncovered recently and were arres-
ted today after raids conducted sim
ultaneously in every section of the
capital. More than ffty-six individ-
ual raids were conducted netting in
addition to the prisoners 5000 gal
Ions of liquor Of all sorts.
Switching his disguise from Ash
cart driver and coal deliverer by
means of which he recently collec--
ed evidences for more than sixty
raids netting as many arrests, Asher
last week donned the shabby but
gay clothes of wandering minstrel
selected harp playing companion
from the detective squad, George
Bauer and from their limited as
sortment of old time melodies play
ed their way into the hearts of
Washingtonians and onto the trails
of bootleg whiskey
Whiskey and Wine
A store room full of pint bottles
and demijohns of whiskey and wines
collected by the minstrel revenue
agents was sorted last night by
prohibition chiefs and police and
orders given the raiders for their
drive today.
All afternoon the patrol wagons
ran hurridly between the fast trav-
elling squads of raiders in the vari-
Gus police precincts, carrying pris-
oners to the station houses, while
government trucks hauled in the
gallons Of confscated liquors.
At one of the busiest station
houses during athe. afternoon stood
Asher Clean sfaven and well dress
ed, an apparently neutral onlooker,
calmly identifying the prisoners, not
one OF whom to all outward appear
ances recognized him whatever.
Their fingers worn by their eff
orts on the violin and harp, Asher
and Bauer in their quest for evil
dence later switched to grind
organ and monkey arrangement.
4ASetih CASy "CiiI iHIO Juliet SeCClOIlS
as hucksters the wagons making it
more convenient to carry their ever
increasing stock of evidence while
cabbage and potatoes covered the
Whiskey and wine most convenient
iy.
Collects Much Evidence
In his new garb Asher went sew
cral times over Nhe same route he
travelled recently in collecting evi-
dence for the raids a week ago.
His disguise however was complete
and in several instances he obtain
ed evidence from alleged bootleg
gers arrested at that time.
Asher who came to Washing son,
was unknown among the UNDER
world here until news of his con-
nection with recent gigantic series
OF raids. Since police have been
kept busy side tracking agents Of
oootleggers attempting to "get line
on Asher"
Asher tells of many instances in
his wanderings last week of the
bootleggers discussing in his pres
ence 'this Hellcat Asher" police are
guarding him closely and it is thout
he will be. sent to another section of
the country now.
Lieutenant o. T. Davis and
Washington Prohibition chief Ruby
directed the raids. More than fifty
police and twenty revenue agents
took part i'll the clean up, leaving
headOuarterS in twelve automobiles