Evening star., 1923-06-03
Concentrated Attack on Rum
Centers Launched by U. S.
Agents and Police.
PHANTOM SLEUTH' LEADS
DRIVE. ON B0OTLEGGERS
Many Alleged Liquor Dealers
Caught in Net; All Parts of
City Covered.

Prohibition agents and the vice
squad under Lieut.. Davis of the sec
| ond precinct late last night and early
today initiated more than a score of
raids in determined effort to clean
up Washington OF bootleg liquor of
questionable quality before Shrine
week.
At 2 am this morning Divisional Di-
rector Edgar N. Read took active
charge Of half a score OF prohibition
agents collaborating with Lieut.. Davis.
THE big push is on" he declared,
'tand we expect to work throughout the
night in our attempt to purge Wash
ington Of Illicit beverages for Shrine
week"
This wholesale raiding of alleged
retailers of liquor believed to be un-
fit for human consumption Is the re-
suit Of ten days Of intensive effort by
]. l.. Asher, phantom sleuth OF the
prohibition forces, and known as the
Izzy Einstein of the south; F. w.
Hertzig, alias "the baron" and Harry
G. Bauer. private of the vice squad.
Asher. who stepped into the lime
light some time ago here by wearing
disguises, this time worked the
strategy OF appearing without make
up. He declared that this proved a
more effective disguise for him than
that of an ashman, a Kentucky COL
onel or an international lawyer, which
were his pet pseudo characters.
Lieut.. Davis Chauneur.
The preliminary work was done
under the direction Of Lieut.. Davis, who
has been in charge of operations of
the vice squad for several years.
Lieut.. Davis yesterday acted as
chauffeur Of taxicab In which he
carted Hartzig and Asher around.
Having collected sufficient evidence
to proceed on the tasks the dry
forces obtained the cooperation of
United States Commissioner George H.
Macdonald, who established temporary
headquarters in the vice squad room
at the second precinct. where, with
sleeves rolled up. he spent a busy
evening issuing warrants.
Before midnight the first. of the
raids were beginning to trickle in.
Harry T. Cissell forty-seven years old,
the proprietor Of a meat market at
$500 Georgia avenue. was arrested on
a charge of selling Illicit beverages
and taken to the tenth precinct. Only
a small quantity of liquor was taken
in his possession, according to police
Butcher Arrested.
Lawrence L. Goldberg, twenty-five
years old, was arrested at his meat
market, at 1243 H street northeast, on
a charge of selling and illegal pos
session of liquor. Seven and one-half
gallons of corn whisky were seized.
Probably the most spectacular of
the raids was at the establishment of
Ackerman & Shapiro, at Pennsylvania
avenue and John Marshall place,
made about 1890 pm, while the ave-
nue. was illuminated. Crowds gath
cred around the open show window
of the combination soda counter and
cigar store while the officers went
through the place In search of Illicit
beverages. The raid netted six bot
IleS VI DlItcIS WIN alCOhOllC content.
small bottles of jamaica
extract, eleven bottles of peach ex-
tract and eight bottles of brandy ex-
tract. Police charge that the brandy
extract in reality is colored corn
liquor and are submitting samples
to prohibition department chemists
for analysis to verify this point.
Myer Ackerman. one of the proprie-
tors, was charged with selling and
Illegal possession.
Beer That's Near.
A raid on the near-beer saloon of
Samuel Gontifr, 1896 North Capitol
street, netted a little less than a gall
lon of corn liquor and a dozen cases
of what is termed by the raiders,
"the nearest beer that ever wore a
collar"
The raids last night are part of
a series initiated yesterday, in which
the following arrests were made:
Charles Brown, colored, twenty
eight years old. and Theodore Bank
head. colored. thirty-four years old.
Of 414 street. charged with selling
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