The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-09-20
HUGE CRIME CROP
OF vOLSTEAD LAW
Daugherty Reports Fines Total
ing $12,367, 900; Jail Terms
Aggregating 5000 Years.
SEES BETTER ENFORCEMENT
ofIciaI Synopsis Calls Dry Act Period
"one of the Most Tragic
Epochs in the History
of This Country.

Washington-1n report presented
to President Coolidge Attorney Gen.
eraI Daugherty stated that since the
Prohibition law went into effect: Janu-
airy Is, 1920, more than 10000 cases
of violation have been disposed Of, OF
which 72,489 were convictions. Fines
totaling $12 1857, 800 have been assess
ed in criminal cases, and jail SEN
fences for violations during the last
twenty-three months aggregate more
than 5000 years.
A statement made public by the
Department of Justice on the report
says:
"The facts set forth reveal one OF
the most tragic epoehs in American
history relative to law enforcement.
The report shows, among other
things, that the Department of JUS
tice has been called upon to prose
cute member of the judiciary, prom
inent members of the American bar,
high officials of the Federal and
State, governments, multi-millionaires
scions of the nations aristocracy, and
the sordid story OF assassination,
bribery and corruption that found its
way into the very sanctums wherein
the inviolability of the law was pre-
sumed to have been hold sacred.
Emphasis is laid on the statement
in mandate" which Mr.. Daugherty
is said to have sent to law enforce
ment officials instructing them that
they "apply alike to every man or
concern throughout the United States
scorning the Federal statutes, the
whole power and weight of the law"
1t is also said that about a year ago,
Mr. Daugherty dispatched special or
ders saying that while he was
gratified with the progress of prose
cution, he was nevertheless "desirous
that a more relentless campaign be
launched, and that the various
'clioues' and rings and so-called
leaders in every big city in the Unit
ed States be rounded up and brought
to trial with the least possible delay"
The attorney general, at the time
Indicated, asked that cases be speed
lily disposed of in order to clear the
congested court calendars, and this
injunction was observed scrupulously
by the Federal attorneys, with the
result that the more rapid closing OF
cases had wholesome effect"
In the Daugherty report it was as
serted that in 80 per cent of the cases
brought to an end the violators were
convicted. The report for the fiscal
year ended June 30, 1928, is not yet
complete, the attorney general added,
explaining, however, that there ap-
parently have been at least 10000
more convictions this year than for
the preceding year, and $4,000 more
than for the year before that. These
figures indicated a stricter enforce
ment of the prohibition law in every
section of the country, Mr.. Daugherty
said, adding that the imposition OF
Jail sentences in many cases seeming
ly had operated as a deterrent to pos
sible violators.
On June is, 1923, when the last
complete report was received by the
Department of Justice, 90,330 prohibit
ton cases had been prosecuted, thus
establishing rate OF 1874 cases ror
every day since the law became eff
fective This rate, Mr.. Daugherty
stated, was considerably higher dur
ing the last year, the average being
Ill cases per day. In April of this
year, when the highest number was
before the Federal courts, $685. cases
were disposed of, or 541 more than
were terminated during the first six
months of the laws enforcement,
while in the first five months of this
calendar year there were 1,497 more
cases disposed of than during the
whole Of the fiscal year ending 1921
According to the report, each year of
national prohibition has brought an
increase Of cases over the previous
year, the last fiscal year averaging
4 more than three times that of the
! first fiscal year.