San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-26
I CH|CACOANS
INDICTED FOR
RUM DIVIDEND
Bills Returned After Liquor
Firm Distributes
Stock"
DRY AGENT SUSPENDED
Anti-Saloon League Says
Thirsty Citizens Tried to
Make Him Goat.
DRY AGENT SUSPENDED
BY the Associated Press.

Chicago, April 26.-Fedcral indict-
| ments naming seven men. as we'll as
the firm of Grommes & Ullrioh. liquor
| dealers, which recently was dissolved
by distribution of its 100000 stock
Of liquors to the stockholders, were
| returned before District Judge Will
kerson today by the federal grand
jury.
The firm and the individuals. who
included Charles A. Williams, the at
torney who had charge of the legal de-
tails in connection with the liquida-
! ton of the firm: former Alderman
X. J. Mulcahy. and five others, were
! charged with violation of the federal
prohibition law and with aiding and
abetting in the illegal transportation
OF liquors.
Besides the corporation and former
Judge Williams and Mulcahy, the
! other individuals named as partici-
pants of what has been termed the
booze dividend" OF the liquidating
liquor firm. are Frank Il. Rehm,
Frederick Diehl. Arthur p. Christian,
Charles A. Williams, Harry +. Tanscy
and Carl +. Behrens. Mulcahy also
was among those charged with re-
ceiving n share of the liquor.
In Prohibition Spotlight.
Few OF the men named are widely
known and none of the extremely
wealthy men said to have been among
the stockholders who received the
liquor dividends were indicted.
The jurors returned to their chamber
possibility. it was understood. that
further indictments may be returned.
The Grommes & Ullrich case burst
into public view on the prohibition
stage few weeks ago when ii be-
came known that the old wholesale
liquor firm, which, in ante-prohibi-
ton days was one of he best known
whiskcy firms in Chicago, had, by Il
novel method, dissolved under an ar
rangcmcnt BY which its liquors were
divided among the shareholders.
Dry Agent Suspended.
1t became known that the stock
holders. at least some OF them, num-
bering 100. had shared in tie distri-
button and that it had been made
possible by the issuance of permits
for the removal of the liquor b.
Roscoe c. Andrews. then acting pro-
hibition director for Illinois,. whose
suspension as result OF the ease
was announced Monday.
AT the time, former Judge Williams
declared that the distribution Of the
liquor dividends was legal. that the
stockholders had simply taken their
share of the liquor when the corpora
ton elected to dissolve. and that the
liquor had been removed under fed
eral permits.
The storm aroused by newspaper
stories Of the unusual booze divi-
derd" as the distribution was termed,
reached all the way 10 Washington.
Mr.. Andrews suspension. according
to prohibition officials at Washington.
was largely due to his action in ms.
suming the responsibility of issuing
the permits instead Of advising the
Washington office and waiting for ac-
ton rom there.
.An;i.saloon league Active.
The Illinois anti-saloon league had
its cye on the Grommes X Ulirich case
from tho beginning. and. with the
suspension OF Mr.. Andrews. some Of
the leagues representatives issued
stirring statements to the effect that
Andrews had been made goat" for
prominent citizens anxious 10 re-
pleniSh their cellars and now. with the
liquor in their possession. were con
tent In hide behind whatever security
they had and leave Andrews 10 bear
the burden.
Mr.. Andrews promptly declared that
he did not propose TO be goat"
and that he was leaving at once for
Washington to take up and fight out
the case there with Prohibition Com.
missioner Haynes.
Andrews is a lawyer and formerly
was legal aide 10 Charles 4. Gregor.
Illinois prohibition director who re.
signed last December.
District Attorney Edwin A. Olson
took IN the case and he absolved
Andrews from blame. declaring that.
in his opinion. Mr.. Andrews had acted
according 10 the law.
Can't Transport LIQUOR.
Mr.. Andrews insisted that he had
followed the law in issuing the per
mits and that they were not issued
until the stockholders had filed af-
fidavits that they had complied with
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