The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-12-18

of conversation on the streets and elsewhere gyrated around the clean up campaign, which has hurtled Mo- bile into the limelight of public at tention with more force and sudden ness than any other event in months
 First arrests as a result of grand jury indictments were made late in the afternoon when two persons were taken into custody following the is- suance of number of capiases which were turned over to the United States marshal. However, the rumored sem sational arrests were still lacking and the speculative status of street talk continued unabated.
 Boyles' Statement.
 District Attorney Aubrey Boyles is- sued the following additional state ment tonight:
 The statement printed this morn ing was gotten up rather hurriedly, and for that reason an oversight was made in not stating that the first un- dercover men who came to this city in July, 1923. were sent by Divisional Chief W. T. Day of New Orleans, who was afterwards transferred to Sa- vannah, Ga. and MT. Mark Overpeck put In charge of the New Orleans of
 
 that l secured the last two under cover men, who, though sent here for thirty days, spent ninety days in the city In their work, securing during which time nearly one hundred pur- chases from various bootleggers, prin- c1pally those who claimed protection under the city and county officers The protected bootleggers had to sell the l1quor for 75 half pint in order
 10 pay off, so they claimed, while the outlaws sold, some for 50 cents a half pint and some for 60 cents a half pint. Most of the purchases of the undercover men having been for 75 cents, we judge that the claim of these bootleggers was right. It was also claimed by them that if they cut the price or did not pay off, either the sheriffs officers or the police of ficers would raid them, which doubt less accounts for the numerous raids by these officers appearing in the pa pers from time to time. So far the records show, the protected bootleg gers escaped such punishment. O O o
 Comments Officers.
 Throughout the campaign MT. Over peck had various conferences with me, offered every assistance and did everything I asked him to do. can not speak In too high praise of the genuiness and thorough efficiency of MT. Mark Overpeck and his men. too, have proved thoroughly compe- tent anc trustworthy. l never have had single incident in dealing with them that caused me to doubt for moment their whole hearted desire to carry out duties of their office and this under very trying circumstances. In this connection, I wish especially to comment Agent J. A. Thomas.
 one regret that I have at this tune is that Agent w. J. NesmIth formerly of the federal forces of Ala oama, is not now with the denart- ment. He is one of the cleanest' most efficient, most untiring and zealous agents that it has been my pleasure to deal with during my term of office He was offered $1,00O a month through an emissary of the bootleg- gers here, to tip them off as to the ralos about to be made. Needless to say ne retused the offer and / con- tlnued faithful to his oath as long as ne was Tn the service. His friends J. .. Calhoun, formerly United states deputy marshal, now state law enforcement officer, and Rufus Can non, state law enforcement officer are two more officers with whom if ii"s peeH pleasure to associate. they are tried and true and are de, serving of every confidence that can De placed in them by their chief. MT w. K. McAdory.
 "Of all the men now seryins our country's welfare, it is my /opinion that the federal prohibition agent deserves more credit for what he Is doing and the temptations he resists than possibly any other branch of the service In the first place, lie deals With an element of people, that hold in contempt the laws of our land and make crime a business and use every effort to corrupt the services of gov ernment officials. These prohibition agents are heckled and nagged at on every hand in this territory and only strong men can resist the tempta- tions thrown about them. They are the real heroes of our present peace time, to whom I judge, more honor should be given by our people than to those who, under the security of- fields of war That our country is panions go forth to battle on the fields or war. What our country is now in the greatest internal strug- gle for supremacy of right ideals in which 1t has ever been engaged, no one doubts, and these agents are the vanquard of the forces fighting for the right"