Evening star., 1924-06-16
DRY AGENTS ACCUSE
MARYLAND SHERIFF
Declare St. Marys County Officer
Declined to Aid in Find
ing Still.
FAILED TO AID o. S. OFFICIALS
Allowed Bootleggers to Escape, Ac-
cording to Charges.

High Sheriff Abel of ST. Marys
County, Nd, will be reported today
to Chief of General Prohibition
Agents Yellowley for failure to CO.
operate with federal officers in the
enforcement of law. A thorough
probe of the matter is anticipated
The report will be made by Chief
Harry NJ. Luckett of the fourth divi-
sion. following a series of raids in
Maryland last week in which five
stills were destroyed in three days,
and eliminated in a hostile demon
stration Saturday night against four
federal officers by a mob which sur
rounded a hotel in which they had
taken refuge" in Leonardtown.
There are two specific charges
against the sheriff. it was learned
today-refusal to help federal off,
GERS locate a still and allowing two
bootleggers to escape. In addition, 1t
is understood the sheriff's action Sat
urday night at the hotel will be
cials of the prohibition unit.
Says Sheriff Gave No Aid.
While the crowd stormed and
threatened outside the hotel Saturday
night, daring the four agents to come
out, the sheriff was in the hotel and
the crowd, and did not so much as ap-
proach the federal agents, whom he
knew well, with any offers of assist
ance, according to official reports to
Luckett- The agents had been left
stranded in Leonardtown Saturday
night, following destruction of three
stills, when their chauffeur was driven
out of town, he says, at the point of a
gun. Telephoning for assistance to
Washington, the four stranded federal
officers were rescued by agents who
rushed from headquarters here
The chauffeur, who was driven out
of Leonardtown, and reported to Agent
King here, was asked to return i'm
mediately with aid, to bring back the
four, but was so frightened. officers
said. that they could not get him to
return to Leonardtown, even under
threats of being deputized.
The crowd about the hotel not only
threatened. called out insulting
taunts to the federal officers. and
dared them to step outside the hotel,
but were well armed, one of the
picked up sticks and stones. One
slight incident might have precipi-
tated a bloody riot, they declare. The
high sheriff, they charge, made no
move to restore order.
When asked to estimate the size
of the crowd, one of the agents said
he could not tell how many there
were, but it looked as big as a crowd
on election night"
Comes as Climax.
The charge of having refused to
help locate a still is to be placed
against Sheriff Abel on account of
his direct statement, said to have
been made to the revenue men on last
Thursday when they asked him a
specific question, and he refused
point blank, they say. He is also al
legged to have made certain remarks
about his attitude in general toward
the enforcement of the prohibition
law.
Another instance is to be cited in
which the sheriff is charged with al
lowing the escape of two bootleggers
in a car loaded with liquor, and with
in sight Of the revenue officers, who
were unable, without assistance, to
effect a capture.
The charges against the Maryland
sheriff come as a climax to difficulties
experienc ced between federal officers
and Maryland authorities, who, it is
said in some circles here are blamed
not only with failing to support the
eighteenth amendment, but with re-
sisting efforts of federal authorities
in enforcement.