Evening star., 1924-08-10
LIQUOR CONSPIRACY
CHARGES REVEALED
SO. Overt Acts Claimed in
Cases for Which Local
Men Were Arrested.

A secret indictment returned some
weeks ago in Tampa Fla. charging So
persons with conspiracy to violate the
national prohibition act by transporting
whisky from Jacksonville by rail to
New York and Washington, was made
public yesterday, when of the Is local
men named in the indictment gave bail
of $1,000 each for a hearing August 20
before United States Commissioner
Turnage.
Counsel for some of the accused de-
manded to see the copy of the indct-
ment which accompanied the request of
the United States attorney in the south
ern district of Florida for the arrest of
the alleged conspirators.
The indictment alleges that between
November 1, 1921, and April Is, 1924,
the SO persons enumerated did CON
spire wrongly and uniawfully TO sell,
barter, transport, purchase and possess
Intoxicating liquors for beverage pur-
poses in violation of title of the ma
tional prohibition act A total of IS
overt acts in furtherance of the so
called conspiracy are alleged in the in
dictment, and range from the alleged
purchase of d single bottle of gin to the
transportation of four or five cases of
No Overt Act Charged.
Lieut. Sprinkle, former Deputy Mar
shals Newman and Marshall and some
of the other local defendants appear in
the indictment merely as members of
the alleged conspiracy, but the inStru-
ment appears to be silent as to any al
legged overt act by them in furtherance
of the alleged conspiracy. These three,
,,y;tl DAIi Ilail ENrf1il
krauss, James Hunter and Bromley
Hunter, voluntarily surrendered yeSter-
day and gave bail of $1,000 each for
hearing August 30. Others named in
the Indictment, and whose arrest is ex-
pected early next week if they do not
also surrender, are Patrick II. Barte-
man, a former deputy marshal; Joseph
L. Boudwin and his son, Joseph Il. jr.;
Wallace Barksdale, Claude Mcneil, o.
Z. FrederickS, Walter A. TapScot and
John Foster.
The alleged overt acts set out in
the indictment in which the local de-
PENDANTS are said to have participated
date back to June II, 1922, although
the alleged conspiracy is supposed to
have had its inception November 10.
1921, at meeting in Florida hotel
between John j. Hickey of Washing
ton, who is not named in the indict-
ment, but who seems to have been the
star witness for the Government be-
fore the Florida grand jury, and two
other persons. AS the outcome of
that conference, it is charged a Pull
man conductor permitted three cases
of whisky to be transported on his
train to New York.
whisky on Trains.
Walter Tapscot, described as a Pull
man porter, is alleged to have taken
two cases of whisky to New York
June u. 1922. and on September 81
following to have introduced Hickey
to man named Cobb, who in turn
introduced Hickey to John Foster,
also said to be a train porter residing
in Washington. Hickey, it is stated.
paid Tapscot $500 October 8, 1922, to
buy whisky at Jacksonville and that
November 10, 1922, Tapscot brought
four cases of whisky from Jackson
Vile to Washington.
John Foster is charged with trans
PORTING three cases of intoxicants to
Washington March 10, 1928.
Claude Mcneil. another Washing
livered May %, 1928, to Hickey, "a
bottles of Irish whisky and nine bot
ties of Overholt. Three days later, it
is charged, he accepted s95 from
Hickey to buy whisky in Jacksonville
On July 8, 1928, the indictment de-
ciares, Tapscot went to Jacksonville
to buy whisky and September 3 last
accepted $500 to buy more whisky.
McNeill is also charged with accept
ing $40 September 4 last, to buy
whisky and Tapscot is said to have
been given $50 by Hickey September
22 for like purpose.
Charges Whisky Delivery.
Another overt act charges that Oc-
tober Is last, James Hunter of this
city gave Hickey $224.75 for whisky
delivered by Hickey and on October
80 paid Hickey S95 and Joseph
Boudwin, ST., on the same date is
said to have paid Hickey s95. A visit
of McNeill to Jacksonville, Novem-
Der is alleged as another overt
act. Again, it is charged, November
26 Boudwin, ST., sold Hickey two
quarts of champagne.
Wallace BarcSdale and Claude Nc
Neill are charged in another overt
IL quarts of whisky to the guest of
local hotel. The last of the 63
alleged overt acts mentions the name
of a former 'Washingtonian, who is
now said to be in New Jersey. 1t is
alleged that he purchased November
p last a single bottle of gin
The local men, it is expected, will
oppose their removal to Florida when
the case comes up for hearing before
Commissioner Turnage August 90
They claim the case is Identical with
the charges contained in an indict-
ment returnable against some of
them here some months ago and
which was abandoned by United
States Attorney Gordon after Justice
Hitz had sustained demurrers filed
by counsel for several of the accused.