Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-03-21
FEDERAL JUDGE
RETURNS LIQUOR
TO HERSHFIELD

Judge Walter G.. Iindley indicated
his displeasure with Champaign coun-
ty officials in cluttering courts with
liquor cases that should be settled
i'm police courts, when he ordered
81 500 worth of bonded whiskey re
turned to John Hershheld which
Sheriff Grey and force of deputies
c1r'ured in a raid in January, 1925. =,
While the judge declared his Will
ingness to prosecute liquor cases when
t.e evidence is sufficient to warrant
carving action to the federal courts,
he made his opinion clear that the
federal courts are not to be construed
as a dune,ng ground for whiskey
cases.
When the circuit judge of Cham
paign county ordered that the liquor
be returned to Hershiield, county
authorities f0restalled the action by
securing a federal order from Judge
George w. English, in Eats ST Louis,
for the whiskey, pending disposition
of the case in the district court.
The LIQUOR was taken to DanYllle
and locked in the big iron safe IN the
office of Assistant District Attorney
Lawrence T. Allen where 1t has re.
NAMED for safe keeping since last
fall. ., a. IL
stored the liquor in his home when
prohibition went into effect, and
showed that he had paid the taxes on
il in accordance with the law.
Judge Scores Officials
"If sheriffs and police officers bring
cases into federal court they shouia,,
be sure they have sufficient evidence,
declared Judge Lindley, according 70
the Danville Commercial News. Inc
government is not unwilling to prose,
cute violations of the liquor laws, and
sometimes through prejudiced officers
or courts il is impossible to secure
convictions in state courts, ana IN
that event we are willing to take the
cases over.
"But the state courts and prose
cutors ought to prosecute the boot
Logging cases in their territory, IN
tsead of making the federal court me
clearing house for what ordinarily
would be police court cases.
nThere are 45 counties in the east
ern district and it is fast getting TO
tho point where the machinery OF TINS
court is being clogged with minor
hootleqginR cases that any poliee
conrt could and should dispose Of.
aTben. too many times, state and
city officers bring cases into TINS eout'
without the proper evidence TO SUP
stantiate the charges ana we are
forced to drop them after eonsldera,
BILE expense has been incurred by the
district Attorney W. o. Potter IN
formed the court that he had IN
structed Sheriff Gray not to bring any
moro LIQUOR cases into the fedora
cnurt without positive evidence OF
| violation Of the national promoltiof
acf Mr.. Potter stated that many
tate and country officers had beer
too prone in the past TO unload louoI
cases on the government, ana ina
while this office was willing and cage
ia prosecute legitimate cases, ne on
4 obisct 20 his office being made IN
/ dnmDipg ground for spitework on IN
mart Of local officers and individuals
GRAY Endorsed By Many
Sheriff Gray's determined actlo
against liquor law uolators ma
receiyed the general endorsement 0
CbamDaign county citizens who ar
| disnoTed 70 back him in every effoi
be and his deputies make 10 nd U
county Of the illicit liquor traiil'
They fear that the supreme difficult
which officers incur in securing ev
dence. combined with the failure {
courts to prosecute to the full eXter
of the law, will result in general dll
couragement to officials and cor