Evening star., 1924-01-09
new LIQUOR PROBE
DEVELOPS PUZZLES
Which of Parties for Promi.
1ent Individuals Were
"Wet," Now Mystery.

Puzzles cropped up in the latest
liquor conspiracy investigation today
when police and special intelligence
agents attempted to decipher from
books seized in the raid on the home
of w. H. Simpson, caterer. Monday
night, which of certain parties given
for prominent official and private
Washingtonians were "wet'' and which
were within the prohibition law.
Names OF senator's and representa-
tives as well as other ".high officials
of the United States government are
on the books, it was learned. While 1t
Is easily possible that many dinners
were bona fide," it was pointed out
some of the accounts contain charges
made for some clouded items. In
TACT. the principal work of the agents
today was in trying to figure what
liquor.
Swanson Again Arrested.
Two interesting angles broke" last
night. one was the arrest of w. E.
swanson of the Chateau Trierry
apartments, who has been previously
arrested as one Of Washington's lead
ing society bootleggers The charge
was conspiracy to defeat the end of
the eighteenth amendment in con-
nectlon with the Simpson case.
The other was the fact that as soon
as Simpson left the Treasury De-
questioning him yesterday. he made
arrangements for placing silverware
and tableware for the dinner given
by Secretary of the Treasury Mellon
last night. 1t was a coincidence that
arrangements had been made previ-
ously for the use of silver and table
ware at the Mellon dinner before
agents working in Secretary Mel
Ions department arrested the caterer
with whom these arrangements had
been made.
Publication in Doubt.
Whether the names of the Iegisla-
tors who appear on the Simpson
books will ever reach the public was
declared problematical today, since IL
Is regarded as improbable, though
not impossible, that wet" parties
could be traced through the books
The trouble is,'' according to one
agent, that there is no exact term
used for liquor or spirits in the book
Keeping system which will clearly
show charges for this accessory to a
since we are still investigating 1t.
1t might be said, however, that we
are making every endeavor to check
up on every possible wet dinner
scope of this caterer"
Swanson was released on $4,000
bond when arraigned before United
States Commissioner Macdonald The
same amount was set as bond for
Simpson.
Letter Made Public
Whatever mystery remained about
the copy of a letter naming diplo-
mat from Honduras found in the
apartment of John J. Lynch, at f723
G. street, at a raid Friday night, was
cleared up yesterday, when the text
of the letter was made public. coin
cidently with the issuance of a state
ment by Senior Camilo Diaz, secretary
of the legation.
The letter was as follows:
January 16, 1920.
The Honorable, the Charge daft
faires of Honduras. Washington,
d. G.
My Dear Mr.. DiaZ:
Il have received your letter of
January IA. 1920, requesting that the
necessary instructions be issued for
the release of three barrels of whisky
covered by bonded warehouse certifi-
cate 1924 stored in the distillery
removal to Washington, D. c., for
your own use.
= In response l have the honor to
Inform you that the collector Of in
tsrnal revenue at Baltimore, Nd, has
been instructed to permit the release
of these three barrels of whisky for
shipment to your legation at Wash
tngton, d. c. Very truly yours,
signed DANIEL c. ROPER,
Commissioner"
Mr.. Diaz issued a statement explain
ing the contents of the letter. He said
that so many distorted references had
been made in the press to an alleged
letter" addressed to him that it was
deemed proper to explain that the pa
'per in question was a mere copy of a
communication addressed to him in
January, 1920, four years ago, before
prohibition became effective. by the in
ternal revenue bureau, authorizing the
withdrawal from bond Of three casks
of old liquors" which he had previously
purchased in anticipation of the dry
period" He stated he had no idea how
the copy was obtained or how it came
into the possession of Mr.. Lynch.