Evening star., 1924-05-13
SAYS "a ESCAPED
DRY PROSECUTIONS
Prohibition Agent Tells Probers
Work Went for Naugh.
After 1921.
PAID SMALL FINES ONLY
Cites Offer Of "Six Thousand. to
Pass Whisky Carload.

When the Harding administration
took office in 1921 prohibition agents
were engaged in cleaning up the
liquor situation in Washington" the
Senate Daugherty committee was told
today, but thirty-four persons and
places purveying intoxicants all cs-
capped prosecution.
Tells of Arrests.
II. j. Burton, former agent for The
prohibition unit, but now in the service
OF the Governor of Ohio, testified that
he was one OF the men assigned IN the
work late in February, 1921, few days
before inauguration. With five asso-
ciates and the local police he made the
arrests, he said, and served the war
rants on "bootIeggers operating mainly
through the hotels" All the cases were
good enough for convictions. Burton as
serted. but the persons arrested were
allowed to forfeit small bonds. ard il,
some cases to return TO their oCc-IDa-
tion undisturbed.
In July, 1921, the yacht Tranqu.ill
was seized in the lagoon of the Cleve-
land Yacht Club with forty-two cases
said that Chief of Police Christiauson
|. of Lakewood. Ohio a Cleveland sub
urb, was concerned in the case In
December. 1921. the yacht Venice Va
seized in Cleveland with ninety-si.
cases of liquor. Capt. Curry ~,
Burnie and police officers in Lakr-
wood We're among those indicted
Curry being in charge Of both yachts
As a result of the Two seizure
Burton testified, the steward Of IL.
Union Club of Cleveland was "put
away on a conspiracy charge bu,
all the other defendants were A.
lowed to plead guilty and pay small
fine"
The Almond Drug and Candy Con
pany of Ohio withdrew 229 900 quar-
summer of 1921, the witnesses sac
from the Hayner distillery, at Troy.
Ohio. and George Reaus, the ''whisky
king" of Cincinnati. was in the dea3
He recited that prohibition agent
picked up man coming from tho
office OF Ungerleider & Co. brokers
at Cleveland. with permits for witt
drawal of $4,000 barrels of whisk
Samuel Ungerleider. frequently men
toned in the testimony, was one o.
| the owners of the brokerage com
pany and also of the Hayner s.
tillery, Burton said. and on one oa-
casion q large quantity Of whist
was found at the Ungerleider Office
Claims Whisky Returned.
Burton also tod of seizures .s
liquor in and around Cleveland. Froo.
| Morris Dressler. an associate of Nick
Arnstein. 422 cases and ten barrels O.
! whisky was seized in August, l9@a
| he said. but the case was not pros
cuted and the whisky was returneG.
| Cheeks" Ginsberg and Benny Gins
| berg worked with Arnstein, he cor
| tinued. and several shipments o
whisky to and from them were inter-
! cepted by prohibition agents durin-
the next two years. but there was rn
prosecution so far as he knew.
| From Schuster & Co, wholesat
| drug concern in Cleveland. Burto.
said, he purchased twenty gallons Ct
| liquor as evidence in January, 1921.
The case was continued and cor
tinued." he said. but in 1928 II"
company compromised without
criminal prosecution for paynen-
of $4,000"
He declared that in March 1898
there were IL 900 permits outstandirg
in Ohio which allowed liquor sales
though in March. 1921, there had been
but 5000 outstanding.
Whisky Billed As Lumber.
William Bressler. an attorncy
stopped Burton in February, 1922, IN
the Cleveland Federal building, the
witness said, and told him he repre-
sented Ungerleider & Co.. and
that the firm was willing to pay
six thousand" to secure the release
of a carload of whisky, billed a.
lumber which stood at the time OIL
the Nickel Plate railroad tracks. IN
| der surveillance by prohibition
agents
declared. in the entire Almond drug
case The committee adjourned un-
til tomorrow without completing IFS
questioning of him.