Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1924-01-12
Visible Vice Wiped Out, Second
Leg Will Be Against Hidden
Element, General Declares
Federal Dry Workers to
Help-Brewer Head Makes
100000 Offer to Conform to
Law-One Officer Broke"
During Day

Philadelphia, Jan. 11-Brig. Gen.
Smedley d. Butler. director OF public
safety, announced tonight that 973
OF the city's 1900 saloons had been
closed in his opening offensive for
law and order. He stated he in
tends to close the remainder.
THE drive just staged was against
visible vice" he said. THE drive
will now be against invisible vice.
The police cannot keep up this in
tensive work every day. so we will
see that drives are staged weekly.
An interlocking agreement for
mutual cooperation was effected to-
day between Federal Prohibition au-
thoritics and General Butler follow
ing conference in City Hall between
the general and William j. Mcclure,
chief prohibition field agent.
1.-THE federal agents will do every
Ter in his cleanup of the city, Mr..
Mcclure said as he left the confer
ence. His campaign has met with
the unqualified approval of the dry
agents working here"
First signs of cooperation with
General Butler from brewing inter
ests came when Adam Scheidt,
president of a large brewing con-
and offered to post a 100000 bond
guaranteeing that all beer shipped
on his trucks to, be within the legal
alcoholic content, in order to do away
with continual police searching of
the trucks while in transit.
Director Butler accepted the offer,
| and expressed appreciation of the
spirit in which it was made.
Prospects Of a fight to the finish
with the Venetian Cafe, a central
city saloon doomed up today. This
place was raided on Wednesday
have seized truck loads of beer that
and since then the police four times
were about to be unloaded there.
William AZ. Gray, counsel for the
rroprietors of the cafe. announced
that he would confer with the city
solicitor and then seek to arrange q
| conference with Director Butler to
find out the extend TO which the po-
lice plan to carry their efforts tc
close the place.
"The police cannot seize beer and
! soft drinks witch conform to govern
|
! 1T must be stopped. Neither Gener-
al Butler nor anyone else has any
! more right to seize goods which are
| being taken into the Venetian Cafe
! than they have of picking my pocket
IF General Butler insists on inter
| fering with my clients conducting an
: orderly business, | will so into court
and seek an injunction against the
mayor. the director of public safety
! and everyone else concerned to re-
strain them from this unwarranted
| action
! A new field Of investigation devel-
Oped when Director Butler revealed
! habitues of former resorts were open
| ing new places. Orders were immed-
| lately issued for a sharp watch to be
kept for such places, and n number
| of the enterprises were nipped in the
| bud by timely raid.
| The acting heads Of the districts
worked with feverish energy. under
! the shadow Of General Buffers state
ment that they had forty eight hours
in which to make good or get out
| The axe of the new regime fell but
| once during the day, when Acting In
spector Edward w. Herbert. one OF
| the new appointees. surprised po-
| liceman asleep on his beat. The man
, was stripped of his uniform and sus-
pended to await action by the civil
service commission.
A number of policemen who own
motorcycles have loaned them to the
| bandit chasing squad. according to
Director of Traffic George w. Fritz
until special "bandit-chasinG' are de-
| lived.
Orders have been issued to "get the
| bandits dead or alive" and $50 men
in cars and motorcycles are constant
on patrol throughout the city. Direc-
| tor Fritz said.