San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-16
HE NAMES HANSON
Declares San Antonian
Mixed in Arms Ship
ment Rumors.
BRINGS IN G. O. p.
Says Grouphead Hamilton
Sold Seized Stills to !.
Boothleggers. s

Washington, d. c., March Ia
Gun-running and liquor smuggling to-
gether with lax enforcement of the
Volstead law formed the keynote Of
testimony delivered before the Daugh-
erty investigating committee to the
Senate today by Capt. b. c. Baldwin.
Texas ranger and former special agent
for the Department of Justice sta
toned in Del Rio, San Antonio and
Dallas.
The names Of leading Republicans.
such as District Attorneys Hartman
and Zweifel. United States Marshal
Dave Walker. Postmas Lucas. William
Hanson, X. B. Creager, Representative
Wurzbach and others, were woven in
and out of the testimony as submitted
by the committee although not all Of
them are alleged to have been culpably
connected with the offenses charged.
Baldwin. who was connected with
the Department of Justice from 1917
to 1923, made the charge that from re-
ports received he was convinced that
William Hanson, now connected with
immigration service on the border,
rendered assistance in gun-runnins
across the border at the time of the
Cantu revolution; that Hanson. who
had been associated with former Secre-
tary Fall. had come to Washington
and made arrangements with high
officials" to aid the revolution. "pro-
viding it could be launched by the
right people"
He declared his reports to Washing
ton regarding Hanson's activities had
resulted in the department ordering
him baldwin, to Dallas and that no
one was named TO take his place at Del
Rio, leaving go miles OF border unpro-
tected so far as the Department Of
Justice was concerned.
He Makes Charges.
Relating episodes at Dallas and Fort
Worth Captain Baldwin told of cap
turing men involved in whiskey SNUG
Cling operations and later having the
district attorney recommend one OF
these same men, still under charge,
for a place in the Department Of JUS
tice: of drunken dehauch in which
a Republican deputy United States
Marshal at Fort Worth drove the
Democratic postmaster from the build
ing: of efforts to induce him to inves-
tigate activities of the oil companies,
without specific orders from Wishing
ton and which he ayerred indicated Gu
intention to shake down" these con-
Germs.
Baldwin was forced out Of govern
ment service last year, being ordered
to Butte. Mont, where he claimed be
could not live on account of the alti-
tude and because of bullet wound in
his lung. sustained in 1911. he then
Joined the Texas rangers.
Senator Wheeler. prosecutor in the
committee. asked the witness regarding
liquor law violations -
well. really. the enforcement OF the,
liquor laws Yin certain portions OF
Texas BY the federal officers. IS a
joke. At San Antonio few months
ago my boys and myself captured
Grouphead Harry Hamilton. caught
him in the act of delivering stills that
he had captured back to the bootleg
gers" Baldwin said.
do you mean the prohibition
agents?' Jones asked.
YES, sir"
GO ahead and tell us about it,
Wheeler said.
"This man Harry Hamilton-it was
only information. and possibly could
aot be proven that he was capturing
liquor and selling il. He would cap
ture a still and sell it back 10 some
other bootlegger. That was common
talk when / went to San Antonio.
He Arrested Four.
81 saw Mr.. Hamilton deliver three
stills that he had captured from boot
leggers to other bootleggers and ger
money for them. arrested Mr., Ham
ilton. Ed Winklemann. Ed Sidlemann
-Sidlemsun is 4 noted bootlegger and
under indictment down there now. snd
A man named BarkinS, four OF them.
had the three stills. aud the four
men with my witnesses. took
sworn statement from the witnesses,
and rwo Of the defendants that night.
and the next morning went 70 Dis
trict Attorney John d. Hartman.
asked him 70 authorize complaint
before the United States Commissioners
against these men. lie looked The
matter over. read my sffidavits. talked
to my witnesses, and finally be said
well, Baldwin. there is more than