The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-12-10
Hard Cider
By JOHN CONRAD

Out or approximately $50 innocent
looking delicatessen stores In Wash
ington, at least ITS Of them are
selling intoxicants.
Near beer JOINTS" selling sand
witches and soft drinks are I'M
clnded In this statement as ped
dlers Of hard cider, a few drinks
OF which will make a man so
intoxicated that he win be in
danger of arrest.
Thousands Of DRINKS are annually
brought into police court and a
large number OF them, more than
half, come under the category Of
''cider hounds"
The testimony in nine out OF ten
Of these cases follows:
Policeman: II found him lying on
the floor of a ''cider InilI' on
0nsert street, and It Is astonishing
the number Of different streets
which may be inserted). your
honor"
Defendant: Eyes. your honor.
had few glasses OF cider and then
don't remember any more"
Why aren't these establishments,
in which a man can get as intoxi-
Gated on fifty cents as he could
before prohibition, cleaned up?
Why aren't more Of the propEietors
brought into court charged with
violating the Volstead act?
I'VE can't get any prosecuting
witnesses" declared Assistant Dis
trict Attorney David A. Hart.
1.-THE establishments are run by
willy men who think they are just
under the law. 1t IL apparent that
they are not molested by certain
police who think that a case where
whislzey Is involved is more i'm
portant," continued Mr.. Hart, land
1t is usually the neighbors who
eventually cause raid by complain
ing against the nuisance.
1--WE have made several cases
against the nuisance.
1--WE have made several cases
against violatora who sell cider
but they are hard cases to make
The sale of cider as beverage and
the charge that the defendant is
maintaining nuisance is hard to
prove unless responsible citizens will
appear in court ana back our allega-
tons. It is evident that the class
of people in the vicinity in which
cider mills are operating are not
going to complain, and certainly
the man who makes it a habit Of
drinking the stuff win not appear
for u.s."
Certain sections of Seventh street
northwest, M street northwest,
Georgetown, H street northeast, and
several streets in the southwest are
said to be the center Of the cider
trade.
Although the police complain that
they cannot get complaining wit
.neSses in cases it is obvious that
these witnesses are not wanting
where the sale Of whiskey is al
legged. The Internal Revenue can
furnish plainclothes men, if agents
are not available, for the purpose Of
making buys"
1t Is remarkable, therefore, that
out Of 1904 dispositions of liquor
cases made by Assistant District
Attorneys Hart and Thomas e.
Lodge, only about twenty-five Of
them peftained to cider.
Mr.. Hart and Mr.. Lodge have OBJ
tanned convictions in practically
every case that involves the sale
| of cider that has come within
their Jurisdictions.
1T is difficult for us to get
pleas of guilty in these cases and
1t is even more difficult to get a
conviction before a jury" they say.
Outstanding among these pleas
OF guilty was the Schulman case,
which involved the sale, possession
of cider and the maintenance of q
nuisance at 1901 M street north
west.
Schulman and his wife withdrew
their demands for a jury trial in
the midst of trial. and were SEN
fenced by Judge Mcmahon. Schulz
man paid a fine of $500 and they
were both placed on probation with
the understanding that II they were
found guilty in police court within a
year, each would serve from one
to four years in default Of the
payment Of immense fines.
The most recent case. was that
Of Patrick Boulder who was con-
victed by jury OF a sale Of cider
and was given forty-five days in
Jail, and on another charge was
fined $500 in default Of which he
will serve fifteen days. On several
other counts he pleaded guilty and
was placed on probation, with the
stipulation that he leave Washing
ton on the expiration Of the