Evening star., 1924-09-22
ACCUSED MEN DENY
LIQUOR CONSPIRACY
Lieut.. Sprinkle Says He Was
Buying Corks When Hun
ter's Place Raided.

Needham c. Turnake, United States
commissioner. today heard testimony
of some OF the Is Washington men
charged in an indictment reported
by a Florida grand jury with con-
spiracy to violate the national pro-
hibition act by selling. buying or
Transporting intoxicants from that
State to the District of Columbia
The commissioner recently ruled that
the Florida indictment is sufficient
to charge an ofrense against the
United States and is prima facie evil
dence Of probable cause for the re-
moval of the men from Washing
ton to the Florida court for trial. 1t
is to Offset this evidence of probable
cause that the testimony is being
received from the accused persons.
The commissioner will then rule as to
whether the warrant of removal
should issue.
In the event the Commissioner
should hold the Is men or some of
them, il is expected recourse will
be had to habeas corpus proceedings
which will defer final action of
the question of removal for many
months
Denies Part in Plot.
Police Lieutenant Joshua l.
Sprinkle testified that he was never
in the State of Florida and had
no acquaintance with any of the al
legged conspirators excepting William
Haller, a policeman, and James w.
Hunter, who has a place of busine
on d street between Ninth and Tenth
streets. He denied that he ever en-
tered into any conspiracy to violate
the prohibition law and explained
how he came to be in Hunters place
when it was raided in November,
1929.
Sprinkle said he was coming from a
store across D street when he was at
tracted to the way Hunter was dressing
his window, in which were displayed a
number of corks. This reminded the
officer that his wife had asked him to
purchase some corks, and he stepped
into the store for that purpose. AL
though he knew Hunter. he had not
been previously in the store for six
months, he said. About two minutes
later, while he was waiting for his pur-
chases to be wrapped. Sprinkle said, the
raiding party arrived. He Identified
himself to the party. and was told by
ono Of them to go home and forget it"
Three days later he was summoned
to the Office of Golding at prohibit
ton headquarters, who insinuated
that Sprinkle was receiving $500
week for protection of Hunter
Sprinkle offered to submit his bank
ing accounts to disprove the insinu-
alton. He declared he had a saw
ings account Of $500 to which he
had not added in the past six years
and his other account showed bal
ance of less than $40.
William Haller, policeman detailed
at Union station, also testified. He
had never been in Florida and knew
only two of his alleged co-conspira-
tors.
He knew Lieut.. Sprinkle as ar
officer of the Police Department, but
did not know where he resided. He
also knew Patrick H. Barteman by
sight. He denied the charges in the
indictment.
O. c. Fredericks, a Pullman con-
ductor, also testified. He was on
leave of absence at the time the
alleged conspiracy was formed and
executed, he said. and spent his va
cation in Virginia and West Vir-
ginia. He knew the other Pullman
employees charged in the indictment
and had met Hickey, he stated
although he could not recall where
and when he met the Governments
chief witness. He denied he had
participated in any agreement to
transport liquor for sale.
The hearing before the commits
sioner will be resumed Wednesday.