Evening star., 1925-08-17
RUM PLOT CHARGED
TOD. c. GUARDSMEN
.EXPLODES IN PROBE
121st Engineers Are Fully
Exonerated of Allegation
of Dry ZealotS.
RAW ROCKIES STORY
BASIS OF ACCUSATIONS
Haynes Inquiry Proves Whole Case
Born in Agents Vivid
Imaginatlons.
BY WILLIAM j. WHEATLEN
STAFF Correspondent OF The Star.


stan Correspondent OF The star.
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. August II.
Search for what was termed huge
Army bootleg conspiracy, carried on in
the 121st Regiment of Engineers. has
netted two Jealous prohibition agents
two empty TASKS, and cost them an
enlistment in the Guard, calloused
hands and swollen feet, and report
of pitiful failure to Prohibition Di-
rector Roy Haynes, who personally di-
rected the investigation. According TO
officers of the organization, like the
fiimsy bubble that it was. it burst to-
day leaving the clean record of the
National Guard as unbesmrched as
ever
There was no liquor at the armory
There was none Secreted in the bag
gage and there has been none in
camp. The officers OF the regiment.
Chagrined at the efforts to stamp the
organization as bootleg agency.
sharply condemned the methods used.
which, they claim. is u reflection on
their performance of the duty prom
ised in their oaths to uphold the Con
stitution of the United States.
The gullibility of a prohibition oper-
dtINe agent COupleu Win MS SIeeul-
ness for the usual fee as informer.
pointed the finger of suspicion at the
Guardsmen and started the machinery
of investigation in Washington and
moved it along here with every turn
of the guard. The operations had
been successfully suppressed until to-
day, when it was brought TO light by
The Stars representative in camp,
when officers freely admitted the facts.
H..
officers familiar with the operations
are not given.
Empty Flasts Found.
The first fun in the investigation
came like an unsuspected bomb when
guard headquarters in Washington re-
ceived a letter from Prohibition Di-
rector Haynes informing headquaT
ters of the uncoverinS of this alleged
great liquor conspiracy, and that
scores of gallons of liquor were to be
concealed in the camp paraphenalia
and taken to camp for the consump-
ton of the members of the guard. A
search of company quarters was made
Immediately, and netted two empty
TASKS, with not even the odor of
liquor.
Prohibition authorities. not satisfied
with this. had secretly enlisted in the
Guard two prohibition agents. for the
express purpose of following out the
lead they had from their informer
But officers Of the regiment were
warned OF this at an officers meeting
before the organization left for camp
by Col. John w. Oehmann, command
ing. Col. Oehmann would not affirm
or denv that this was done. but Off
GERS of his regiment confirmed 1t when
confronted with the facts as uncovered
freely discuss it, and every recruit
who enlisted just previous to camp
is under suspicion of his veteran COM
rades.
The whole activity grew out of the
action of the prohibition informer in
accepting as truth the braggart re
mark of Il raw recruit that he was
making arrangements with his Wash
ington bootlegger to handle his wares
in camp, and coupled with the address
of the bootlegger.
First Clue Is Worthless.
The first leg OF the investigation.
it was learned from an authentic
source, brought the Jealous investi-
gators up to a fictitious address, Ieav-
ing them with nothing but broken
cold clue.
The armory investigation gave to
IIein Two empty masks, ana the camp
examination nothing but hard work
and still 13 days more of it ahead.
Officers and men in the camp are up
IN arms at the efforts to stamp them
as the foundation of such a bootleg
conspiracy, born of the imaginative
mind of a raw recruit, but in doubt
as to whether to feel complimented
or condemned for their ability to main
tain such an organization as the pro-
hibition people give them credit for.
The men, or. such of them as have
learned of the Investigation, are in
no mood to discover the identity of
the agents, who impressed upon guard
officials the information that the Camp
chests We're to be filled with bootleg
liquor and dispatched to camp under
the camouflaSe OF military equipment
Both officers and men, from Wash
inSton's best homes, are just as anX-
ious to keep bootlegging out of the
camp as the prohibition authorities,
their officers say. Today even
memorandum went out to each or
Continued on Page 3, Column A.