Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1926-04-22
DRYS CLOSE;
SESSION IS
HEATED One
Reed Of Missouri PLAYS
Colorful Role in
Wind-Up; Accus e d
of 'Bully-Ragging'
(By The Associated Press.)

DN Inc ASSOclateu frfSS.t
WASHINGTON. April 22.--To the
accompaniment of n machine-gun fu-
sillade of cross questions. the case
of the drys drew to its close today
before the senate prohibition COM
mittee.
Once more Senator Reed Of Mis-
souri,, ssexaminer-in- in-ehief of dry
wintsses, played the star role in as
colorful a session rs the committee
has experienced since u began its
hearings three weeks ago.
Obicctions at first TO the division
Of time as between vets and drys.
then reguking as fanatics and fools
those spectators who laughed when
he declared he was on neither side
Of the fence regarding liquor. the
Missourian wound up n perfect morn
ing by putting dry witnesses through
so scathing a ross-examination that
Senator har-cld. republican. Okla
homa, accused his colleague of "bul-
ly-ragging."
II was while the stand was occu-
pied by r. c. Dinwiddie. widely
known rs n temperarcs iectarer and
Washington representative cf several
prohibition organizations, that Sena-
tor Reed gave free rein 10 his tai
ents as cross-examiner. A little lat
er he gave another and almost as
good n demonstration when the wit
ness stand was occupied by J.. Pat
Murphy. former barkeeper, called TO
testify for the drys.
Against Modification.
Dinw:ddie. in addition 10 declaring
against any modification Of the Vol
stead act. and pronouncing prohibi-
tion n success when properly en-
forced. asserted that the vets had
turned out to be "welchers" when
there had been every reason 10 be-
iieve that they would be, instead,
"good sports
When he had concluded his state
ments. Reed asked many questions
about the organizations he had rep
resented, and as part Of the pound
.ng cross examination developed 1hat
Dinwiddie had given up "a good Job"
as a clerk and stenographer to go
into temperance work. and now was |
receiving a salary Of $500 a month
Murphy, who gave his home "a Ep, !
KY. and said he tended bar in a min
ing district in e-prohibition days,
testified that "the whiskey traffic
had no regard for human life or NOR
ais"
''In the old days in preparation for
lay day, in the mines, he said. "bar-
tenders hal TO oil up their guns and
cut off the pick handles in prepara-
tion for the trouble to come"
Blind tigers ran in full force dur
ing the legally wet days. he said.
and major crime was frequent in
kentucky-W West Virginia coal fields.
Personal Examples.
1--WE have better conoitiors and
better officials now than ever be-
FORE" he added. II hate to say this,
but Judge Herndon in 1919 was so
drunk thath e was unable 10 walk |
up and down the aisles of the court. |
Now he is a sober man and an up
standing citizen who attends church
regularly.
Estate Senator J. w. Luther used !
to be what we called sot; now he
is a sober, upright man."
Besides, he continued. prohibition
had brought good roads to his noun
putting their money into liquor. the
miners now buy automobiles. He de-
clared drunkenness "is on the de-
crease"
''How old were you when you start
ed to sell whiskey" asked Reed.
"I'm sorry 20 say ] was eight years
old when / first began selling whis-
key in n blind tiger. | sold it for
a man who ran a saloon six days a
week and a bdind tiger en- Sunday
"Don't blind tigers operate now?"
"No, sir, its against the law"
ado not stills operate?
"Yes. they do operate
No Place in Home for Mash.
Murphy argued that there could
cause there was no place to put the
mash.
"Oh. this business has advanced |
since you quit it," Reed said. Now |
they use corn sugar and there is no
mash"
'Lon't they make liquor in the
homes in your section?'
'No, SIR
"They make 1t in the hollows and
hills?'
Yes, SIR
Mayor Dever of Chicago took the
stand to deny statements about con-
ditions in his city.
His fighting blood was aroused by |
criticisms of the Chicago police, in
Guiding recent testimony given the
committee by United States Attorney |
Olson. Mayor Dever testified that the
police force and not the fedora: au-
thorities had closed the breweries In |
Chicago. and added that Mr.. Olson |
himself had not been keen about en-
fcrcing the law until appealed &c by |
the mayors office to do so.
y, .Eoundb Conditions '.Deplorab1e."
The mayor said that when he took
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