Evening star., 1927-03-23
LE PARAD|S SEEKS
WRIT DISMISSAL
Federal Authorities Indicate
Determined Fight on AL
legged Drinking.

While counsel for lie Paradis, fash
ionable Thomas Circle cafe, laid plans
today to move for a dismissal of the
temporary injunction granted yester-
day by Justice Stafford in District
Supreme Court, under provisions of
the prohibition law, intimations came
from Government circles that the
uJhorities are determined to put n
stop to alleged drinking in the night
clubs OF Washington.
Meantime. lie paradiS was open
last night, with a continued patronage
estimated by the management TO be
about as large as usual, and Never
Davis. the operator, addressed a let
ter to Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury Andrews prohibition chief,
in which he said LIE Paradis has con
sistently endeavored to live both
within the letter and the spirit of the
law" during it's five years or opera
ton.
He explained that while he was
thoroughly in accord with the poilcy
that prompted the recent visit or your
agents to my establishment, may l
deplore the extreme zeal when ieo
them to request a drastic legal action
which, if carried through, might re-
suit in a heavy and unjust property
loss"
The proceedings, which were instl-
tuted by United States District Attor-
ney Peyton Gordon and Assistant
United States District Attorney Har-
old w. Orcutt, We're based on a case
developed by prohibition officials, un-
der provision Of the law which, If fol-
lowed through successfully by the
Government, might result in closing
LIE Paradis for one year.
Opportunity a Nuisance"
The specific charge against LIE
Paradis alleges that the place offered
opportunity for persons to congregate
for the purpose of drinking from their
own bottles with the knowledge, con-
nivance, aid and assistance of the
management and it's employees. This
under the prohibition law is alleged
by the suit to constitute a nuisance"
in violation of the act. It was also
charged that glasses and cracked ice
We're provided and ginger ale sold with
the knowledge that these were to be
used in public drinking.
Procedure in the use of paddock"
injunctions throughout the country
previously has included first the OBJ
aiming of evidence by prohibition au-
thorities and petition for temporary
restraining order which, if granted,
directs the place to refrain from viola
ton of the prohibition law. The de-
fendant usually moves to dismiss the
temporary injunction and the court
sets a date for hearing on dismissal
of the temporary injunction, when the
Government attempts to make the in
junction permanent.
Such q hearing may result in one
Of two actions by the court, under
either dissolving order
dismissing the case, or granting of the
permanent injunction. If the per
manent injunction is granted the place
may either be closed, or it may be
permitted to operate under a heavy
bond.
The use of the paddock injunction
under the nuisance" section of the
act has been attended with much sue
cess throughout the country, where
it has been tried, according to prohi-
bition officials, who explain that even
where it has not definitely closed the
front door against all business for the
year, ii has given the Government a
grip on establishments enabling the
use of much sterner measures. For
instance, if a place which is under a
temporary restraining order is
caught by prohibition agents violating
the law again, il is held in contempt
of court
Development of Case.
The case against LIE Paradis. which
Assistant District Attorney Orcutt ad-
mitted was the first one in this city
where it is admitted no sales have
been made in the establishment, was
developed by prohibition agents,
police and policewomen under the
administration here of Maj. Herbert
II. White, former prohibition admin
istrator for Maryland and the District
of Columbia, who has been promoted
to special prohibition investigator,
and is in line for responsible post
under the newly reorganized Prohibi-
ton Bureau.
In his letter to Gen. Andrews.
Meyer Davis took up several points
mentioned in the Government allie
cation against LIE Paradis.
1T is physically impossible" he
points out, Ito detail a watch at each
table to observe the every action of
patrons. Even il this We're done the
non-lawbreakers as well as the law
breakers would be equally incensed,
and justly SO. In no other way would
it be possible to give a positive guar
anty that all laws are being observed
"AnOther Doint in the affidayifs is