davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1929-10-23

It cannot be said exactly that
Washington is a wide open town;
at least. it wouldn't appear so to q
stranger or to one just walking
around but, when one gets under
meath and sees the conditions and
visits resorts which the ordinary
person would never see or know
about. except under the guidance of
one who knows his Washington,
then you find the fla grant condi-
'tions which in part are given in
this report.
For a few days, just going around
and visiting saloons downtown and
places which in some other cities
would be the likely places to get
liquor and good beer. things seemed
quiet and dead, but after meeting
with fellows who knew and witt
whom all sorts of resorts were
visited, the real conditions were
found.
AS seen in this report, speak
easies were found in many sections
of the city; whisky and gin were
Z easily purchased in any quantity
and quality. in speakeasy saloons,
cigar stores, restaurants and other
places
The Washington times., 1929-10-23

Street N. w. is one OF
the tough sections. There are
saloon dives, negro night clubs,
scores of bookmaking joints and
speakeasies. This same street
southwest is a hotbed of vicious
conditions. The worst dive visited
was down there. Speakeasies, gam.
bling joints, bad saloons. and all
are in this section.
Not far from the shadow of the
Capitol are speakeasies, disorderly
houses, and saloons.
While. / visited and checked and
got the dope on about 81 speak
easies and II bootleggers and could
have gotten more. feel that the
surface was just scratched. and
from this report can be judged the
complete picture of vicious condi:
tons in Washington.
TOMORROW-Exc in The
Washington Times, another chapter
OF this intensely interesting report,
dealing with specific visits to indi
vidual night clubs and road houses,
survey Of beer and whisky
sources, and investigation of a big
bOttling concern that is supposed 10
supply containers and labels to
bOOtleggers. Don't miss . chapter
of this astounding story.
The Washington times., 1929-10-23

wrote TO Doyle and asked for his
recommendations on Allen.
I'm my opinion" Blease declared,
Pratt Is simply trying to discredit
Aliens testimony and the testimony
of one or two other men who are
on the force. whom he hopes to In
timidate and keep from telling the
truth on the witness stand. One of
them has already been to me this
morning and says that he has wife
and too many children to run the
risk Of his being thrown out of his
Job, and asked me to withhold his
name and not bring him into the in
vestigation."
DepIores d. C. Conditions
Blease expressed doubt as to
whether the Senate would care to
take any action.
But | think" he continued, that
the country has reached very Sc
rious and dangerous condition when
the chief of police of the greatest
capital city in the world can demand
report from a subordinate officer
and then, when he gets the report.
turn the officer out for insubOrdina-
ton and because the report did not
suit him.
my notion is that this man Pratt
is a coward, a moral coward if not a
physical coward. He wanted to turn
out this man Doyle, and he wants to
turn out this boy Allen, but he espe-
cially wanted to get rid of Allen.
Pratt did not have the manhood
to turn Allen off. l think he is
afraid of him. so he goes and asks
Doyle to make report, as | be-
lieve, for the purpose of getting
Doyle to state something that he
could use as an excuse to turn Allen
off.
But when Doyle refuses to be
his stool pigeon, refuses to be his
tool then he takes advantage of the
situation and gets mad and loses
his head and not only turns off AL.
len, but Doyle as well, which l say
was a dirty, cowardly, contemplate
act on the part of any man and
especially a man who is chief of
police and supposed to be an hon
orable man at the head of the police
department of city like this
Sees Inquiry ImperiIed
Blease told the Senate that he
would be unable to present facts to
the Sackett committee if the wit
nesses are to be intimidated by the
police heads.
Il think there should be some.
body do not know who it should
be, for I have not been on the
District Committee long enough to
know anything about it's rights or
duties-but there certainly should
be somebody to bring this man
Pratt to book.
IF that is not done, more muir
ders are going to be committed,
more women are going to be raw
ished in the city, more robberies will
be committed, and other crimes
will be perpetrated because if there
is a man at the head of the de-
partment who is willing to stifle tes-
timony or hold an ak over a mans
head. and tell him that if he testi-
fies he will cut it off. no body of
men can be kept together. working
for the best interests Of the city.
which they are supposed to safe
guard under such conditions"
Dreyfus Case Mentioned
Senator j. Thomas Heflin of Ala.
The Washington times., 1929-10-23

While the saloon conditions are
bad, most of them are tight and
wary of strangers. One has to be
known or vouched for; then 1t easy
and liquor and real beer are easily
purchased. except in some of the
downtown saloons, which have
changed to restaurants and near
beer saloons.
Canadian club whisky is very
plentiful in Washington and sold at
the general price of so cents for
small drink, about SIC being the
amount realized from a quart bottle.
New rye is usually sold at %
cents a drink and is bad stuff. Gin,
so-called bath tub gin," which is
synthetic and made here mainly,
is flooding the city and can be
bought by half pint, pint, quart and
gallon all over town from boot.
leggers. )
The taxicab situation Is, of course,
bad. Taxis will take likely Gus
toners to bootleggers TO get liquor
and to sporting places. Some of
the big taxicab compa MES make
every possible effort to prevent this
Illegal business, but it was driver
for one of these companies who
took a party of three of US to a
bootlegser and arranged for a pur-
chase of gin.
The Washington times., 1929-10-23

: Continued from First Page
Washington furnishing containers
and labels for the bootleg Dusl-
ness.
% Ten gambling dens doing thriv.
: ing business.
Nineteen saloons and speak
easies easily located.
= Ten cigar store speakeasies WIS.,
. tied.
One grocery store speak-easy
: listed.
Two barber shop speak-easies
located.
Eleven restaurant speak.easies
visited.
Nineteen bOOtleggers inter-
Z viewed and their wares sampled.
- A grand total of So prohibition
law ViOlatOrs met and dealt with
in a period of six days.
This astounding revelation of law
violation is not news to many mem
bers OF the Police Department. The
epeak-easies and the bootleggers
Flourish under their eyes.
Neither is this survey a complete
The Washington times., 1929-10-23
IS GIVEN
RECEIVER

John Lewis Smith, an attorney,
today was appointed by Justice AL
fred A. Wheat in Equity Court, as
receiver for the Roosevelt Hotel
Operating Company.
The ,Wardman Realty and Con-
struction Company brought suit for
recovery against the hotel company
yesterday, claiming the directors
were divided on questions of policy
and management. Taxes and inter.
est on the property are unpaid, &C.
cordlng to the Wardman Company,
which holds third trust on the
property amounting to $254.000. &C.
cording to the petition filed yester.
day.
Smith was directed to make bond
OF $4,000 and to take immediate
possession of the real estate and
personal property of the hotel COM
pany.
The Washington times., 1929-10-23
Finds Lid Here Easily Tilted,
But Citu Not Quite Wide Open

Real beer was found sold in
saloons, restaurants. cigar stores.
and both beer and whisky in a
hardware store and grocery. the
general price being SO cents for a
bottle of real beer and so cents a
drink for Canadian Club whisky.
Bootleggers were met all over
town, as is seen in the report. In
company with a man who knows
them, We were accosted on the
street with offers to sell us whisky
or gin, and we could have pur'
chased it in unlimited quantities.
Some we did buy and made
arrangements to purchase from
other ''booties."
Gambling is rampant. There are
several large gambling houses,
-'s being one of the large
ones of the country.
Drunks are not seen to great
extent on the streets-at least l
did not see many-but after going
around discovered that the
DRINKS are in apartment houses, IN
restaurants late at night, at night
clubs, and in taxicabs. Being out
until a. m. one night, / had a
chance to see drunks all over town.
The Washington times., 1929-10-23
Humbert Makes Formal
PROPOSAL to Marie Jose

B r L s s ELS, Oct. 23.-Crown
Prince Humbert, of Italy. arrived
here today and proposed to the
Belgian Princess Marie Jose
He was greeted at the station by
King Albert, Crown Prince Leopold
and Prince Charles.
Loud cries OF viva Italy rose
from the throng at the station as
the Italian Crown Prince arrived.
The entire party was driven to the
Chateau Lscken. where Crown
Prince Humbert met Queen Eliza
beth and his fiancee.
Although the engagement of the
Royal couple will not be anDounced
officially until tomorrow, it was
stated in a protocol issued today
at the chateau the Prince asked
for Princess Marie Jose's hand and
placed an engagement ring on hex
finger.
The Washington times., 1929-10-23
COWBOY PILOT
FEARED LOST
IN OCEAN
CONTINUED from Flrst page,

Continued from First Page,
ualness, that he was on his way to
London. Within Is hours, he wrote,
he would be there. and askea that
certain items be held for disposition
by cable from the British capital
Those % hours, during which
Diteman hoped that the sing 4 en-
CINE OF his low-winged Barring rlony1.
plane would plunge him through the
mist -dra ped.stormy skies OF the Al.
lantic to his destination. expired as
the deep-throated chimes OF Bis Ben
tolled out the hour of o'clock
Silence Shrouds Fate
They might have been toliirg his
deaf h-knell, for at the hour Dit .nan
hoped to hear these same chirnas IS
the hero of two nations, his fate was
wrapped in the sinister silence which
has shrouded so many previous ven
lures such as his
Throughout last night and toifv.
an unceasing watch was kent ty
Coast Guard stations and lighthouses
along the coasts of England ard -e-
land for some sign of Dite ma -
plane. Hundreds of necks were
ears kept open for the hum u
motor which would beat out sym
phony of triumph for that daring
fIier.
But one by one the outposts re-
ported to their headquarters through
out the day the same laconic report:
No news!
Still a Slight Chance
There Is an outside chance that
Diteman may have been blown
hundreds of miles off his course
and may turn up some place along
the jagged European coast. But
the fact he had not been sighted
since crossing the Newfoundland
coast out to sea made this unlikely,
it was said.
Unequipped with wireless, life
saving apparatus or extensive pro-
visions. Diteman's fate il forced
down in mid.Atla ntic would not be
difficult to imagine. If the engine
became detached from the fuselage
in the crash, the machine might
float for a few hours, but reports
OF severe storms in mid-Atlantlc
virtually precluded the possibility
Of the Golden Hind" drifting with
its lone occupant until some ship
happened across its course.
Barring a miracle, aeronautic
authorities said, it now seems GER
| tain that Diteman, a stolid, we'll
TODD cattle dealer from the West,
had thrown his life away.
Had he won his daring gamble,
Diteman undoubtedly would have
| been famous. Not only would he
have joined the ranks of the few
whose attempts to fly the Atlantic
have been capped with success,
but he would have earned an eter-
nal niche in the hall of fame as
the second man in history, to do
| it all alone.
The Washington times., 1929-10-23
AMAZING DOCUMENT ON.
D. BARE5 GRAF 7

picture of the extent of prohibition
law violation in Washington. 1t is
merely a segment of the situation
quickly cut into by an out-of-town
investigator in the short period of
a week.
The preface to the report summar.
izing general conditions in the Ma
tional Capital. follows:
Conditions in Washington are
very BAD. This spplies in particu.
lar to liquor law violations, but
also to law breaking of all kinds.
At first while going around town
mainly in the downtown section. l
did not find conditions so bad, but
after getting in" and being taken
to speakeasies and joints all over
town. this opinion quickly changed
and 1t seems to me that on the
whole. things are as bad as at
least 10 years ago. when they were
somewhat known. and worse than
about five years ago, when they
were also known. but at these
former times speakeasies and boot
leggers were not studied as they
were this time.
The Washington times., 1929-10-23


lowing Pratts orders in writing
letter Of recommendation and com.
ment on Aliens conduct. and that
Pratt construed the letter as an
act Of INSTRUMENTATION on the part
Of Doyle.
Overnlan Defends Doyle
Senator Lee S. Overman of North
Carolina defended Doyle as q man
who had given the best years of
his life to police service and de-
clared that Pratt should not turn
him off" In this manner.
Several other Senators entered
the debate to express varying
opinions on the Allen case and the
Sackett investigation of the police
department.
Senator Blcase opened his speech
with a recital of the history of his
resolution authorizing an inVestiga-
ton by the Senate into alleged cor.
ruption and inefficiency in the Dis
trict government.
He followed this preamble by
introducing his list Of witnesses
and documents. Then. reaching in
his pocket, he drew out small
object wrapped in paper and de-
clared
Displays Opium
Mr.. President, wish to offer
to the Senate some tangible proof
that dope is being sold in Wash.
ington. / know the Senator from
New York, Mr.. Copeland, to be a
very fine doctor, and 1 understand
that he is interested in the subject.
Il hold in my hand and display
to the Senate the actual, positive
article that was bought on the
eighth day of October here in the
city of Washington"
With these words, Blease held
aloft the opium. while the spectators
in the galleries craned their necks
to look at the small object in his
hand.
Senator Copeland approached
Blease as the South Carolinian con.
tinued
II have never seen any opium be-
fore. I do not know positively that
it is opium, except from the state.
ment Of those who have had ex-
perience with it. and profess to
know. / wish to file this with the
Secretary of the Senate. and I ask
that it be turned over to the SUBJ
committee of the committee on he
District of Columbia, to be used in
their Investigations and to show that
dope is. actually being sold within
the shadow of the Capitol"
Asks for Examination
Blease then held out the opium
to Senator Copeland, saying, there's
the stuff, doctor. l would be glad
to have you look at 1t and examine
it. have witnesses who will tes-
tify- where it was bought and
from whom it was purchased. One
of the gentlemen has told me that
he has some more of the article
called opium. Here is the Chinese
paper in which it was wrapped"
and Blease waved TIE small piece
of paper before the eyes of the
Senate.
While Copeland went back to his
seat and sat looking at the opium.
Blease launched his attack on Pratt
for his action in the Doyle.Allen
case. He began with reviewing the
case from its inception. when Pratt
The Washington times., 1929-10-23
'Parties" in Apartment Houses
Care For Drunken ReUeLers

speakeasy, joint proprietor, or boot
logger.
In the last two days learned
that there are girls who are boot.
leggers, and believe this is
quite extensive. One girl. met at
Fourteenth Street and Park Road
Northwest. would sell whisky by
the pint and said she had sold
four pints so far one evening:
Another young girl was pointed
out as a bOOtlegger at the corner
of Fourteenth and F Sstreets
Northwest.
Boys are used by bOOtieggers to
deliver liquor. A case known
about was that of boy about
9 years old who was sold whisky
by a bO0tlegger. the boy saying
his father wanted 1t for a party.
The party" was held all right
but the 17-year-Old daughter got
drunk and was later picked up as
drunk by the police on K near
Thirteenth Street Northwest.
The Washington times., 1929-10-23
Mortified Children
Go to Fairfax School

MERRIFIELD. Va. Oct. 23.-The
at Mortified was Off
cially closed this week and all pupils
anu teachers transferred to the con-
solidate, school at Fairfax.
Residents of the Mortified COM
munity may decide to ask permission
from the county school board to use
the former school as a community
hall, as a public meeting place is
greatly needed in this section.
The Washington times., 1929-10-23

Woman "Confesses''
To Murder Of
Rothstein

NEW YORK, Oct. 20 G.N:sJ.--
Police headquarters was itself
again today after the furry Of
last night when woman describ-
ing herself as Victoria Cross, A,
of Montgomery, Pa, walked In
unannounced and confessed the
killing of Arnold Rothstein.
gambler.
COMMISSIONER Grover Whalen
and a number of his aides listened
to recital from the woman in
which she offered solutions for
any numbers of New York muir
ders.
~ Convinced that she was a psy.
chopathic case, officials had her
removed to Bellevue Hospital.
The Washington times., 1929-10-23
Prominent Washington
County Physician iii

HAGERsToWN. Nd. Oct. 2S.-
DR.. Dewitt Clinton r. Miller. a
prominent physician OF Washing
ton county. is reported TO be seri-
ously Ill at his home in Mason
and Dixon.
He has been a Democratic leader
in Washington county for MANY
years and is a former State sen.
ator and chairman of the board Of
election supervisors. He Is a brother
Of DR.. Victor D. Miller. of thfs city
The Washington times., 1929-10-23
Professional Women
Of Arlington to Dine

CLARENDON, Oct. 23.-The Ar.
lington County Business and Pro-
fessional Woman's Club will hold
a dinner meeting toight at $50
o'clock in the Washington Golf and
Country Club.
Among the speakers will be Mrs.
NJ. w. Willis and Mrs. Pearl Sharp.
The Washington times., 1929-10-23
Blast Victims Death
Is PrObed in Chicago

CHICAGO, Oct. % SD.-An in
quest will he held today into
the death of George Harskey, which
occurred following an explosion at
power plant here. Three others
were injured. The blast is being in
vestisated by authorities tonight.
The Washington times., 1929-10-23
Pratt a COWARD, Blease Asserts;
Flags Police Suspensions

bama interrupted Bieasc's speech 10
comment on the death of Mrs. Orgy
fus, who died as the result of
fall from the platform of local
boat club building.
Heflin read part of newspaper
article stating that one of the ptlh-
cipals in the Dreyfus inquest was
alleged BY a witness to have maze
threats against the life of Mrs.
Dreyfus.
Hits Suicide Verdict
whether she was pushed off by
somebody or knocked off by some
body, we do not know" Heflin said.
But these murders that are going
on here wind up by Verdicts that
the victims accidentally kill them
selves or committed suicide.
Blease's parting shot was that
"if some Senator should get IN
Pratt's way. it would not surprise
me if he should be found accident
ally dead some night or some morn
ing"
Senator King said that he was
sure the suspension of Doyle and
Allen would be thoroughly invcsti'
gated by the Sackett committee
In response to a question by Sen
ator Overman. King said he was
withholding judgment on Pratt s
action until an investigation had
been made. He joined with Sen.
ator David I. Walsh of Massachu-
sets in expressing the opinion that
these matters should be laid be-
fore the subcommittee and not tried
on the floor of the Senate"
The Washington times., 1929-10-23

CONTINUED from First Page
lowing Pratt's orders in writing
letter Of recommendation and com.
ment on Aliens conduct. and that
Pratt construed the letter as an
act Of INSTRUMENTATION on the part
Of Doyle.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-11
STOCK PRICES DROP
IN LATER TRADING
Advance in Money Rate
Causes Wave of Selling
Toward Close.
BY GEORGE T. HUGHES.
,ecial Dispatch to The Star.


NEW YORK, January 11.-Strong in
the morning, today's stock market re-
acted in the afternoon as money, which
had renewed at per cent, advanced
to per cent for new loans. The early
gains were Cancelled in part, some
stocks even showing losses on the day,
and the close was one of irregular
net price changes.
The outstanding feature was u. S.
Steel. Although this old market leader
sold off in the later trading with the
rest of the list. it held good share
of its gain. Another strong issue was
u. S. Rubber. Most of the motor stocks
dropped. The volume did not increase
on the reaction and there was no real
weakness. Opening quotations were gen.
orally at advances.
Other independents in good demand
included Crucible, Sloss-Sheffield and
Vanadium. The last named, however,
is not entirely dependent on the steel
outlook for its attraction.
The feature of the utilities was Con-
solidated Gas, in which there was evil
IDENTIFY strong group at work. The
overnight announcement of the new
Super Power combination in New York,
New Jersey and Pennsylvania stimulated
speculation as to a huge local merger
of which Consolidated Gas would be the
nucleus. International Telephone &
Telegraph was very strong at new higt
since listing Columbia Gas and North
American we're higher, while Public
Service of New Jersey met realizing or
the merger news
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-11
FAIRFAX BANK ELECTS.

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va, January IL
Especially At the meeting of the stock
holders and directors of the Fairfax
National Bank, DR.. F. NJ. Brooks was
reelected president: Thomas Keith,
first vice president; F. D. Richardson
was elected second vice president lii
place Of r. E. Thornton, deceased: Ed
gar Littleton, cashier. John Mackall
of Mclean was elected director in
place of r. E. Thornton, the other di-
rectors. in addition to the above Of
ficers, being Wilson M. Farr, F. W. Hud-
dleson. Dallas Berry. DR. Ford SWEET
nam, M. d. Hall, r. r. Farr and NJ. e.
Church. The vacancy left by the resig-
nation of Douglass Mackall was not
filled The stockholders rescinded their
previous action limiting the amount of
money which can be expended by the
directors on the erection of new bank
building, giving to the directors carte
blanche as to location, type of struc-
ture and cost.
The Fairfax National Farm Loan As
ISOLATION at its annual meeting elected
F.. w. Huddleson as president, G. O.
Schaub as vice president. John w. Rust
as secretary-treasurer and attorney. Di-
rectorS elected include H. F. Myers,
John w. Kerns, j. w. Pobst, w. 3.
Doak, A. w. Hunsberger, H. B. Jones,
F. w. Huddleson and H. B. Derr.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-11
NEW CORPORATION FORMED.

NEW YORK, January II CAo).-J. G.
w. Seligman & Co, international in
yestment banking house, announced to-
day its entrance into the growing in
vestment trust field, with organization
of a $50.000,000 company, to be known
as Tricontinental Corporation. Public
offering of securities will be made with
in the next two weeks.
Several Wall Street houses have or
ganized investment trusts in recent
months one of the largest being the
500, 100000 corporation of Goldman,
Sachs 81 Co.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-11
CHICAGO POULTRY PRICES.

, CHICAGO. January II P).-Poultry,
alive-Steady; receipts, three cars;
fowls, 2812; springs, 27l2a38; ROSTERS,
20; turkeys, Is; ducks. 24a28; geese, ID.