The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-03-28
DRYS FEARFUL
WOMAN KILLING
HURTS CAUSE
Tactics of illinois Raiders
Draw Ire of u. S. Pro-
hibition Heads.
BY RAY TUCKER
Times stan Correspondent


WASHINGTON, March 28.-De-
spite their guarded comment, lead
ing drys today showed concern lest
the attack by Illinois dry agents on
the De King home at Aurora would
cause a revulsion of public senti-
ment toward prohibition.
In the face of widespread discus
sion of the shooting Of Mrs. De
King and the bombardment of the
home with tear bombs, figures
prominent in prohibition enforce
ment circle reserved direct comment
until more facts were forthcoming.
+ Seldom have Mrs. Mabel Walker
Willebrandt, Senator Wesley Jones,
sponsor of the jail-sentence bill, and
Senator Morris Sheppard, author of
the eighteenth amendment, dis
played such reticence in discussing
prohibition enforcement.
Against Such Tactics
Though Mrs. Willebrandt declined
to censor" a sovereign state, she
indicated that the wartime tactics
used by the Illinois raiders did not
meet her approval.
THAT is SO completely out of the
federal Jurisdiction" she said, that
it would be inappropriate for me to
comment on it. 1t is not up to the
government to censor the action of
state officials, and prefer to avoid
making any comment"
Pointing out that there were con-
f1icting versions of the attack and
the killing of Mrs. De King, ~Sena-
tor Jones was another who preferred
to withhold comment.
II don't believe that anybody
would deliberately ;'7oot a woman
except in self defense" he said re-
garding the report that the sheriff
had killed the mother i'll the affray.
Asked if he approved the use Of tear
bombs to gain entrance, he replied:
well, it is my understanding
that they are not harmful, although
1 do not know about that for GER
tain"
Seymour w. LoWman, federal dry
car, adopted Mrs. Withdrawals tao
tics of saying nothing in view of the
fact that his men were not in
Volved. But he made clear that the
methods employed were repugnant
to him.
I'm glad they were state officers"
he said.
Doran Is OutspOken
DR.. j. M. Doran, prohibition COM
missioner, who actually frames en-
forcement policies, was outspoken
in his criticism.
Anybody in my organization
using such methods" he said, will
hear from me- I won't stand for
anything like that. I have ordered
that nothing of that sort go on in
federal enforcement. My men
know we won't listen to any
proposition to use tear bombs"
He also recalled that instructions
against the use of firearms have
been distributed repeatedly through
his organization. No justification for
resort to violence, according to these
warnings. can be presented except
that of self denfense.
Senator Sheppard preferred to
await more detailed information be-
fore commenting. When a news
paper report of the methods used to
gain entrance was read to him, he
replied:
That is just hearsay to me, and
I cannot comment until I assure
myself of the truth of that report"
DR.. Clarence True Wilson, exc
cutiye secretary Of the Methodist
Episcopal Board of Temperance,
Prohibition and Public Morals, saw
no reason for condemuing the state
dry agents.
L don't thing any ado<would be
made about this if it were an
ordinary policeman making all ar
rest for any other crime" he said.
Il think we must give prohibition
officers every right policemen have
in the enforcement of other laws,
and that, when we go into thing
lI,o;el1 kI,o iansS