Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-06
High Court Rum Apparatus
Seizure Ruling Held
powerful" Aid.
SMALL PARAPHERNALlA
DEALERS ALSO MARKED
Local Dry Agents Besiege District
Attorneys Office for Warrants
Following Decision.

A drive on what he termed the big
bootleg supply houses" was launched
today by Prohibition Commissioner
James M. Doran.
Armed with fresh power by q decision
yesterday of the Supreme Court of the
United States, Doran and other ON
Gals said they have mapped a cam
paign to wipe out the business which
has been furnishing apparatus and
materials for GALLEY beer" bootleg
liquor and home brew.
Containers, barrels, bottles, corks,
labels and cartons were branded il
legal by the Supreme Court in a case
appealed from Pittsburgh. But the
highest tribunal went much farther.
It declared the VolStead act should be
literally construed" to suppress manu-
facture of Illicit liquor.
The first flying wedge of the Gov
eminent forces will be aimed at the
big fellows" officials said, to wipe
out the source of supply for the Ma
ton. Study then will be given to the
problem of how to knock out the IL
legal trade Of chain stores, department
stores and extract and bottling supply
shops, which furnish everything, from
the materials to the apparatus, for
making alcoholic liquor.
Decision Declared Powerful"
Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Lowman and the prohibition commits
sioner today hailed the Supreme Court
decision as powerful and helpful"
Meanwhile David A. Hart, assistant
District attorney in charge of prosecu-
rf nm wiz n.
lice Court, was besieged with requests
from dry law enforcement officers for
warrants to raid stores which sell bot
ties, barrels, malt and other material
suitable for manufacturing liquor.
Hart advised the applying offlcer to
"hold of for a while" until he and
other members of Mr.. Rover's office
had made careful study Of the recent
decision.
Hart declared that in the past he
had found 1t very hard to get a con-
viction in court in similar cases.
almost invariably persons arrested
on such a charge demand a trial by
Jury" Hart declared, 1T has been prac-
tically' impossible to get a jury to con-
Wet a person when the Government has
only bottles, corks, hops and other such
materials as evidence"
District Attorney Rover announced
that until he has an opportunity to
read and study the decision he would
not be prepared to say what policy he
will follow in reference to the seizure
Of stocks Of malt, hops and other para
phernalia.
Rover Doubts Wholesale Drive.
From a reading of the newspaper re-
ports, Rover said he considered that the
Supreme Court had not extended the
law. He expressed the opinion that
there would not be ordered any drive
or wholesale raids on every place where
such paraphernalia are offered for sale.
The law requires proof OF intent and
design" Rover and his assistant, Harold
w. circuit, pointed out and does not
permit the seizure Of these things other
wise.
Two applications for paddock" in
functions are pending where the selling
of paraphernalia were alleged and
Rover and circuit expect shortly to file
"libels' in the court asking for the con-
fiscation of the goods which have been
taken at both Of these places.
Fifty-six truckloads Of paraphernalia
were involved in the Pittsburgh case
decided yesterday, according to DR..
Doran. The materials included all
sorts of apparatus for manufacture OF
liquor. Inc ldUclS, LII. OOIo1 ChPluAAIcu
were clearly printed, expressly to be
used on bottles containing alcoholic
liquor.
The Supreme Court decision, deliv-
cred by Justice Holmes, was unanimous.
Specifically, the court confined the
question at issue to whether the prop
erty seized was "forfeitable" under the
Volstead act
In deciding that it was forfeitable
the court laid down this general prin-
ciple:
LAS the purpose of the prohibition
act was to suppress the entire traffic,
the act should be literally construed to
the end of this suppression and so d.
reefs" The Sc truckloads of contain
ers, barrels, bottles and other material
belonged to the Feitler Bottle Co. and
the case came on up to the Supreme
Court in the name of the surviving
partner Of this firm, Ike Danovitz.
In launching his drive against what
he called the big bootleg supply
houses" Doran explained that the Gov
eminent was moving against them first
instead of against the horde of dis
tributors, because the big houses
we're the main source of supply. Spe-
officially, he said, the first cases made
| would be against those whose cases
would be most similar to the Danovitz
case. In the meantime, DR.. Doran said,
legal experts would closely examine the
| decision to see how far it will permit
the Government to go against the far
| flung ramifications of the apparatus
| and material supply business.
The Supreme Court decision expressly
pinned the Danovitz case on section rs
title II of the VolStead act This sec-