Evening star., 1932-07-30
WOODCOCK GIVES
ALEXANDRIA BAY:
RAIDERS APPROVAL
Dry Agents in Rights and
Courageous in Face Of Mob,
Director Says.
"SLIGHT UNNECESSARY
DAMAGE TO BE PAID
Praise as Well as Complaints Re-
oeived, He Declares-LiquOr in
All Places Searched.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
Action Of prohibition agents in raid
ing Speakeasies in Alexandria Bay. N.
Y, was upheld today by Amos w. w.
Woodcock, the prohibition director. who
said in a statement their conduct was
correct except they unnecessarily de-
stroyed some property for which they
must pay.
Woodcock reviewed complaints re-
ceived from J. G. Savage, secretary of
the Alexandria Bay Chamber of Com
merce, and the action of the agents in
ra1d1ng several establishments where
they had purchased quarts Of Ca
madam ale and bottles Of whisky"
He said Prohibition Administrator
McCampbell had reported there was
some unnecessary damage to property
by our Investigators" and added that
when the exact amount of this had
been determined "our investigators will
De required by me to pay the owners"
Necessary in Duty.
Woodcock said liquor was found in
all places searched and that the agents,
| except for the small unnecessary de-
! Structlon OF property, did no more
than was necessary to do their duty"
He added that it would have been
better Judgment had they served their
search warrants at some other time
than when Spanish-American War
veterans were holding convention in
the town.
| 1T has been the sole purpose of this
bureau to enforce the national prohi-
oltlon law earnestly and honestly and
lawfully" Woodcock said. We cannot,
therefore. permit open violations of this
tasteful their interruption may be to
the persons concerned.
These persons in Alexandria Bay
were violating the law for the simple
purpose of making money We have a
mandate to suppress such violations.
This We will continue to do.
Il have received some letters from
Alexandria Bay praising the work our
men did there. But the praise is as
irrelevant as the protest. We will con-
| ttnue to 90 our duty"
Woodcock said the investigators
found no veriflcation of charges that
the agents used threatening or abusive
language. He said his men displayed
coolneSS and restraint in the face of
what he described as unusual provoca-
| ton and personal damage to them
selves.
Attacked by Mob.
WoOQcock SAID Wnen the agents MADE
the raids on July IL they were attacked
by a mob from which they were res
cued by men in military and naval
service uniforms, who were attending
the veterans convention.
On July IA, he continued, the agents,
accompanied by State police, were in
suited and threatened by a mob which
threw sticks and stones at them.
| Though the agents were armed, he
added, none fired a shot.
Woodcock said as the cars of the
! agents proceeded through the crowds,
with State troopers mounted on the
running boards, a woman stepped in
| front of them and was slightly injured
| and man who climbed upon another
car fell from it when the car jerked
forward after one of the spectators
| struck the driver in the eye He said
these were the only injuries to inhab-
/ itants of Alexandria Bay
Woodcock called attention that the
Federal grand jury had absolved the
/ raiding officers of blame for the dis
| orders and had condemned the action
| Of certain citizens of Alexandria Bay
for their flagrant interference with
prohibition officers in execution Of their
duties"