Milford chronicle., 1932-01-15
DRY CHIEF IS
TRANSFERRED
TO NEBRASKA
[Continned from First Pagel

dier General William H. Rowan, re-
tired, formerly in the Unite1 States
Army, whom Mr.. Wilson will sue
eeed as deputy administrator for
Nebraska, is 60 years old. General
Rowan will succeed Mr.. Wilson as
deputy prohibition administrator for
DelaYare.
Ca%ain William NJ. Tomkay, of
Philadelphia took over prohibition
enforcement in Delaware until Gen
eral Rowan arrives. General Rowan
is expected in Wilmington within
few days.
Colonel WoOdcOck was enthusias-
tice in his praise of Mr.. Wilson and
lauded him as "a man who made
good"
"Mr. Wilson is being transferred
to what l regard as a larger and
more difficult field where there is
great need for a vigorous and cap
able man who has made good in the
past" Colonel WoOdcock said.
81 Regard this transfer of Mr.. Will
son as distinct promotion for him.
1 have selected him for this Nebras-
kan work out of all the Deputy Ad-
ministrators in the United States,
believing that he is better equipped
ITO handle the peculiarly difficult
situation in Omaha and the rest of
Nebraska.
Omaha is almost a frontier city
and was formerly the gateway to the
West. There have been number of
gang killings there, these killings
have developed from a terTifcally
bad law enforcement situation. This
is the reason that l have found it
necessary to strengthen our force
there. / have great confidence in
General Rowan but l believe that
Mr.. Wilson, much younger man,
can better handle the situation
Mr.. Wilson's transfer surprised
him as much as it did his many
friends among the dry forces of the
State. 1t is definitely known that
until almost noon last Thursday Mr..
Wilson had had no intimation that
he was to be asked to accept new
post.
On Wednesday night Commander
John D. Pennington. prohibition ad-
ministrator for New Jersey-Dela-
ware and Pennsylvania, phOned Mr..
Wilson stating that he was required
to attend a conference with Colonel
WOOdcock in Washington on Thurs
day. Mr.. Wilson left for Washing
ton late Wednesday night and met
Colonel WoOdcock at noon Thurs
day within few minutes he learn
ed of the new plans Colonel Wood
cock had for him.
II Intimate friends of Mr.. Wilson
have known for several months that
he desired a change to a larger field,
~ feeling that he had accomplished
4 + much of what was possible in Della
~ ware and was anxious to take over
a larger task. He was opposed, how
ever, to any plans to transfer him
to "the sticks"
He considers his transfer to Ne
braska, as Colonel WoodcOck does
a promotion.
Omaha itself has a population
about as large as the entire State of
y Delaware. The State of Nebraska
has a population of 100000 per-
4 sons, nearly seven times larger than
hi Delaware Mr.. Wilson's force of
agents will be nearly four times as
large as the force he had in Della
ware. In Omaha he will cope with
organized gangs of liquor peddlers,
n a task he has delighted in in the
past
Mr.. Wilson was transferred TO
Delaware in September, 1880, from
Pittsburgh, Pa. His transfer came
soon after he raided political pic
mic. About a decade ago he was
fired from the prohibition service af-
ter raiding very wet" Governors
banquet. When the prohibition de-
partment came under Civil Service
he made a comeback.
One of the first sensational acts
of Mr.. Wilson was the raid before
L the last general election on the
Democratic League of Delaware. lie
is now under $1,000 bail for con-
tempt of court for refusal to tell 10
Judge Nields of U. S. District Court
\ the name of the member of the
/ league who gave him the key to the
leagues building The contempt ci-
/ tation has been appealed to the q.
S. Circuit of Appeals in PhiIadel-
phia.
Mr. Wilson then started wholesale |
raids throughout The State and
brought the paddock into play, pad
locking more than a score of speak
Z easies.
Formation of Fact Finding and |
I Law Supporting Committees with |
the support of dry leaders in the !
State was started by him. He then |
started making. addresses nearly ev
cry Sunday night in many churches
in Wilmington and other parts of .
the State. He spoke also in Mary
land churches.
During the fourteen months he
was deputy administrators Mr.. VIII
sons activities have been first page |
news" The publicity, however, took
a GSSagreeable turn recently follow A
ing~a fact finding committee meet
ing in Lewes when large number
of those at the meeting walked out
because of remarks made by Mr.. II
Wilson.
While the bOOtlegging fraternity
was not sad over Mr.. Wilson's de-
partuTe there was no talk of cele-
brating his departure from the
State Many of them declared they
recognized the deputy administra-
tor as believer in fair play. They
point to his policy of very rarely