Evening star., 1932-06-26
POLICE OF NEW YORK WAR
AGAINST u. S. DRY AGENTS
Title of Chicago as Leading Crime City Is
Disputed in Favor of Gotham-Latter's
Booze Fortunes Are Greatest.

old houses, dilapidated tenements and
modern apartments near the Phenix.
The Government men tried to rent
rooms close to the brewery. But they,
of all the people in New York, could
not rent room nearby. Other under
cover men leased an apartment two
blocks away. 1t was not long before
the underworld'S intelligence service
learned of their ruse, and one evening
the superintendent of the building told
them to leave. They could have re-
manned, as the lease was binding, but
they would have been wasting their
time, their usefulness passing with the
disclosure OF their identity.
Odor Was Only Evidence.
Because of police interference the
only evidence the Government obtained
was the odor of beer as its undercol er
men walked by the brewery after
.sneaking past the furtive police guard.
When Simmons told of the obstacles
thrown in the path of the Government
agents by police he was repeating an
old story to New Workers. Maurice
Campbell, prohibition director of New
York during the Coolidge administra-
ton, had similar experiences.
There is no question that policemen
were in league with the brewery" COM
mented Campbell when he heard the
Simmons charge. MY agents could not
plant without being spied on by police
and their movements reported to the
men in charge of the brewery"
The police interference encountered
by Campbell was dictated by the new
To-, 4Ia nj 20 tinT under
Charles r. Murphy and George F..
Olvany was called by hired, intimidated
or hoodwinked publiciSts. But Camp
bell found more effectively powerful
friends in the Phenix in Republican
circles in Washington. He was ordered
to take his men out of the brewery by
one of his superiors. At that time the
brewery operated under cereal bev-
erage permit and the Government could
enter the plant at any time to see
that it was not barreling beer. He de-
clined to obey unless he received
written order and left Washington Won
dering what would happen next Let
us quote Campbell: AFTER left Wash
ineton John Doe called at my office
and told me 1t would be worth $780,
600 to get my men out"
Campbell did not say John Doe, he
named a prominent New York Repub-
lican politician. There was neither
hesitancy nor circumlocution IN the
charge
And presently the written order came
from washington directing Campoen 10
take his men out Of the Phenlx ana put
them 10 work on Long Island.
Permit Renewal Is Refused.
Campbell subsequently scored In a
slight way against the Phenix. He
refused to renew its cereal beverage
making permit, and was sustained In
the courts.
The Phenix is but one of the many
instances where police have hampered
Government agents. In January, 1882,
snecial agents of the Department OF
Justice leased a house at Rockaway
Beach, where the rum syndicates land
smuggled liquors. In general appear
ance undercover men dlffereo IN no
respect from others who lived In the
neighborhood, for they always dress ana
act the part. They were scarcely
settled in their seaside home when
nolice car drove up, stopped a minute
or so and then proceeded on its way.
Some hours later the same police car
returned for an inquisitorial visit. They
asked the occupants of the house Tor
their pedigrees-to use police phrase
After seeing the credentials OF the
special agents one would assume the
police would have been satisfied. But
no. At the curb stood a high-powered
automobile whose interior the UNDER
cover men wanted to conceal from the
police. That's our car" said an agent
as the police started to examine it. But
the police insisted on searching the
automobile. The search ended, police
man observed: "Oh, you have radio
built into this car, eh?" Said another:
(which of you is the wireless OPERATOR"
The special agents Immediately left
Rockaway Beach. AS one OF them later
explained:
'It would have been sheer waste OF
time and money to have remained
another minute. The police knew not
only we were there, but that we had
a mobile radio station. So we pulled
out. It was Just another one Of our
plants that they blew UP.