Evening star., 1953-09-27
Seizure Of Two
Smashes Illegal
Whisky Ring
$500 in Liquor
Found in Apartment
In Southwest Area
By ChorIes 6. Brooks

BY ChorIes 8. Brooks
A huge untaxed whisky ring
was smashed yesterday after
noon with the arrest of two men
and $1,000 'scorn liquor"
seizure.
Deputy Police Chief Clarence
H. Lutz said there has been a
large increase in the Districts.
untaxed whisky bootleg traffic
within the past few months.
He also predicted that if the
area experiences even a mild
recession. the illicit traffic would
soar unless Internal Revenue
violators are more vigorously
prosecuted.
Such an increase. he con-
tinued, could result in cases of
blindness and even deaths for
persons who drink the unregu-
lated corn"
Buys 3 Gallons Of Corn.
Nine detectives and under
cover men, after three weeks of
intensive investigation, charged
Jesse Blanger, 81, colored. of
the 800 block of Second street
S.W., and Charles M. Jackson,
So, colored. of the 600 block of
Franklin street NE, with keep
ing and selling whisky illegally.
They were also charged with the
possession of untaxed whisky
which is a felony charge.
An undercover man made a
third purchase yesterday after
noon-three gallons of corn. He
went to Blanger. according to
police, and asked for five gallons.
Corpl. Chester A. Mcdonald
quoted Blanger as saying that
would seriously deplete his stock.
So the pair went outside to jack
son, identified as a runner. and
then to an apartment in the 200
block of G street S.W.. the whole
saler's home.
They obtained the whisky and
returned to the Second street
address where the two arrests
were made. However. when po-
lice raided the wholesalers ad-
dress on G street. he escaped
in the confusion.
Huge Cache Seized.
The wholesaler. said to be we'll
known to police, left a huge
cache" of 265 gallons of corn in
a backroom of his apartment
which was seized as evidence.
There were A cases. Each gallon
retails for about Sc. according
to Corpl. Mcdonald.
This" said Corpl. Mcdonald,
sis one of the biggest hauls of
untaxed whisky I can remember
in recent years." He was unable
to estimate the yearly gross of
the ring. which is believed to
amount to over 100000.
Although Federal agents have
uncovered a number of stills in
nearby Maryland and Virginia,
police believe that this particu-
lar ring has a source of supply in
the deep South. They are still
attempting to locate it.
Prosecution is Urged.
Chief Lutz indicated that
complaints of the beverage in
dustry seem to be borne out"
with yesterdays raid and large
seizure.
People" he continued, "are
going to buy liquor where they
can get it the cheapest. particu-
larly in the center and Southwest
sections of Washington"
Unless the retailer of untaxed
whisky is prosecuted to the full
est extent of the law it will con-
tinue to be a profitable business
for him, Chief Lutz added.
The United States Attorneys
office, he said. does not prosecute
untaXed whiskey bootleggers who
are caught with only several
gallons of corn" but leaves the
matter up to the corporation
counsel. Naturally, he said, per-
sons convicted of misdemeanors
receive smaller penalties than
persons convicted of felonies.
And the bootleggers know
that"
Complain of Loophole.
Because of that knowledge,
Chief Lutz continued, bootleg
gers keep only two or three GAL