The records of the United States commissioner's office at Asheville, N. C., western judicial district, show the following statistics: The United States commissioner says he has had more prohibition cases than any other kind. Last quarter was the largest he ever had-totaled 206; but that included issuing search warrants in the western judicial district for raids in Charlotte in under-cover cases. He said sometimes drives are made in prohibition under-cover work, and then the cases are increasing in that class of cases. The same thing happens when drives are made in narcotic and other classes of violations. The sheriff at Asheville says they have caught some chief operators and tried them in the United States court. The rural police do not work under his direction. They devote most of their time to traffic-law violations. The sheriff does not arrest for purchasing liquor alone. Never invoked that provision of the State law. Is against that and thinks it would handicap officers seriously in getting information in violations. The sheriff advocates passage of a law to punish rum runners who have firearms with them and have the law rigid. There are 63 policemen, including plain-clothes men and others, on the force-day and night. They cooperate with prohibition agents. Use their new men and secret service for under-cover work. The sheriff says "arrest for drunkenness " statistics are not accurate because there are old offenders-repeaters-who drink bay rum, etc. Wishes Federal agents could stop up the source of supply in Newport, Tenn., and Georgia vicinities, as it would help greatly to control the supply in and around Asheville. The United States attorney for the western judicial district at Asheville referred to the main source of liquor supply for that locality as being at Newport, Tenn., Raymond County, Ga., and Columbia, S. C., the latter being curtailed recently. He says the big fellows here have quit since the Jones amendment, which has had a most salutary effect in his district. The people are afraid of it. All prosecutions under the Jones act are by indictments. In the November term of court he secured 213 bills of indictments in two and a half days' work with the grand jury; mainly prohibition cases at least 75 per cent. He felt very much encouraged. As far as other crimes are concerned, he does not notice much increase, except in white slave cases. The United States attorney says that the sentences imposed by the judge in that judicial district (western), in the general run of cases involving sales or transportation, are from four months to two years. ENFORCEMENT OF THE PROHIBITION LAWS OFFICIAL RECORDS OF THE NATIONAL COMMISSION A PROHIBITION SURVEY OF THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA No. 21 in the letter of transmittal. |