The Dark Side of Prohibition
- 이미지
- City Attorney F.A. Kern
AH, HA! THE SECRET IS NO LONGER A SECRET! WHO IS SELLING LIQUOR?
"Listen, dear reader: It is said that liquor is being sold in Ellensburg."
"My goodness! Can you imagine anything like that? Why, what is the county coming to? Is it possible the fair name of our city is being fairly or unfairly so flagrantly flaunted that this matter has become public property and is being talked about upon the street corners? And has it reached the stage where officers of the law mention it? Can this be true? Again we say, can this be true?"
"Is it possible that a bottle of the elixir of life can be bought or bartered for within the corporate limits of this city? Again we say, can it? Oh, this is simply awful! It surely cannot was. If this IS true, we would like to have someone explain to us the whyness of the whichitude. Things have come to a pretty pass when the bootlegger is brought under public suspicion. Has the public no heart? Would it take away the living, the bread and butter from the mouth of the illegal dispenser of coffin varnish and force him to work and earn his living by the sweat of his brow like honest people? Shades of Peruna, this is heart-rending! Bring on the smelling salts ere we faint. We are surely plumb flabbergasted." "The bootlegger came in for considerable discussion at the council meeting last Monday night when that body and City Attorney Kern were informed that liquor is being sold in Ellensburg. They were told that city police officers were refused search warrants when they desired the same to search premises where they thought liquor was being sold. Police Judge Flynn stated that he had refused to issue the warrants for the reason that he believed he had no legal right to issue them and he took his position from the fact that a superior court judge in Bellingham had handed down a decision a few months ago to that effect." "Chief of Police Tucker stated to the council that he had been unable to obtain search warrants but that on different occasions he had taken county officers to places which he had under suspicion. Night Officer Edmundson told the council that he is convinced that liquor is being sold in Ellensburg but that he had been unable to procure search warrants."- 이미지
- Night Officer William "Salty Bill" Edmondson (Left)
- Image
- Law Enforcement Memorial
(html)