THE BEE: OMAHA, MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1916.
POLITICAL tDVF.RTNI'urVT nsl nvDimcnMiuvm
rOI.ITIC VI. ADVERTISEMENT.
POLITICAL AOVBBTISKMKNT.
roi,ITir.L ADVERTISEMENT, rOUTIl'AI, ADVERTISEMENT, POLITirAI. ADVERTISEMENT.
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EVIDENCE' I
TURNING STATE'S
The Chief Executive of North Dakota Anti-Saloon League Admits
Over His Own Signature That Prohibition Does Not Prohibit
READ THE RECORD IN WATKINS'
AFFIDAVIT
Editorial From Bismarck Daily Tribune:
Watkins' affidavit, showing the amount of
liquor shipped into Bismarck, is interesting for
several reasons. Many of the shipments
took place while Mr. Watkins was a chief
executive of the State Law Enforcement
League and also constable acting under Chief
Commissioner Patterson.
During most of this time Mr. Watkins was
clothed with as much power as he would have
been under the proposed law creating a tem
perance commissioner. It might be interest
ing to the members of the State Temperance
Union to know why Mr. Watkins let such lare
quantities of liquor come into the capital city
when he was constable, charged chiefly with
enforcing the prohibition law.
Here is a portion of Mr. Watkins' affidavit,
made in connection with the suit brought by
Attorney General Linde under the Webb-Ken-yon
Law:
'That the population nrjsaid vcity is
approximately 6,000, and during the
month of August, 1913, the defendant
carrier transported and delivered in the
city of Bismarck 1,0.42 cases of beer, or '
25,008 quart bottles thereof; that during
the month of July, 1914, the defendant
carrier shipped and delivered to persons
within said city of Bismarck 1,371 cases
. of beer, amounting to 32,90.4 quart bot
tles, and 11 cases of whiskey; that during
the' month of August, 1914, the defendant
carrier shipped and delivered in the city
of Bismarck 1,106 cases of beer, or
. 25,544 quart bottles, and 37 cases of whis
key; that from and since about the 1st ,
day of January, 1915, to the 12th day of
April, 1915, the defendant carrier has
shipped and delivered to persons within
the city of Bismarck 3,404 cases of beer,
of 57,696 quart bottles, and in addition
thereto, 273 cases of whiskey; that in ad
dition to the foregoing, as this affiant is
informed and believes, there has been
shipped into said city, over various ex
press routes, other intoxicating liquors;
that the def endant company transported
and shipped such liquor in excessive and
unusual quantities to individuals in such
quantities ;that it knew or must have
knpwn -that the same was being used by
such individuals for purposes contrary to ' '
the law of the State of North Dakota."
These figures show that considerable sales
of liquor must have been going on in the city
of Bismarck during the period covered in this
affidavit with very little effort to stop the
traffic.
In a little more than three months more
than 57,000 bottles of beer were shipped into
the city and 273 cases of whiskey. The Attor
ney General's office states that this record was
exceeded even by a former period.
WATKINS' LETTER TO FARGO, N. D.,
PAPERS
"To Friends of Law Enforcement:
"A number of States' Attorneys have com
plained to me that their county commissioners
will not set aside the amount provided by law
to obtain evidence against violators. The,
law provides that the county commissioners
set aside any amount not to exceed $1,000.00
per year for the use of the State's Attorneys
for such purposes. A number of State's Attor
neys have asked for aid and have been refused
any money whatever for such purposes, so
they write me, and others say that their county
commissioriers tell them to go ahead and they
' will O. K. the bills after such bills c6me in and
if they find them satisfactory. This is not fair,
as the State's Attorney goes ahead and spends
money, only to be refused payment, and often ,
he is left holding a pack of trouble over a' bill
he cannot pay. v
REFUSES TO ALLOW EXPENSES
"On one occasion pur detectives were put
on trail of such Board of County Commission
ers, and they were found to be gambling and
drinking in a bad resort. One other occasion
the State's Attorney collected from cases,
started on evidence furnished by the North
Dakota Law Enforcement league attorney
fee to the amount of. $1,200.00 and fines
amounting to $300.00, besides sheriff and
witness fees, thus making a clear gain of
$1,500.00 for the county. Yet, upon the re
quest of State's Attorney, the Board of Coun
ty Commissioners would not and did not allow
a bill of expense of more than $300.00 costs,
to get the evidence. They cut the bill to about
$150.00 and allowed it.
TO USE PUBLICITY
"If the State's Attorney will report these
conditions to the North Dakota Enforcement
league, we will in the future look up the matter
and publish the facts in the paper so the people
may know that their County Commissioners
are in league with the blind pigger, gamblers
and bawdy-house keepers
"I suggest that the people and our Vigi
lance Committee over the state find out the
facts in their county and start a movement
to leave at home in 1916 election any commis
sioners who will not do the right thing by law
enforcement.
TO FRIENDS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT
"State's Attorney, Burley County, North
Dakota, has been conducting an exhaustive in
quiry into the booze question in Bismarck.
"During the past week numerous and sun
dry persons around town have been made to
appear and give their evidence as to where
and when and how they obtained their booze.
These parties have ranged in age from boys of ,
sixteen to men of seventy, and have included
high school boys arid business men, in fact,
everybody who is properly supposed to take
a "nip" at times was summoned.
"State's Attorney 'Berndt, in connection
with Law Enforcement Officer Watkins, and
Attorney General Linde, are gathering evi
dence against the blind piggers and boot-leggers
who have waxed bold through long hav
ing been able to violate, the prohibition laws
with impunity.
"The examination was the outgrowth of
recent seizures of booze consigned to fictitious
names at the Soo depot. The Soo agent, be
lieving that some of the liquor was intended
for illegal purposes called the State's Attor
ney's attention to the shipment. Within a
short time warrants will be sworn out against
seven of the illegal sellers of liquor and their
' cases will be pushed for conviction." (-
The speakers for the Prohibitory Amend
ment have been telling the people over this
state how successfully the prohibition law
works in North Dakota. They have been told
this so often that a great many are beginning '
to believe it; in fact, a few of the speakers
have told it so often that they are beginning to
believe it themselves. We are aware of the
fact that the average man does riot, have time
to look up the records as to the workings of
prohibition in the various states.
The prohibition orators have been telling
the people how they would reduce crime and
save the boy and girl, if only they' would adopt
prohibition. Has crime decreased in North
Dakota? Have the boy and girl been saved in
that prohibition state? Did not the head of
the Law Enforcement league state over his
own sworn signature that 57,696 quarts of
beer and 273 cases of whiskey were shipped
into Bismarck in a short period? Did not the
head of the Law Enforcement league state
that high school boys had been summoned be
fore the State's Attorney in' order to state
where they secured their liquor? Doesn't it
appear to you from the above statement of
the head of the Law Enforcement league that
anyone who wants liquor in North Dakota
gets it regardless of age or sex? Do you think
the boys have been saved?
Think it over.
Douglas County Tax Payers League