04/15/1918
Entire Department Hears Addresses at Sunday Meeting in Corporation court Rooms; to Work Extra Hours Until After Saloons Close Tonight.
For the purpose of instructing members of the El Paso city police and detective departments as to their duties to enforcing the new prohibition law, which goes into effect tonight. C.E. Pollock, chief of police, called all of his men together in the corporation court room yesterday afternoon, where they heard a number of talks, and outlined plans for preventing bootlegging in this city.
The meeting convened at 9:30 o’clock and every member of the force was present.
Sheriff’s Office to Co-operate - Sheriff Seth B. Orndorff gave a talk in which he outlined the policy that will be pursued by his office in suppressing the illicit sale of liquor following the closing of the saloons.
The principal and most instructive talk was given by E.B. Elfers, assistant district attorney, who explained the operation of the new law in detail. He told the members of the police force that individuals may have liquor in their possession; in their home or upon their persons, within the 10-mile zone. He said however, that if a man had a bottle of whiskey when he left the zone he could not be prosecuted, but if he came back into the zone with the bottle of liquor that he would be guilty of breaking the law and subject to arrest. The technical offense would be that of bringing intoxicating liquor into the 10-mile zone.
A serious offense – Mr. Elfers dwelt particularly upon the seriousness of the crime of giving or selling liquor to a soldier of the United States. “It costs our government $1,500 to train every soldier that it sends to France, and all of this expenditure and the services of a soldier is placed in jeopardy whenever he is sold a bottle of whiskey – and particularly the brand of whisky that bootleggers in El Paso are in the habit of dispensing to them” he said.
The speaker told of instances in which soldiers have been rendered absolutely unfit for further service, owing to indiscretions while intoxicated on bad whiskey.
Will Be Busy Tomorrow – “You men of the police force know perhaps better than anyone else the evil’s which follow in the trail of “booze, women and more booze,” the attorney continued.
The members of the police force will work extra hours today coping with the troubles which may attend the closing of stations.
The men of the police and detective departments have agreed to work overtime during the next two weeks, or as long as will be necessary, breaking up the traffic in liquor that is expected to develop following the closing of saloons. Every man in attendance at yesterday’s conference, in response to Chief Pollock’s request, expressed his willingness to help make El Paso as free from bootlegging as possible.
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