Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 March 1909 — Prosecuting Attorney Longwell Hot After Boot-Leggers. [ARTICLE]

Prosecuting Attorney Longwell Hot After Boot-Leggers.

The Brook Reporter has the following to say about the method Prosecuting Attorney Fred Longwell intends to take to rid the counties in his district of boot-leggers: Prosecuting Attorney Longwell has decided to put a radical stop to the bootlegging business In this county. Instead of prosecuting the offenders in the justice or circuit court, whenever he has secured sufficient evidence to secure a conviction, he will place this evidence in the hands of the United States District Attorney and the Federal authorities will take Immediate charge of the case. With Uncle Sam back of the prosecutions It will be no funny game. The least fine in the Federal Court Is 12.50, to which Is usually added Imprisonment In the Federal prison of from one to nine years. While this may not look good to the fellows that have been in the habit of shipping In booze and dishing It out in doses to suit, a few convictions will put an effective stop to bootlegging. We understand that he has already placed evidence of this nature before the Federal authorities, and at their May meeting there may, be some of the fellows in this county wish that they had obeyed the law and left the booze business alone. A few. doses of this kind will be a wholesome lesson for the parties engaged in the illegal traffic.