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Friday, July 16, 2021

Warrants Out for Lewis Long, Dewey Robinson, July 16, 1921

Warrants Out in Liquor Case. . . Lewis Long and Dewey Robinson Still at Large After Street Fight

Officers Saturday were searching for Lewis Long and Dewey Robinson, alleged bootleggers, who made a getaway Friday night in a race from detectives who fell upon them as they were delivering a suit case of liquor at the home of E.C. Sweeney, 702 East Boulevard. Two warrants have been issued against each, one charging keeping liquor for sale and the other with retailing.

That both men will be apprehended is the opinion of the policemen, who said that both owned property in the city. Officers were on the lookout for them during the morning and that they were half expectant that both would come in and give themselves up.

A running fight between Long and Robinson, and Detectives Moser and West, during which bullets were fired by detectives, created a furor among the residents of East Morehead Street and halted automobiles on the boulevard.

Detectives Moser and West, getting a tip that liquor was to be delivered at the Sweeney home, hid in a garage a half-block away. Around 7 o’clock Long and Robinson drove up in a roadster.

Robinson went to a side door of the Sweeney home and conversed with a negro servant. He returned to the machine, took a suit case from the rear compartment, and was carrying it to the house when Detectives Moser and West came from their hiding place and ran for the two men.

Seeing them approach, Robinson dropped his bag of liquor and ran. Long, who had driven his machine into a side street, backed into Morehead at a rapid rate of speed, according to the officer, and, after quickly changing gears, broke speed laws in making a getaway.

One shot was fired at Robinson, who fell, but quickly gained his feet and increased his speed. Five shots were fired at Long’s automobile, each striking the windshield and clipping out glass piece by piece.

Long remained seated in the automobile while Robinson was engaged in delivering the suit case, the officers reported, and his engine was kept running.

Twelve quarts of rye and Scotch whiskey were in the suitcase, the detectives reported. The valuable cargo was brought to police headquarters and stored in the liquor room to be held for use as evidence n the event of a trial of the two men.

Both Long and Robinson are known by the police, and efforts have been made for months to get evidence against them which might make a court trial possible, it was stated at the station. Detectives Moser and West had obtained a “tip” and they understood that Long and Robinson were the men who would deliver the cargo.

It was said that Long had at times boasted that the police would never get him because he was organized for his work. To one policeman he is said to have made the threat some time ago that if any “cop” ever got after him, he would shoot. The policemen warned him that someone else might shoot, also. It was said he had at time displayed a brazen spirit towards the police who are unable to make an arrest without sufficient evidence on which to insure a conviction.

The Charlotte News, July 16, 1921. Stories in the next day's paper calls Dewey Robinson Dewey Roberts. -=- Roberts Reported to be In Hospital

Reports reaching police headquarters and lacking confirmation Monday were to the effect that Dewey Roberts, who with Lewis Long made a successful getaway when Police Detectives West and Moser surprised them as they were delivering a suitcase of liquor, was shot in the leg when the officers fired on them. It was understood that Roberts is in a hospital in South Carolina. Efforts are being made by the police to locate him.

The two men were delivering a suit case containing 12 quarts of whiskey at the home of E.C. Sweeney, on East Morehead Street, Friday evening when Detectives Moser and West, who had been hiding in an outhouse half a block away, started after them. The men jumped into Long’s motor car and made a getaway. Several shots were fired by the policemen, one of them entering Roberts’ leg, according to the report. Other shots broke the windshield of Long’s car. The whereabouts of Long has not been learned by the police.

From The Charlotte News, July 17, 1921

-=-

Lewis Long Still Evading Capture

Lewis Long, sought by the police on warrants charging him with having liquor for sale and with retailing, was still at large Monday. Nothing has been learned as to his whereabouts since he and Dewey Roberts sped away in an automobile when officers attempted to apprehend them while they were engaged in delivering a suitcase of lquor at the home of E.C. Sweeney, 704 East Morehead Street.

Long is a native of this county, widely connected, and owns property in the city and county, the police said.

From The Charlotte News, July 17, 1921

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