Wednesday, September 11, 2024

Mayor Brings in Private Detectives to Check on Liquor Sales, Sept. 12, 1924

Detectives Proved No Good When After Corn. . . But Cost the City $300 and the Police Got the Laugh on the Birds

Hearing much of the reported inactivity of the Elizabeth City police, who seem to be overlooking liquor offenders altogether since Chief Gregory gave orders to his men to issue no warrants and make no arrests without coming to him first, Mayor W. Ben Goodwin ordered two detectives from a private agency in Raleigh to learn if any liquor was being handled in Elizabeth City. The detectives were known in Elizabeth City and hadn’t been here three hours before the news got all over town, and even the police heard of it.

The next day the most seasoned liquor lovers were going around town with dry mouths wondering what the matter was, and with all the bootleggers wise to the amateur sleuths, liquor was practically unobtainable. The birds left last week, amid the laughter of the police, but they carried away with them $318 of the city’s money, and nary a drop was turned into headquarters.

From the Elizabeth City Independent, Friday, Sept. 12, 1924

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn83025812/1924-09-12/ed-1/seq-1/

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