Investigation: Are Prisoners Being Let Out of Jail at Night to Sell Liquor? Aug. 29, 1925

Are Prisoners in Florida Freed to Sell Contraband? Reported That Men Held in Dade County Jail Are Freed at Night and Allowed to Peddle Liquor. . . Inquiry Being Made in Case. . . It is Said That the Federal Prisoners Are the Ones Given Right to Leave the Jail During the Night

Tampa, Fla., Aug. 29 (AP)—Charges that federal prisoners confined in the Dade County jail have been released temporarily for the purpose of bootlegging have resulted in U.S. District Attorney W. M. Geber starting an investigation involving the sheriff, jailer and guards.

Prisoners convicted at the last term of federal court in Miami were being (something omitted in article) freedom and bootlegging privileges at night and confined in jail in daytime, report to the department of justice indicated, Mr. Gober said. Bribery off officials responsible for their confinement also was reported.

“I was informed recently that two federal prisoners form Tampa who had been convicted in Dade County last spring were being allowed privileges by the guard not ordinarily accorded prisoners,” said the attorney. “I requested the department of justice officials in Jacksonville to send a man to investigate the report and the results of the investigation were startling.”

The inquiry revealed that the prisoners were released from jail at night and known to be engaged in bootlegging.

“We also found one of the Tampa prisoners was allowed to visit relatives in West Florida,” Mr. Gober said.

From the front page of the Concord Daily Tribune, Saturday, Aug. 29, 1925. Last name of District Attorney spelled “Geber” and “Gober” in newspaper.

newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1925-08-29/ed-1/seq-1/