ANGRY “WETS.”

Hokitika Guardian, 22 May 1920, Page 3

ANGRY “WETS.”

NEW YORK, March 21

Opponents of prohibition are exhibiting much inrlignntiop over the latest development in the case of an official who on Thursday shot and killed a chauffeur, who, ho alleged, attacked him with a knife while the officer was in the discharge of his duty and attempting to arrest the other man on a charge of illegal trafficking in liquor. It now appears that a v Government agent had been employed as a Prohibition Commissioner under a fictitious name and that in reality he was an ex-convict released two months agi after serving six years in prison an a charge of robbery. The post-mortem examination of the chauffeur, according to the surgeons, indicates that he was shot in the hack and the pistol was held so close as to sear the flesh at the back of the ear No knife was found in the room where the shooting took place. The seriousness with which the authorities regard the case is indicated o' the fact that the agent’s bail has been fixed by the magistrate at £2,000, which has been furnished by a surety companv, although it is customary in such cases where a police or revenue officer is charged with homicide arising out of the discharge of his duty, to release without hail in the custody of a superior officer. Public feeling lias been further inflamed by the statement of Mr James Shcvlin, Prohibition Commissioner for the New York district, who employed the agent. The man gave the name “Stewart McMullin,” and although it had since been admitted this, to oe false he refuses to divulge his real name. Mr Shevlin said, “We will back him to the limit. You can’t have the law enforced by a lot of needle-workers, because there have been numerous .n----stances of prohibition agents being attacked.”