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Show Liquor Dealers Get Warning; Federal Officers Keep Watch Salt Lako City. July 26. The fed- eral government last night took a band in the local liquor situation by Sj Investigating the report that small 'ny .dealers in the city woro selling vast quantities of liquor to persons who vrero stocking up, and caught several retailers at the practice, including some of the leading hotels of the iclty. The federal law provides that any retailer that sells more than five gallons gal-lons of liquor to one purchaser shall hold a wholesalo license. The flno for violation of this statute Is ?500. W. A. Trombley, revenuo agent, J who was sent hero from Helena by the Internal revenuo .collector, mailo ' the Investigation and warned aU of the dealers that thoy must discontinue discon-tinue wholesaling liquor or pay tho penalty. It is said that every dealer in tho city is being closely watched. The Nowhouae hotel, which has thousand of dollars' worth of fine .wines In its cellars, has hired p. deputy sheriff to stand guard over tho stores, fearing that ) employe inay spirit away some of tho valuablo wet goods during the, last few days of license. Tho deputy sits at tho door and checks every bottle of wine that leave3 the cellar. Carry Suspicious Wares. Men, young and old, havo recently recent-ly been noticed to board their homeward-bound street car eventng after evening with tho same kind of package pack-age under their arms, a package that in no wise resembled meat or bread or household provender, but looked suspiciously like a bottle. From tho careful manner in which they handled han-dled the package It was easy to guess that it was a fragile one. Somo of tho mon cast furtive looks about them. Of late automobiles that do not In any way resemble delivery vans havo been calling at residences in the city delivering largo bundles that appear to be very heavy. Another significant series of moves indicate the unloading of barrels that did not appear to contain flour at the back doors of various cafes and restaurants. Of course those barrels 'may havo contained potatoes or some other procious article of food and thon again they may have contained something else. These various facts have led tho police to believe that many aro stocking stock-ing up for tho long dry soason that Is coming and thoy aro keeping a close eye on all suspicious, porsons. According to Chlot of Police J. Parley Par-ley White, every uniisunl purchase oft ' t liquor la being watched and" special attention Is being given to certain rooming bouses. "Characters of, tho underworld and persons who havo run afoul of the ordinances In control of tho liquor traffic in tho past are being closely watched and thoy will not bo given tho opportunity to becomes bootleggers," said Chief White yesterday. yes-terday. "Tho police have knowledge of tht laying In of stores of liquor and it Is possible that thousands of dollars worth will be destroyed on our first search after August 1." According to tho prohibition law liquor dealers have until August 12 to ship their unsold goods ont of tho date. After that dato the pollco will give a thorough search of overy placo that has ever sold liquor and, according accord-ing to tho police, sooner than that date for somo who havo not heretofore hereto-fore sold It. Drunkenness on Incrcnsc. According to Chief Whlto thero has been more drunkenness during the past ten days than ever beforo in the history of the city, tho Imbibers, seemingly, trying to drink tho state dry before it goes that way by law. Yesterday-tthero wero 123 cases of drunkenness on tho docket. Tho liquor doaler3 are also said to feel that they have more license during the last days of tho wet regime, than they would otherwise have.' "If tho drunkenness increases," concluded tho chief, "thoso persons desiring to fall by the waysldo and spend tho night in Jail will havo to phone and reserve a room, as the cells nro taxed to capacity at present." pres-ent." The department Is expecting ft busier night on July 31 than any New Year's eve thoy havo over ex perienced. Tho leading cafes of the city aro reserving tables for that night and demanding high fees. It Is freely predicted that tho "wako" of John Darleycorn will provo nn orgy of drunkenness never beforo witnessed In this city. |