PROHIBITION

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 3 July 1924, Page 5

PROHIBITION

LAW VIOLATED. VERDICT AGAINST EX-OFFICIAL. BY CABLE-PRESS ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT NEW YORK, July 1. Gaston Means, an ex-agent of the Department of'. Justice, whose investigatorial exploits read like romantic fiction, was, after a fortnight’s trial by a Federal Court, found guilty of conspiring to violate the. prohibition laws. Means, with a conspirator, will shortly be sentenced. The penalty is a maximum of two years’ imprisonment, and a fine of 5000 dollars. The conviction resulted from a charge that Means and an associate collected 20.000 dollars from a Havana merchant, promising him to obtain the release of 50 barrels of whisky, which by prearrangement was to be reconsigned to Pittsburg, but it would be diverted en route. The merchant testified that he paid the money, but received neither the whisky * nor the money. The Government, through witnesses’ and defendant’s confessions, proved that the latter had within two years collected in excess of 400.000 dollars front persons seeking favours in high official places. Means contended that he delivered the monev to Jess. Smith. Means’ conviction ends the, myth of bis immunity. This gained currency because previous indictments for murder and other crimes never made headway against him. v Means throughout the trial insisted that the Government \yas persecuting him for his revelations before the various Senate committees.