Taken from the pages of the Warren and Barrington Gazette this week in October 1920:

Enforcing prohibition
The Men's Club of Warren know just how it's done, at least those who were present at the meeting Monday night had every opportunity of learning how the dry law is enforced in the cities and towns, in the state of Rhode Island and in the nation. Their information was gleaned from a very comprehensive. talk on the subject given by a well qualified man to speak on the subject — Mr. Alberic Archambeault, United States Agent for the Enforcement of Prohibition in Rhode Island.

After being introduced by President R. L. Anthony, Mr. Archambault said they had picked a dry subject and a dry speaker, but as they had asked him to come he naturally supposed they were interested in the subject and he would endeavor to make it as interesting as he could, which he at once proceeded to do.

He said in his mind the state of Rhode Island is the most law abiding state in the Union, and backed up this statement with others which showed that there certainly are worse places than little Rhody.

Mr. Archambault explained the law relative to the manufacture and transportation of liquors at the present time, both for commercial and medicinal purposes.

During his speech he put the fact that until all the liquor which has been manufactured has been used up there will be great difficulty in enforcing the law. Already over $500,000 worth has been destroyed.

We all know, said the speaker, that there are many violations of the law. These violators think that they are fooling the officers, but that is where they fool themselves, for the officers are wise to the various means taken and are only biding their time. Rhode Island has only 10 Federal prohibition officers and 1500 other officers. The local police are of little or no assistance to the federal officers. Here Mr. Archambault paid his compliments to the town and city police and his remarks were not certainly in praise of them. He said that the police know or should know when the law is being violated and should aid the federal officers in enforcing the prohibition law. He said that prohibition was supposed to be enforced by both state and local police.
He explained many of the means taken by the public to violate the law and told some rather amusing situations which the Federal officers had come across.

Some of the evaders of the law are very clever and their work of hiding their stills and also of hiding their stocks are works of genius — misguided but nevertheless genius.
All tips given the Federal officers are investigated. Women furnish the most of these and the majority of them produce results. He said that men give many tips for spite but the women never do. The majority of women who notify the federal authorities do so because some of their family is affected by the manufacture and sale of the liquor.
There have been 135 stills located in Rhode Island thus far, but none of these were large ones.

He said the principal violators are the near beer saloons and these are the most difficult to catch, there having been only five convictions of the proprietors of these thus far. Very few of these carry more than one quart at a time in their places of business and upon a visit of a Federal officer this is readily disposed of, via sink or some similar manner.

When he had concluded his talk the members realized the gigantic task which confronts the Federal officers.

Cheated death
On the anniversary of the accident in which Capt. Crandall of Bristol lost his life on the Hope street crossing of the N.Y.N.H@N.H.R., Cecil Whitton of Boston had a miraculous escape from death at almost an identical spot.

Mr. Whitton, who is a salesman for Wadsworth Howland & Co. dealers in paints and varnishes, hd just finished a call at the Angell Hardware store on Main street and in his FOrd coupe had started for Saillants. As he neared the crossing which is without gates, or crossing tender he saw the train from Providence to Bristol coming and slowed up and let that that pass. He then started across the track just as the 12.35 train from Bristol came along. It struck the coupe directly in the centre, knocking the body clear off the chassis. Mr. .Whitton went with the body of the car and it was from this he was extricated shortly after by witnesses to the accident and trainmen. The train wasn't fully stopped until it had nearly reached Nobert street, although the conductor claims to have seen the automobile when near the crossing and also says that he immediately put on the emergency brake. The train must have been going at a tremendous rate of speed. It carried the chassis, as stated to Nobert street and one would hardly recognize it so jammed and twisted was it. Splinters of the car were everywhere to be seen.

Mr. Whitton was soon extricated from the wreck, much to the surprise of those who witnessed the accident, apparently little the worse for the accident. Trainmen said they expected to pick him up in pieces and were amazed when they saw him alive and with only minor injuries. He was able to walk to the car of Dr. T. Morrisseau who was summoned and refused to go to the hospital on the train, telling the trainmen that he was all right.

He was taken to the office of Dr. Morrisseau, who found that he had quite a cut on his scalp, near his ear, his right arm was bruised and he was suffering from a mild concussion of the brain. He was taken a few hours later to Fall River, where he had relatives and no serious results are expected from his accident.