The Logger's Disguise
A Tacoma patrolman pulls off a sting operation against a hotelier selling illicit spirits.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
George W. Hess, proprietor of the Sunrise lodging house, Fourteenth and Pacific, was arrested yesterday afternoon by Patrolman Brady and locked up on a charge of selling liquor without a license. He was released upon payment of $125 bail. Hess was trapped skilfully by the disguise which Brady wore. The officer was dressed as a rough logger, and, giving the hotel man a wink, asked if he could buy any 'liquids.' After Hess had produced a bottle of beer, Brady took him in tow.
“The officer was dressed as a rough logger, and, giving the hotel man a wink, asked if he could buy any 'liquids.'”
Sting operations involving undercover officers are still a common, if debated, tactic in policing. The location mentioned is at a major downtown intersection that remains a central transit and business hub.
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