Douglas daily dispatch. [volume], January 01, 1926, Page EIGHT, Image 8

About Douglas daily dispatch. [volume] (Douglas, Ariz.) 1903-1961

Image provided by: Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records; Phoenix, AZ

                
EIGHT
Society Girl Joins Dope Ring to Save Sweetheart
Picture Story of Southern Girl of Wealth Who Entered the Underworld For Love
. . . . . . . . , , , t t # _ «
From Penitentary But the Man Wasn’t Worth It!
Mabel Langford Quit A
Home of Plenty For
Worthless Lover.
NEW ORLEANS, La., Dec. 31.—The
lights on the wharves of old New
Orleans gleam fitfully across the dark
flood of the restless Mississippi. They
light the passage of countless ships—
carriers of the freight of a nation’s
inland empire. And, at times, they
touch the dark form of one of those
ships of night that carry contraband
cargo; the ships that slip in silently,
laden with tragedy and evil.
But never have they seen a more
tragic chain of events that thoso
which make up the story of Mabel
Langford.
For Mabel Langford is the girl
who left a home of wealth and cul
ture to lose herself in the dark by
ways that hedge in the waterfront.
She did it because she loved a man;
and then, at the last, she, found that
the man wasn’t worth it.
How It Started
Mabel Langford is the daughter of
an old Louisana family living in the
northern part of the state. She is a
college graduate and mingled in the
most exclusive society circles. She
was to have been married to a young
man who lived in Meriden, Miss.
Just before the day set for the
marriage Miss Langford went to visit
her fiance’s family. While she was
there, a strange man came to call
on her. He was a federal narcotic
agent. He told her he wanted to
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY ATTORNEY
HAS COLLECTED $203 000 LN
DELINQUENT TAXES IN COUNTY
To the Editor of the Douglas Dailyi
Dispatch:
Referring- to the matter of collec
tino of delinquent taxes:
A few days ago, I mailed a circu
lar letter to all county treasurers in
?the state, and sent copies of the let
ter to all county attorneys suggest
ing that notices be sent out to all
delinquent taxpayers, and that in
future on the same notices of cur
rent taxes due, delinquent taxes be
shown; and further suggesting that
the county attorneys commence suits
for the collection of back taxes. I
was merely suggesting what might
be done. Now, read what his been
done in Santa Cruz county. The coun
ty attorney, Mr. James V. Robins, of
Santa Cruz county, has very cour
teously replied to my letter sending
me a copy of his report to the board
of supervisors of that county under
date of Dec. 28, 1925. Out of a total
delinquency of $208,000, he has col
lected by orderly and businesslike
procedure over $203,0<W, and will col
lect the balance. This shows what
HAS been done, and fully substan
tiates what we have contended for
all along, namely, that delinquent
taxes are easily collected if proper
effort is made. Mr. Robins’ report is
of such importance that I am taking
the liberty of asking you to publish
it, if you please. *
S. P. APPLEWHITE,
President Cochise County Taxpay
ers’ association.
Annual Report of County Attorney
For 1925
December 28, 1925.
Honorable Chairmen and Members,
Board of Supervisors of Santa Cruz
County,
Nogales, Arizona.
Gentlemen:
When I took office in January,
1925,, I promised that I would use
my very best efforts to the end that
there would be no back taxes uncol
lected in this county when my term
of office expires on December 31,
1920. Towards this end I have ex
erted all of my energies during the
past year. At the beginning of the
-these - neut
meajks /9L
resowjTions JP^F?
ARE IH’ Tgh &
> 'BOHK'
1 AIN'T T3EEM /vKTaXA
ABLE TO MO.(XH l|o W;l
A CIGARETTE J|VypW
MORMIMtr T -’ : V
£! ' Ma.
WE EXTEND
To you—our friends and customers—old and
new—our most sincere appreciation of your
friendship and good will and wish each of you
a Happy and Prosperous New Year.
Martinez Cash Grocery
DOUGLAS DAILY DISPATCH, FRIDAY MORNING, JANUARY 1,192 G.
i ELgains with ftdLeraJ agents
to save her
save her from disgrace by inform
ing her that her fiance was a
“dope-runner”; that the federal
agents had sufficient evidence to
send him to prison.
Miss Langford was a girl of
spirit. She got the federal agent
to take her to his superiors. And
with them she made a bargain;
that if they would agree not to
prosecute her fiance', she would '
find out who the real heads of the
narcotic-smuggling ring were and
get evidence that would enable the.
government tb send them to prison.
The officials agreed.
♦ year I did not immediately file suits
against all delinquent taxpayers. A
notice was first sent to all whofcc
names appeared on the back tax rolls.
A great number of these notices were
returned undelivered, and the first
suits were filed against those who
could not be found, and next against
those who failed to respond to the
notice and make satisfactory promise
to this office for future payment.
Lastly s.uits were filed against those
who failed to keep the promises of
payment they made to me and failed
to request further extension of time.
Towards the end of the summer
notices were again sent to all delin
quent taxpayers whose names ap
peared on the books. These notices
were followed up with suits, the
same as those sent the first of the
year. Aftdr this judgments were filed
against those who were sued the be
ginning of the year, and who had
not paid. Even those who had judg
ments filed against them were given
additional time to pay when they re
quested it; and thpse who did not
then request further time were the
only persons whose property was sold
for taxes.
You will know from the above that
not a single person who requested
additional time within which to pay
his back taxes was refused this re
quest. There are still persons and
firms on the back tax books who
have not paid up; but yop may be
sure that each and evrey one of these
persons have asked for more time
within which to raise the money to
pay; and upon my being satisfied
that their property was sufficient
security for all their back taxes, this
request was granted to them the
same as to all others. This office
has endeavored to strictly avoid any
favoritism.
I report that during the year ended
December 26, 1925, (the date the
county treasurer closes her books)
the delinquent taxes collected amount
ed to $203,385.61. The total taxes
received by the county treasurer I
during this year amounted tb $145,- B
V_>ets evidence on g
rum smu^lers
And so Mabel Langford left her
home, came down to New Orleans’
Avaterfront bjways and mingled
Avith the dope peddlers. She ful
filled her promise. In a short time
she turned in evidence that sent
the leaders to the penitentiary.
Her sweetheart Avas saved.
And then he ran aAvay an r l mar
ried another girl!
Mabel Langford \A r as heart
broken. To forget—that Avas her
sole aim. So she came to Ncav
Orleans again, this time becoming
a member of the federal prohibi
tion enforcement agency. DoAvn
►
341.41, which sum is made up of tin
following:
Delinquent taxes collected $203,385.6
1924 taxes (payable during
during current ....year) 92,928.2;
1925 taxes 149,037.5;
Total taxes collected dur
ing year $465,341.4:
This sum is much greater than wa:
collected during any other year ex
cept 1922. For instance, during 192<
the total amount of taxes receiver
was $334,008.42; those received if
1921 amounted to $324,289.28. In 1921
a total of $451,436.68 was received
but this included $94,694.45 paid bj
the owners of tlje Baca Float in om
lump sum for taxes for the years
1913, 1914, 1915 and 1916, under de
cree of the supreme court of the
United States. This one collection
cost the county ten per cent of the
amount thereof. And in that year
1922, only $6,000 more was collected
than in 1925.
.During- the past year tax suits
were filed against 581 defendants
and 123 pieces of property were sold
for a total sum of
apparent from these figures that the
majority against whom suit was
brought paid before their property
was put up for sale.
As to delinquent personal property
taxes, the “surface has hardly been
scratched.’’ These will be the big
problems for the coming year, but
with the help of Mr. Wager, the as
sessor, and Mrs. Ackley, the county
To Our Friends
\
and Customers
flestWishesforf I N
It is our earnest wish that you will have
a HAPPY NEW YEAR and that Good
Health, Cheer and Prosperity will be with
you throughout the Year
* 19 2 6
Store Closed AH Day Today
ZONA
Mabel Langford
Copyright, 1925, NEA Service, Inc.
to the dark Waternont she Avent
ohee more.
“I won myself a place of confi
dence in the heart of the under
world’s rum ring,” she says. “I
e% r on lived in the old plantation
mansion, far uptown, looking out
over the Mississippi river, where
cargoes of alcohol were taken off
SAvift rum boats, and over night,
with labels and seals and corks,
Avere transformed in the rooms of
that old mansion into ‘choice im
ported liquors.’
“I learned that one man, known
♦ —1
ic treasurer, and yourselves, I hope to !
work out some satisfactory and sure I
way of handling them. There is no ;
31 doubt, however, but that many of J
these assessments are entirely un- •
15 collectable and must be written off.
>5 Since we began the prosecution of !
tax cases, thd 1924 taxes have be-! j
come delinquent and 1925 taxes -.will'
11 be delinquent: the first of next May. |
And most of . the suits filed within j
is the past five 'months are still pend- '
C-, ing in the superior court, action hav- |
SO ing • been delayed at the request of ,
d the defendants. It is apparent there- !
n fore, and from the amount of person- j
!2 al property taxes still uncollected, 1
1, that 1926 will be a big- year for tax
y collections. However, I again t-epeat
e the promise made the first of this
•s year, that I shall use ny very best
s- j efforts to the end that oh December
e 31, 1926, there will be no delinquent
n taxes on the.* books of this county,
e. except for the first half of the year
r, 1926.
d May I take this opportunity of
thanking yourselves and all of the J
;s other county officers, especially Mrs.
s Askley. Mr. Wager and the sheriff’s i
d office, for your unfailing cooperation !
s in all matters wherein this office
e was concerned.
s Wishing you each a most Happy j
y and Prosperous New Year, I am,
Respectfully,
y JAMES V. ROBINS,
n County Attorney. j
S «
t Freezing temperature of salt water
- is four degrees lower than that of
y fresh water.
Lover marries another
girl
only to his associates as ‘Mr. W.’,
- is the rum king of New Orleans
and directs a traffic totalling mil
lions from his home on Broadway,
in the heart of the rich residen
i district. I learned that two
i brothers-in-law, posing as wealthy
t New Orleans business men, are his
> lieutenants.
“I learned the name of every one
, of the fleet of six ships that bring
, the liquors apd raw alcohol from
E Cuba to New Orleans.
“In that house, the last day I
was there, was $13,700 worth of
1 raw alcohol. In two adjoining
“And That One Word Is—
Start the New Year Right—
—for 1926
an Oldsmobile Six
Greater Beauty Lower Price Finer Performance
“NOT ONE—BUT ALL THREE”
%
Douglas Oldsmobile Co.
Phone 173 Douglas, Arizona 1200 “G” Ave.
for shoplifting
houses were $3500 worth of manu
factured whisky and 200 cases of
genuine whisky for the richest
trade in the south.
Under Suspicion
“I was the pal of the rum king’s
wife. We even slept together
night after night. Then, I don’t
know how, I came under the sus
picion of the underworld.
“The rum king’s wife and I
were doing some Christmas shop
ping. suddenly, in the midst of
the crowded store, she whispered
in my ear: ‘They’ve tipped me you
aren’t a real crook. If you are
She Entered Service of
Dry Agents to Assist
Sweetheart Who Fled.
prove it. Take some of these gloves.’
I had told them, you see, that I used
to be a shoplifter.
“I took a pair of gloves from a
counter. And the store detective saw
me. I was arrested.
Then Miss Langford appealed to
the prohibition director for help. And
he refuged to help her, denying that
she. was a prohibition agent!
She promptly turned to the news
paper# with her story. New Orleans
caught its breath as her tale of rum
running operations came out. The
prohibition headquarters was beseig
ed with questions.
Charge Is Pending
At first the officials continued to
deny she was an agent. Then they
admitted she was a "paid informer.”
And finally, under pressure, they ad
mitted she Avas a full-fledged duly
commissioned enforcement agent.
And there the affair stands now.
The charge of shoplifting is still pend
ing. , Whether the government of
ficials will use their influence to
have it dropped or will let her go
to jail is still uncertain.
“If those charges are dropped I’m
never coming back to New Orleans,”
says Miss Langford. “It’s a big coun
try and I need excitement after this
kind of life. I’ll find it somewhere.
Only I'm sorry for my family.
“You know, when a girl loves a
man she’ll go down to hell for him.
And fighting to save the man I love'
is what put me where I am today.”