In a brazen attempt to swindle a local businessman, two men were arrested in Buffalo on September 20, 1922, for impersonating federal and police officers. Joseph Stewart, 25, of Washington D.C., and Bartholomew Shea, 30, of Roxbury, Massachusetts, were taken into custody by Dry Agent Edward Harrigan after they were found carrying government badges. The duo allegedly claimed to be special prohibition agents on the hunt for bootleggers, seeking to extract money from the owner of a local soft drink business. They warned the proprietor that they had orders from Washington to gather evidence against any violators of prohibition laws.
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Key Facts
- State: National
- Category: Public Corruption
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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