Police Raid Hotel Decker

SOKOL, TAYLOR, SAGERS, JACOBSEN

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 2/1/2014 at 00:17:31

Maquoketa Community Press, Jan. 18, 1955

Maquoketa police, accompanied by County Attorney Ray Sokol, Saturday night raided the Buffalo Room at the Hotel Decker. The raid, according to Mr. Sokol, "found the place clean."

Officers B. J. Taylor and Hugo Sagers conducted the raid at 11:10 p.m. "We found no liquor or any law violations in evidence at the time of the raid," Mr. Sokol stated to a Community Press reporter on Monday morning.

Though city ordinance stipulates an 11:00 p.m. closing hour, Class B beer permittees in the city, Sokol noted the ordinance requires "that no beer be sold or consumed on the premises after the closing hour." He asserted "We found none of that." Sokol said the Buffalo Room raid was a "surprise" move following some complaints. Mayor Ben Jacobsen on Monday said he "didn't know" of the raid. Sokol disclosed it had been staged without the mayor's knowledge.