The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-05
WORK ON ROUTES
How the Bootleggers Are Oper-
ating in Topeka.
Each Has a Certain Glass of
'Trade."
KNOW THEIR MEN.
Business Risky and Mistakes
Costly.
Police Having Trouble to Lo-
cate the Dispensers.

AS though their routes were planned
by some one man and each working
over his own territory the bootleggers
now plying their trade in Topeka work
IN manner that suggests organized
effort. In few cases is there a conflict
of territory. Policemen in making ar
rests for violations of the prohibitory
law have found that this Is true
The bootleggers operate only in the
business district. They would have no
luck elsewhere. And they supply regu-
lar customers who know their coming
and going and who can occasionally
Vouch for new customer and thus add
more precious metal to the Golfers and
new name to the list of men who are
"a11 right"
In many cases bootleggers work the
same parts of the city but they work
with different classes of people. For
instance, on East Sixth street there
IS bootlegger who works among the
farmers who come to town on Satur-
days. He knows his customers az we'll
and perhaps better than the cashier
of bank knows the signature of de-
positors. He supplies their wants each
week, some of them twice a week and
he knows well whether a man is a
once a week drinker or a twice a week
customer. And if the customer has
company when he sees the bootlegger
stranger is 'all right and can be de-
pended upon to keep his mouth shut.
Another bootlegger, operating on East
Sixth avenue will supply the men who
work in stores and business houses
along the way. He cares nothing for
the farmer trade because he does not
know the farmers. And bootlegging is
risky business. Getting caught is an
expensive mistake. So he does not try
to add new customers to his list ex-
1n n Ian OF Or "
mended by some regular customer or
customers.
Farther down the street a certain
bootlegger supplies men working in
the commission houses with liquor.
These sales are made in small or large
quantities but usually by the small
f1askful. In this way it is easy for the
man who drinks the poison to Secrete
it about his clothing. Every day at a
certain time he appears and If the reg
ular customers are busy he waits for
them. He does not get out and hustle
for new trade. That is dangerous bus
mess in these days of police and State
Temperance Union spoilers.
Another man works the railroad men.
He knows them and they know him.
A railroad man must not take any
chance with some one who will turn
him in for drinking on duty.
And so the work of dealing out
LIQUID refreshments to Topeka's thirsty
| take is made by some one, or an old
customer gets his head filed with
whisky fumes and talks and then some
| enc is arrested. The bootlegger comes
to grief His business is just large
enough, usually, to keep him going and
| the money to employ an attorney and
| fight his case, and in may cases to
| pay his fine is lacking.
| But the bootlegger is wary and re-
allies that he Is being watched most
| of the time. Meanwhile he works
| steadily and carefully and hopes that
| he may yet succeed in escaping the
police and selling liquor to his regular
customers. And that is why most of
them are caught at it at some time
| because they grow to believe they can
| easily fool the men who are watching
| for them every day of the week.