Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-07-13
STATE OFFICIALS HEAR
OF BIG LIQUOR SALES
extensive Operations OF Bootleggers
Reported to Secretary OF
Commonwealth
CONE FROM WEST VIRGINIA
Use Motor Cars, Said to Carry No
Virginia License Tag and Ply
Their Trade Openly, According to
Reports.

secretary OF the Commonwealth p. o.
James and his Office staff are evincInp
!" lively interest in the reported exteu.
~ operations Of bootleggers in Bath
un'E. Automobiles carrying contra
an" iiquor from West Virginia into
.ms heishoorhoods OF the half dozen
summer resorts in Bath. near the vvest
Virginia limo. will probably. he nappnd
few days VIC "A'
u,shing bootleggers and rounding
"p o''hh tiger operators are police t,u-
co no' within the province OF the
cccretarE OF the Commonwealth Rut
Colonel James is very much intera.,si
,m , %hotnef phase Of the conditions pre-
ihs IN Inc mountains of Bath
pants from law-abiding citf-
~ems' VINO report that Illicit whisky
. IL 80 common that it no longer
eHci'es comment and that interference
win the operations OF the hoot1naaar.
ana speakcasics IS almost upbe,rd ~
recltc that practically the entire 1ocL
" motor cars IN which the bootlegcers
ply their profitable If lawless traff,c
Unera uhe without paving the tax
required By law for the use OF The NH
lie highways OF Virginia.
PORTABLE STORt:HotsE
tohE IN FROM WEST S.IRfIcIA
The portable whisky s,orcbous.
moving constantly between Virrini,
ana west Virginia. The hoo,lopcer.
who own and operate tho cars ar.
west Virginia tags on their machines
showing mat they have taken out H.
Darently believe that il is ms, ,s 80
10 erahe the automobile license Law. in
virginia as II is to dodge local on.;or
ana hquor license laws Hence Tho
ooo.its gers continue {" roam as free
rs wild goats through the mountains
of l.
IL is stated. are guests Of the half
hundred hotels and boarding houses in
the western part OF the county.
Northerners and Westerners. accu,.
toned to their ''mornin's mornin'." nd
VINO are not averse 10 wee nip at in
.er'aIs curing the day, form the major
lily or the patrons of the bootleepers
according to the information from
Bath, but there are also a great MANY
Virginians and West VirEinians among
the health seekers al the different re-
sorts.
The liquor laws. it is said have been
openly violated in the neighborhood of
the larger hotels for many months
scores OF the men engaged in the IL
legal liquor traffic were farm hands or
laborers living near tho border line
before they discovered the enormous
profits Yielded by the bookkeeping
trade Most OF them are now IN com
valued at. from $500 to $4,000. These
cars may be seen daily bowling through
the mountain ranges. loaded to the
"gunnels" with TASKS and jugs The
bootleggers take fresh orders from
their customers while delivering wet
goods previously ordered Any guam
tity OF liquor, from half pint 10 a
barrel. is delivered TO order AT any safe
place in the county. Warm Springs,
the county seat. is said to be sur
rounded by blind tigers.
The supply stations of the bootleg
gers are several railroad stations in
West Virginia, near the border line
Cincinnati wholesale liquor dealers are
said to be shipping whisky. beer and
other wet goods in enormous quantities
TO the men who retail il In Bath County.
Instructions to the county officers in
Bath. requesting them to overhaul auto
mobiles that are operating in the
county without carrying Virginia IL
cense tag. have been issued from the
office OF the Secretary of the Common
wealth. The initiative thus taken by
that office may result in the arrest and
prosecution OF some of the bootleggers
and the breaking up OF the illegal
whisky traffic in Bath.