The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1917-11-02
CAMOUFLAJE or.
'0NIONS HIDES
WHISKY CARGO
Napoleon Of BoOtIeggerS Puts
Over Crafty Deal,

ger, WIN a sense oi nutnuI, an lmaRlna-
tiou, and a Willingness, to take a long
chance, recently put ACROSS" one Of the
biggest deals in the ,llcgltimatc traffic
in liquor since Oregon entered the
bone dry" column
Aud in communicating this gigantic
deal IN liquid good, the bootlcggcf--one
Edwin Smith by name brought down
upon his head the wrath of the city OF
Portland caused himself to come under
the closest scrutiny oi Special lnvcst
gator HumaSon, and came away from
a searching cross examination with fly
ing colors
Il will be remembered that during the
first week ni August hue and cry was
raised by oiliclaldom when It became
known that a carload of onions had
been sent to the city incincrator by some
unknown Commission merchant" Al
the incincrator It was found that most
Of the onions were In fairly good condi.
tion, but only about two tons were saved
out of approximately five tons sent
there Cor destruction
Fails to Conner Market
After an investigation OF several days
It was found that Edwin Smith, a curb
stone commission merchant had
shipped the onions to Portland from
California After a prolonged examlna
tion before Spccial Investigator lluma
son, Smith finally convinced the oiii
Gals that he was the victim oi unior
tunate CIRCUMSTANCES that he had been
unable to obtain storage room where he
could sort out the onions, and that he
was finally compelled to send them to
the incincralor after II was found the,
were spelling on his hands.
Smith was greatly perturbed over hi
failure to Corner" the Portland oninr
market. He had stakcd his all on thii
deal in onions and suffered a great Il
nancial loss when he was compelled Il
destroy the shpment--he said mourn
l1ully.
But the true story ot this deal In on
ions, which was brought to- light ycstcr
day, develops the fact that the only in
tcrest Edwin Smith had in that III
smelling carload Of onions was that the
destroyed the odor OF alcohol, II an
there might he, and that they also mad
splendid cuycrlct for an even sixt
cases Of whisky which were shippe
10 Portland by this inventive boo
logger
This car, il was learned, arrived
Portland on the morning Of July
Smith had preceded his shipment
several days, and by the time the q
arrived he was all excitement AIwa,
suspicious, Smith imagined that federi
agents were on his trail, and after IN
car had been here for day he aImo.
decided 10 leave his carload of whsk
and leave town. 50 fearful was he q
arrest
Dumped on Market.
But Smith had Stakcd his entire banI
account in this one venture. 80 decide,
that he might as well 60 through will
| it, Accordingly the next morning h
hired a small truck, dismissed III
driver, and drove by himself 10 IN
freight car in the North Bank yard
where he got his liquor.
lie had previously rented an out ,
the way storage room on the east sid
where the liquor was taken -Four sci
arate trips were made before he ha
detraincd his entire cargo OF liquor =.
quart bottles in all.
II was a day or two later that II
city investigation Of the rotting onior
was started, so Smith, again fearful
arrest began to sell his liquor in who'll
sale quantities, some Portland consun
ers purchasing several cases. In son
instances he sold a case for SS but
most instances he received $40.
smith had sunk an even ST, 100 in n
venture, and II he had not been m,
lo'ted would have cleared somcthlr
like $500, providing he could have sol
the entire shipment at the preyaliu
bootlegging price OF So quart.
But smith decided to iorego big pro-
iU to make a quick sale and make
quicker getaway $40 his shipment wa
sold Tor about $500. leaving him
profit of 81 an
Flush with coin Smith is said 10 ha,
sat in a big poker game the night /
completed his liquor deal and it /, sal
that he dropped 500 in the game IN
night This place has since ben raidc
and closed up, il is said
Smith later lett Portland for the c
fete east, but before going he is said
have remarked that his big liquor co,
carly in August is his firl and last c
fort to bca, the prohibition game