The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1917-12-07
CLEVER BOOTLEGGEn PUTS
1T OVER" ON The
POLICE
In DRY OREGON
Carload of 0dorous Vegetables
Hid Large Quantity of Snug
gIed Whiskey and MuffIed Its
Perfume-Cops Didn't Even
Get Scent

Portland, Ore.-A clever bootlegger
with a n of humor, an imagination
and a Willingness to take a LONG
chance, recently put across" one OF
the biggest deals in the illegitimate
traffic in liquor since Oregon entered
the bone dry column.
And in consummatins this gigantic
deal in liquid goods the b~ootlegger-
one Edwin Smith by name-brought
down upon his head the wrath of the
City of Portland; caused himself tc
come under the closest scrutiny oil
Special Investigator Humanson, and
came away from a searching cross
examination with flying cobrs.
1t will be remembered that during
the first week of August a hue and
cry was raised by officialdom when il
became known that a carload of on
ions had been sent to the city incin,
erator by some unknown commission
merchant" At the incinerator it was
found that most of the onions were in
fairly good condition, but only about
two tons were saved out of approx
mately five tons sent there for de.
struction.
After an investigation of several
days it was found that Edwin Smith,
q curbstone Commission merchant
rad shipped the onions to Portland
from California. After a prolonged ex.
animation before Special investigator
Humans0n, Smith finally convinced
the officials that he was the victim OF
unfortunate circumstances; that he
had been unable to obtain storage
room where he could sort out the on.
ions, and that be was finally compelled
to send them to the %incinerator after
it was found they were spelling on his
hands.
Onions Cover Liquor
Smith was greatly p~erturbed over
his failure to corner" the Portland
onion market. He had staked his all
on this deal in onions and suffered a
great financial loss when he was com
PEELED to destroy the s~hipment-he
said m|ournfuily.
But the true story OF this deal in
onions, which was brought to light
yesterday, develops the fact that the
only interest Edwin Smith had in that
ill-smelling carload of onions was that
hey destroyed the odor Of alcohol. If
ny there might be, AMI that they also
ode Z splendid ~coyerlet for ali even
- cases Of whiskey which we're
shipped 20 Portland by this invertive
b~oot.ez.ser.
Smith had preceded his shipment By
several days, and by the time the ca,
arrived he was all excitement. Al.
ways suspicious, Smith imagined the
federal agents were on his trail, an6
after the car had been here for a
day he almost decided to leave his car
load of whiskey and leave town, 81
fearful was he of arrest.
Dumped on Market.
But Smith had staked his entire
bank account in this one venture, &C
decided he might as we'll go through
with it. Accordingly, the next morn
ing he-hired a small truck. dismissed
the driver, and drove himself to the
freight car in the North Bank Yards.
where he got his liquor.
He had previously rented an out OF
the way storage room on the East
Side, where the liquor was taken.
-Four separate trips were made before
he had detrained his entire cargo OF
li.uor-720 quart bottles in all.
Y was a day or two later that the
city investigation of the rotting onions
started. So Smith, again fearful OF
arrest, began to sell his liquor in
wholesale quantities, some Portland
consumers purchasing several cases.
some instances he sold a case for
$50, but in most instances he received
$40.
Smith had sunk an even s1,100 in
the venture. and IL he had not beer
molested. would have cleared some
thing like $1,000, providing he could
have sold the entire shipment at the
prevailing bootlegging price of Sc a
quart.
But Smith decided TO forego big
profits 10 make a quick sale and
quicker getaway. so his shipment
was sold for about $4,000, leaving him
profit Of $1,000.
Flush with coin, Smith is said to
have sat in" a big poker game the
night he completed his liquor deal
and it is said hat he dropped 5000
in the game that night. This place
has since been raided and closed up
II Is said.
Smith. lated left Portland for the eff.
fete east, but before going he is said
10 have remarked that his big liquor
coup early in August is his first and