The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1919-02-28
BY ROBERT P. DORMAN.
N. e. A. Staff Correspondent.

~ BY ROBERT P. DoRMAN.
N. e. A. Staff Correspondent.
Michigan is wet" again.
Oceans of booze are being imported
from Toledo.
Drinking is unconcealed in hotel:
and cafes of Detroit.
And the professional bootleggers
who have been at virtual war with the
Michigan constabulary along the Ohio
border, are bringing liquor in by auto
loads and carloads, jeering and
thumbing their noses at the state 20
lice.
All this swift change came over
night, when the state supreme court
at Lansing ruled out the search-and
seizure law under which possession OF
liquor was itself an offense, und un'
der which autos, trains. wagons and
street cars were searched when they
entered the state.
FIGHTS ON STREET CARS ..r
WHEN SEARCH vs. MADE. 49,,
came over by street car from To.
ledo to Detroit, before the supreme
court acted.
Professional booze-runners at To-
1edo had eyed my suitcase and offer
ed to smuggle it into Michigan for
me. t
On the car there were several fights
when state constables searched men
and women suspected of carrying Ii.
4uor. ~ ''s r@E tI1' ~
Ea,N 1r,n thit
One woman refused to be searched.
"A constable took hold OF her arm! r
Quick as flash she drew a knife
and slashed his wrist
Then she threw open her coat, re-
vealing a baseball catcher's chest
protector, which she, slit with the
knife.
TT was full Of %hiskey, which
splashed on the floor
~ Shrieking and cursing, fighting like
a wildcat, she was then forcibly borne
from the car and packed off to the
Monroe county Jail with the other
four.
ARMoRED CAR FIGHTS
WhlSkEY RUNNERS.
rode on to Detroit, and came back
to Monroe in the state constabulary S
armored car, which is used to fight
armed whiskey-runners in their nigh
powered automobiles.
photographed two or three
searches Of autos conducted by the
armOred cars crew.
For the next day the supreme court
decided these searches, and similar
searches in homes, were unlawful.
Officials at Lansing promptly wired
Col. Roy Vandercook. commanding
the constabulary, to cut it out"
And that is why, today. known
whiskey-runners ride up to the local
headquarters Of the state police, foot
their horns in derision, give the con-
stables the ha ha, an ride on to De-
troit with their cargoes of wiiskey
and beer.
Just the night before, organized
whiskey-runners had sent word to the
constables:
''You cant stop US. We have a
fund of 100000 to carry on our bust.
ness. Well fight you on the road
and we'll fight you in the courts
REPORTER WITNESSES
THE LAST GUN FIGHT. -..
Real fights with guns had preceded
the court decision.
l witnessed the last of them.
Word came a Michigan Central
freight was pulling into Monroe with
q gang of boOtleggers aboard.
Two auto loads of state. police sped
through the dark streets after mid
night to the freight yards. -
The dispatcher was ordered % stop
the train.
.Yie white handkerchief around
your arm" Col Vandercook told me
Then my men will know who you
are. ~ 5 g
As was not in uniform, l figured
maybe the boOtleggers would think
was one of them, SO wouldn't be
shot at from either side.
The train Numbered in and slowed
down.
From the rear came cry: Haiti
followed by pistol shot.
A dark figure darted into neigh,
boring field. Another followed.
Another shot and then another.
A disgusted policeman came back.
! "That fellow sure could run like
. deer" he said. II couldn't catch up
with him and we are ordered to
shoot q them only in setf-defense."
DooTLgootNo CUT AIRHoSE
70 oTop THE TRAINS.
From under . coal car was dragged
D man.
4 CLEAN Of metal in his hand, and
~ sharp command Of q policeman:
Drop tt!''
FROM another car constable
DDn0Dod . boy Of H.;
- ely wsspoi was .btlly''-a
1 aeA sectipn Ut steel pipe Mled