White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-01
WATCH ON BOOTLEGGERS
SHIPPING BOOZE INTO STATE


transporting liquor to Nevada to be
sold in the towns that have recently
experienced a mining boom was de-
clared yesterday by Il. c. Yellowley.
u. s. Internal Revenue agent in
charge of the local district office
states the San Francisco Chronicle
arriving Sunday.
Yellowley announced that he had
already tent a large force of agents
to border towns to intercept bootleg
gers and that another force to sup
plement the first would soon be on its
way. Men caught Transporting liquor
into Nevada. Re said. would be prose-
cuted under the Clayton act prohib-
iting interstate commerce in liquor
from a dry - a wet state. He added:
Information reaching my office
from the outside in the last two
weeks indicates that the liquor traf-
fic into Nevada at present is some
thing tremendous. The best indica-
ton of this is found in the tact that
in Toncpah and other TOWING liquor
can be bought in almost any guam
'tity, and the price is not much high
or than it was in the days before the
state vent dry.
From the tips we have received
there seems to be little question that
the bootleggers are San Francisco
men. buying in wholesale lots from
the whiskey house. having the stuff
and there loading heir m.acbines for
the trip over.
u have beer told that they are
operating also with the use of code
messages. a confederate in Nevada,
wiring to the b~ootleggers AT certain
stations as To whether there is any
apparent danger. The various
schemes devised for the transporter
ton of the booze may be imagined
from the fact that while most OF them
openly load their machines with
whiskey in pint and quart bottles. as
many as. twenty-five cases at a time,
others have resorted to the use OF
false copper tanks intended to re-
semble gasoline tanks beneath their
machines. I can't imagine how they
can dispose OF some of this stun, but
as in all mining towns where excite
ment runs high. there is apparently
an extraordinary need of stimulant
in Nevada"
Much of the liquor being taken to
Tonopah and adjacent towns. Yellow
ley said, was being shipped from San
Francisco via Bakersfield. Revenue
agents were told that at one point
just this side of the Nevada border
bootleggers waited for two DAYS. IL
necessary, to get word from their con-
federates on the other side of the line
that the coast is clear"
Where the authorities of Nevada
towns seemed TO exercise unusual
vigilance. the liquor has been taken
over the line and secreted in desert
caches. according to Yeliowley. He
went on
This Office at present is handicap
ped by an insufficient force. We have
$50 agents. but many of these are
working on income a and other
government returns. | do no expect
a hard time putting an end to the
liquor traffic. however. for we know
the source of supply and can get men
Operating from here"
According To Yellowley IL is pos
sible, under the Clayton act, TO con-
fiscate the automobile or other con-
veyaDce used for the transportation
of liquor. On Friday night the re-
port went out among men supposed
to be in the Bookkeeping ring here
that 500 revenue agents had been
sent TO guard the Nevada border.
For awhile there was much excite
ment while kilograms were sent to
intercept some of the messengers"
at various points along their route
and warn them To be careful. Vel
lowley laughed at this yesterday.
That report was based On some
thing else in connection with this Of
fee" he said. 81 don't feel at lib
erty TO disclose u yet Carson City
Appeal.