The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-02-05
LOCAL
MAN HELPS TO GET
WH|SKEY RUNNERS
FACE BEARS MARKS OF viO-
LENCE THAT HE GOT ARREST
ING WOMAN OF THE. GANG.

Byron Brown, secretary OF the 10
cal board of commerce while return
ing from a trip to Charlotte, Friday,
met George Stout, Of near Morley,
former resident of THIS city where for
four years he was a foreman in the
employ of the Belding Bros. a Co., in
their Red mill George is pursuing
a different occupation now from what
he was while IN this city--vastly diff
ferent. He is now employed by the
state in the army of officers which 1T
is found necessary TO maintain in
order to enforce the prohibition laws
down in the cities and townships To-
Gated close to the Ohio Michigan Dor
der line.
Mr.. Stout works there two weeks
at a time and then ne goes home for
a short oyer Sunday rest with his
family. His part of the business
is much the same as any plain clothes
man, for that is what he is and he
rides down into sTole.o in the morn
ing and frequents hotels during the
day and gets a cline" on certain sus-
piciops looking and acting people.
When he has noticed one or more of
them and has them satisfactorily spot
ted he follows them tc the train,
which they board in the hopes that
they will be able TO land safely in De-
troit, "Where life is worth living -
mind you, where they will be able to
get fabulous prices for a drink of the
precious and prohibited liquor.
Just as soon as the train starts, the
plain clothes men have their plan of
action completed and when the state
line is crossed, they ge: cusy and ar
rest whatever suspects they might
have under surveillance. Very sell
dom that they are mistaken and very
seldom but what the runners will
make, strong denial and put up a
fight when they are arrested. In
fact they fight unfairly andare dam
gerous bunch of criminals to deal
with. One little incident which Mr..
Stout told about was when he arrested
a woman on the charge of illegally
having whisky in her possession. The
woman resisted her arrest and pro-
tested her innocence and Mr.. Stout
had to pick her up bodily and carry
her from off the train when the station
stop was made at Monroe, where all
the train cases are taken care CT, that
being the first stop over the state line.
When Mr.. Stout picked this grille up
she clawed him something fierce but
he was going to get the booze which
she was carrying and he let her claw.
His face still bore the marks of her
finger nails when he was on his home
ward journey Friday and they will be
with him for some time longer.
These whisky runners take some
big chances and they have some queer
and out of the ordinary methods for
carrying liquor, according to Mr..
Stout For instance, the woman
whom he arrested and carried off the
train and who scratched his face up,
had an automobile tire tube filled with
whisky and wound around her body in
such manner that it was hard to be
noticed and which necessitated the
partial disrobing of the runner before
the Illicit wet goods container was
found. Had she been able to got
through with this precious cargo De-
troit boozers would have been willing
and ready to have paid as high az 81
for drink. Other women have BIZ
cycle tires filled with the liquor and
wind 1t around their bodies.
One woman had hot water bottle
filled with whisky, % closely fitted
to her bosom that she came very near
gsst scd swsS w1ss nsF ssr rcS s
was detained and fined, like the rest
&c 'e ocss v S' s dee, s T which
.nlSr. Stout 5Sgs that the viiiasS a !
ibaucus dcpv ,1oSvoS \ Ssi ~ IL "
fvnSnsi3 sfSr1a. 66eUd iVho mIn1fe e
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