South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-11-15
BY c. J. COOPER.


When II IS in regulation bottles.
and is OF a dark amber color?
And when there are little joyous
beads around the rim OF the LIQUID
I'm the regulation bottles?
Many South Bend citizens say
that none OF these qualities is a sure
indication that the liquid containing
them Is real liquor
And many South Bend citizens say
they know this from actual and sad
experience.
Even Frank J. Murphy bailif Of
the city court. and erstwhile official
liquor tester I'm the trial Of persons
charged with violating the liquor
laws Of the land. declares that there
is no way TO tell whether liquor Is
real BY merely looking at it, even
hOugh the fluid contains all the nee
essary appearance.
And Mr.. Murphy speaks from &C
tual experience obtained not later
than Friday morning. More Of Mr.
Murphy's experience Will be related
a little further on.
Arrest Two Men.
When Harold ). Murphy and Har-
ION D Turner OF jackson. Mich. and
% bottles Of liquid were taken in
charge by the police Thursday night,
there was revealed just how far a
large number OF South Bend citizens
with prohibition time thlrsts had
been fooled.
The contents of the % bottles
looked like whisky. 1t had the prop
or dark amber color. and in each of
the 81 bottles were enough joyous
beads 70 lead the police to believe
they had made one Of the most inn
portant whisky captures in some
time. And the 50 bottles were of the
regulation kind
The police Thursday night lost no
time testing the contents Of the bot
ties. and il is not stretching the
truth TO say that there was great
disappointment at police headquar-
ters. There is more than one reason
for the disappointment Not only did
the contents Of the bottles not taste
like whisky. but it satisfied those
who tasted IL that it was something
else entirely, and il was something
that would not do as evidence in
convicting the two Jackson. Mich,
men of bootlegging.
Then the police began to rcmem-
Der many rumors coming 10 them Of
late OF many South Bend citizens
being bit" by a substance that fail
ed 10 develop any bite" at al when
put under the only and satisfactory
test for liquor.
Explains Many Things.
This stuff explains many things"
declared one police official Friday
morning. land it substantiates what
/ have heard lately of traffic here in
bogus whisky.
Here is the way the thing is
worked" ne continued. You know.
there are many people in our fair
city who would buy whisky now
that the country is dry that never
thought of even buying a 10 cent
drink in the olden days.
well, there are many other peo-
pie who know this, and some bright
persons have decided that gold
brick operations. if you know what
I mean, can be worked successfully
in the illicit whisky traffic.
These wise persons have made a
lot of brown sugar and water stuff
and have poured it into regulation
whisky bottles. The bottles have the
regulation labels. and everything
looks natural and everything. Then
these wise persons look for their
victims, and they don't have any
noticeable trouble finding them, both
in high and low circles. as il were.
Pick Out Victim.
When these wise persons get a
victim all spotted. and everything is
set tor operations, one of the wise
persons picks out a particular vic
tim, and approaches him with one
Of the regulation bottles concealed
under his coat
Here friend. slip me So and take
this and keep your mouth shut the
wise person tells his victim as he
shows him the regulation bottle with
the label. the dark amber color. tho
beads and everything, and the vic
tim right away pulls out IS. slips it
to the wise person, takes the bottle
and goes away and gets real mad.
The contents OF the bottle always
lacks the stuff the revenue officers
are looking for There are many
such victims in this great and grow
ing city If ours, concluded the pc
lice official.
Anybody may be fooled And now
for Frank Murphy's experience.
Chief of Police Kline sometimes
jokes. not often. but once in every
so often the chief decides that a lit
tie fun will not hurt him.
The chief felt that way Friday
morning Very quietly the head Of
the department took possession Of
one of the bottles captured by the
members of the department Thurs
day night. but ne did not take it
so quietly that his action escaped
the eye of the court bailiff.
Issues Invitation.
Come up TO my office" whisper
ed the chief 60 Mr.. Murphy.
III be right up" ansv cred the
court bailiff.
Hardly had Mr.. Kline entered his
.l---- ~ cleo .rr.r0H