The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-08
VERMONT ROADS
SLUICEWAYS OF
ILLICIT LIQUOR
Routes Through State Are
Apportioned to Accred-
tied Runners.
BLIND TIGERS APLENTY
State Infested With DecOc-
lions Mixed Across Cana
dian Border.
AGENTS HALT FEW CARS
Federal Enforcement Officers
Too Few to Cope With the
Tricks of Smugglers.
TIGERS APLENTY
AGENTS HALT FEW CARS

spsciaI Despatch to THE New YORK HERALD.
BURLINGTON VT, Nov. Tt Is the
complaint all through Vermont Of
those city and rural magistrates who
deal at first hand with minor Of
tenders against the law that more
charges of intoxication are brought
before them than ever before and that
in most instances the person charged
with overindulgence is more sick than
drunk.
This, they explain, is because the
men the police pick up are almost in
variably found senseless In city streets
or upon country roads. and when re-
vived express surprise at having been
found in the condition they were in,
and insist that they could not have
been intoxicated as they had had SO
little to drink. 1t is the quality, not
the quantity, which mows them down
like grain, for Vermont is full Of Ca
madam liquor, which in many In
stances is little better than outright
poison.
state Il Runway for Traffic.
Since prohibition became fact, and
particularly since the thaws Of last
springtime broke the ice and cleared
the snow from the surface OF all roads
leading from Vermont into Canada, this
state has become q runway for traf-
fickers in illicit whiskey. In the main
the runners who make their way back
from Canada through Vermont are on
their way to the manufacturing towns
of Massachusetts, where their cargoes
IRE always in demand and where by
efficient arrangement they are disposed
Of as they stand to middlemen and
distributors. But enough OF the travel
Ing liquor stays In Vermont to afford
rs populace all that 1t requires and
enough over to put by. and there is
hardly a hamlet In the State where
drink can not be had to the full extent
~ the purchasers capacity to pay
The State has few considerable cities
IN II. but IN to very short time ago
liquor by the glass could be had by
"-;oSt any one r. ri-S-ost any of them.
There were no saloon keepers selling
H. The saloon has never hAen much
nr an institution in Vermont local op-
ton for the most part having throttled
and killed it long ago. But because
men will drink and are prepared TO
pay we'll for the privilege all sorts of
small shop keepers have become retail
rum sellers to such extent as their
neighborhoods support them. and since
Vermont is so largely q State OF COM
niunities and neighborhoods where
every one knows every one the men who
ore IN the illegal liquor trade run little
chance OF detection.
4 Typical Raid.
A haul by prohibition enforcement
agents In West Rutland on a recent
Saturday night will illustrate how the
average Nermonter obtains the drink
lie wants. The officers took tho field
carly in the evening. West Rutland lie
rot an extensive place. but the officers
penetrated its cnvirons as wen AS it's
core and did not bring In their full
catch until after midnight. But by
morning they had brought in no prison
srs, only the names OF Ave men whose
names and callings were the striking
facts in connection with them. They
were not native Vernonters. They were
Nslentt kempisti. - shoe maker Dome
rico Michel, proprietor OF n pool hall !:
John Meleady. who conducts "perior''
for soft drinks; t. M. Nobert, who has
cigar and stationery store. and To-
nlasso Coata, n retail dealer In fruit
they had searched the places OF bushes 81
or the five and had found something
which may prove valuable as evidence"
In each one OF them.
II is doubtful IL any or the men will
ever be charged with a violation OF
the law. Half the 'evldence- that is
secured in Vermont turns out 70 no
evidence only OF a lack OF a sense of
hrmor on the part OF somebody IN
fact. In most sections OF the State there
rs indulgence In much quiet hilaritv
upon the score Of enforcement. II being
generally agreed that "the Green Mcun-
tains furnish such ideal cover for
whiskey runners that the enforcement
boys ind It impossible 10 catch n,anv
OF them"
Upon the same evening chat bo,.ios
OF evidence were traced and sal.ed In
west Rutland certain number of the
citizens OF that community went carly
70 their nights rest upon the sidewalks
recovering by the next morning and
upon arraignment In courtroom thew
quickly ex0nerated any fellow toupa.
nTsn OF theirs of having given them the
liquid that laid them low. One OF then,
VINO stu had the drngs OF a pint on his
hip informed the court that they had
stopped man In an automobile and
asked him for ride. The man an
swered quickly that he was not goinp
'heiT way ana handed one OF them n
$40 bill Upon the explanation beins
given him that the request for ride
was made in sincerity and that thoy
who had stopped him were not enforce
ment officers. the man had expressed
his appreciation OF their morality NV
giving them a quart OF the whlskev
with which his ssr. apparently. was
filled.
Undoubtedly the man mean, kindly
But Il is unlikely that before taking c-
his cargo In Canada he had s,gailowef
sample of n. For what he gave aweV
In pure hospitality was consumed under
the nearest tree. Four men divided
scant quart between them. and nj.
though they were seasoned drinkers I;
knocked the four men cold.
Roast Duck and Liquor.
Better liquor or harder heads must
have been the essence OF n party held
lust outside this city ten days ago.
Tt was interrupted at four in tho morn
ing and the banqueters. James San
ncrson, William Dohney and Meddie
Mann. detached from the duck which
they were consuming and from the