The Washington times., 1920-01-04
Washington Bootleggers
7 Sell Doctored Whiskey
UnderNoseofP Policemen
Times Investigator Buys From Illicit Peddlers
Plying Trade in Streets Chemist Finds
Fake Rum in Six of Seven Bottles.
lcontlnusd from First Pags.l

'(continued from First Page)
mKn at the window quickly slips them
ato pockets OF his oyercOat ana sew
s.ai bills TO the negro.
Tho negro. shAmbles away and re-
iiass his apparent lettering a;
,rner The huge policeman yawns'
( ,oks st clock through store WIN
ow, and resumes his -sl"uchlns Hs'
aorlhwsrd. The man now possess'ns
he two hslf-pint bottles board'
aorth' bound street gar s.-
Maats 30 Ftsd oui
2 Nhnt Tscy'rc seiiins.
Tho man at the Sndow in this in
bnoe is reporter for The Times
l,e had been assigned 10 attempt 10
purchase bootleg whiskey In WASH
ingLon. His. purpose rs to nscer.aln
just what - being sold by scores -.
bootleggers. who are operating In the
streets OF tho city. virtually Inder
the eyes OF its policemen
The reporter takes the TWO ha'I
pintS he has just purchased, tosether
with hve others. bought In different
localities, to w. V. Linder. chiet
chemist for the Internal Revenue
Bureau. in the Treasury building. for
analysis OF their csntents' \
The analyses show:
ou~ bottle coutslR~d >iRegar.
-Four were allied with water coiored
With burnt sugar. These showed
sIsvht tyncen OF nIcohoI--not enough
To determine whether wood or grain
preduct and probably due 10 the nd-
mixture ef some nsvortng extract.
Oae contained whiskcy OF an n
ferior grade.
The average price paid the boot
iesgcrs for the seven half pints was
50 each.
The reporters Investigations, while
not made In every section OF the CITY
where bootleggers are reported TO ply
their trade. demonstrated that' oe-
spite apparent police activity In the
seizure of quantities or genuine
yhiskey, the thoroughly unscrupu-
lous caterer to those who seek to
eyade prohibition restrictions virtu-
ally is unhampered in his potential
distribution of health and life de-
stroying drugs. His method is SO
open that his pretense OF camounase
yIould be humorous were it not for
he lurking danger IL. the beverages
he peddles.
Tries to Appear
As Though Thirsty.
Previously to his purchase Of the
two half-pin bottles at Four-and-a-
half and G streets southwest, the re-
porter had visited the neigh borhood
Of Fourth and Is streets northwest.
FIc left Il street car few blocks be
f2rc this point and walked slowly
along the street. lie tried to simu-
late a man with no definite destina-
tIon but furtiye hope. and succeeded
in attracting the atteLtion of husky
= I@..
coat and a dark cap.
Looking for anybody"
Thought shorty might be hang
ing around the reporter replied.
Seen anything Of him."
Might find him, but he's got his
brother along today the negro re-
piled. Got half dollar for car
fare?'
The reporter passed him so cents,
ard while he waits for his return it
might be well to explain terms used
in the conversation.
shorty" as virtually every per-
son in Washington who has followed
he development of its Illicit liquor
trade knows. is bootleg slang for a
half pint of whiskey. When the
negro informed the reporter that
"Shorty's brother" accompanied him
nc conveyed the Information that one
pint was the least quantity that could
he obtained I'm one purchase.
The "half-dollar for carfarc" was
the negro's tip. ostensibly for his
trouble in going to a bootleg head
quarters and procuring liquor, al.
ihough this frequently is subter-
fuge with the apparent idea that II
mitigates the bootlegger's guilt if
he is arrested while making n sale
IL he can claim that he was merely
acting as a messenger instead OF dis
posing. OF liquor he carried on his
person.
u Comes High
TO Buy Nowadays.
What iuck?' the reporter in
goouires as the messenger" in this in
stance returns. -
Cot sST'
Pretty high, amt it?"
Lucky to get anything for that
price let alone good bonded stuff like
his"
The reporter hands over the IS and
receives two half-pints. V, These bot
ties. with cursory inspection, appear
10 be as represented: whiskey, bottled
In bond and complete with revenue
stamps pasted over the corks. But
when they are carefully examined a
purchaser with p sense of humor
cannot escape a laugh at his own
Sullibllity.
The labels arc genuine, printed for
and-probsbly affixed to the bottles by
erstwhile reputable whiskey firms.
Tho revenue stamps also were print
ed and issued by the United States
Government. But they arc for use
on one quart bottles and the bootleg
ger has steamed them from the re-
ceptaCles Of that size on which they