New-York tribune., 1920-01-20
Contraband Fills Citv
Warehouses as Federal
Agents, in Raids, Take
Even Private Stocks
900 Barrels Taken
From Sunken Baroe
Officials Await Arrival of
Rum Laden Trains
Worth Many Millions

Government prohibition agents seize d
| whisky, wines and cordias in New
York yesterday valued at more than
SlO,Oo0,O00. About one hundred agents
spent the day ferreting out liquor
stores. Last night James Shevlin. SUI
pervlsing prohibition agents, said the
seizures during the next day would by
comparison dwarf these early seizures.
Heavily guarded trucks conveyed the
contraband liquor seized yesterday to
six bonded warehouses. These ware
houses were empticd recently, the bar
rels Of alcohol that were formerly piled
to the ceilings on each floor having
been exported. Mr.. Shevlin expressed
the opinion that before his men finished d
their work some of these warehouses
would be as crowded as in the old DAYS
before prohibition.
Shipments Awaited Here
Some of the prohibition agents went
from saloon to saloon yesterday and
beverage alcoho. found in such p]acos
was seized and taken away. Others
made a round of warehouses. seizinr
tne private stocks Of ncglectful owners
VINO mad falled to heed advice to keep
the stuff in their homes. Still other
agents were assigned to piers, where
they smiled at suspicious LOOKING bar
fe's. occa slonally tacking seizure
label on barre! or cask.
Ahother group of agents were in the
olnces OF railroad dispatchers checking
up on eastward movements OF certain
trains known to have some c?rloads of
whisky Some Of these trains ara
known to be made up exclusively of
cars of whisky. Every drop will be
selzed when the trains reach New York.
and orders have been flashed out bv
telegraph that prevent the owners from
making belated effort to halt the
shipments
All of the alcohol seized in this man
ner can be regained by the owners on
one condition. and that is that they OH
tain permit from the Internal Pev-
enue Department between now and
January ~ to dispose of the stock to
druggists to be sold for medicinal pur-
poses or else denature it for use com
merc'ally. If these permits are not
taken out before January 27 the gov
ernment will confiscate the whisky.
May Burn 1t All Up
There are lot of things the govern
ment might do with that much liquor
Mr. Shevlln said yesterday that while
no decision had been reached the GOV
eminent would either destroy the
whisky by burning it or else sell it to
druggists or for commercial ard non
beverage purposes.
The largest single seizure made yes
terday was OF 500 barrels Of high grade
whisky. There were $4,000 gallons in
this lot. and j. j. Quiglcy, assistant
chief OF staff of Mr.. Shev!in's newly
formed bureau. said that it was valued
at s2,6Oo,o0o; This lot was on a lighter
River off N!nety-sixth Street The
Merritt Chapman Wrecking Company
raised the clumsy craft yesterday and
it was promptly seized by brace Of
prohibltlon agents. This whisky was
all Of 100 and ll2 proof.
Fifteen barrels foated off down
stream while the wrecking tug was
graphing for a cable hold on the craft
"A telephone message brought the police
BOAT Patrol upstream through the
channel choked with foe ice. The
Street and lifted tenderly aboard and
then unloadcd at Pier A. A prohibition
agent was on hand and prevented anv
possibility Of scandal.
AT Pier 22, f. r.. $4,000 cases Of bot
tied whisky were seized. Mr.. Ouiplev
SAID conservative estimate of the
value was $1,875,OOO.
1000 Drums Seized
In Brooklyn 900 drums of grain al
cohol, valued at ST., 500 drum. or ST.
100000 for the consignment, we're
seized.
At another Brooklyn warehouse a
prohibition agent discovered 1000 cases
Of vermouth, said to be worth in excess
of 81 100000.
Other agents had telcphoncd reports
OF other seizures Of smaller lots. Mr..
Qugley said, which would bring the
total for the day to $lO,O00,OO0. The
total since constitutional prohibition
became effective is in excess of S12-
100000. The agents continued their
search last night and will begin again
bright and early this morning on the
same theory that guides moonshine still
hunters, that the early "revcnuer" gets
the worm
Mr.. Shevlin said last night that he
would not even attempt an estimate as
to the value Of the vast stores Of
whisky that he will seize when the
Western whisky trains reach New Y York
Most of the whisky. ne said, had been
INTENDED for export. but was delayed
while the owners hoped for some
clcvcnth-hour ruling that would save
them from loss.
The steamer Yarmouth. q freighter Of
the Black Star Line, which cleared
from here Saturday with heavy list
said TO be due to the haste with which
She had been loaded with whisky and
wine, arrived in the Lower Bay at
1890 o'clock last night. Mr.. Shcvlin
had said previously that if the boat put
into any United States port the whisky
cargo would be seized. He said, how
ever, that the very fact that she was
on a voyage to Havana should serve
to establish the good faith Of the own
crs Of the cargo and that he did not be
lcvc they would experience difficulty
about exporting it on the same ship
or another. Mr.. Shcvlin revealed that
the Yarmouth's cargo contained 10000
cases of whisky, valued ut more than
seized 5000 cases intended for the
cargo, but which were on the pier one
minute after midnight brought con
stitutional prohibition and additional
power to the waiting prohibition
agents
John r. Kramer, national prohibition
commissioner, conferred here yesterday
with Mr. Shcvin and John T.. O'Connor,
Continued on page clcpcn