The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1920-02-19
CLEVER { TRICKS
OF |B|||oo|TlLECGERS
Maine Variety Have Many
Dodees to Fool the Federal
~, Agents.
FOUNTAIN SYR|NGES USED

~Walkins speakeasies" Are the Hard
est to cateh-LIquor 10 Cached
In Odd Places by Itinerant
..'.. Vendors.
Buffalo, N. Y.-JOhn NJ. Evans, who
says he has had years Of experience
In enforcing the prohibitory laws In
the state of Maine,' stopped of in
Buffalo, says the Courier Of that
city, for a few hours and related some
interesting methods Of conducting the
liquor business under strict enforce
ment.
Mr.. Evans told of many ways OF
handling wet" goods used by boot
;leggers," but not one Of the hundreds
with whom he has come in contact
ever used a bootleg as depository
for his stock in trade.
Z, :While the name still sticks to in
dividuals who defy the liquor law out
side Of regular saloons and kitchen
barrooms, the bootleg full Of booze
ceased to be when the high boots with
loose tops went out Of style.
Was Easy to Get Booze.
up to the time Of the passage Of
the Webb law by the federal govern
,ment q few years ago." Mr.. Evans
said, providing for the labelling Of
Ill wet goods handled by express
companies and other common carriers,
it was a comparatively easy matter
to get a plentiful supply Of liquor from
Boston wholesalers, and even after
that most Of the bootleggers managed
to smuggle in by water or automobile,
and there were some who concocted
4 mixture out Of alcohol, water, burnt
sugar and q dash Of tabasco, which
they passed of on many an 1nsuspect-
ing victim.
1.-THE hardest bird we ever had to
contend with was putting out booze
for years. We knew he was doing it,
but we could not get the goods on him,
), and it was long time before we got
q him, even after we were wise to his
system. This was his system:
AT night he would load his over
coat up with pints, half-pints and oc-
; casionally quart. These he would
plant. one in q pile Of clapbOards in
lumber yard, another in junk pile
and still another under Il doorstep or
lin rubbish barrel in an alley. The
next day his customers woulil come
to him, pay him for their purchase,
and he would direct them to the near
est plant.
1--WE began to be suspicious Of him
after woman reported seeing man
remove a bottle from the muzzle of
one of the two historic cannon that
guard the Soldiers monument. Final
ly we trailed him at night. watched
him SOW his crop, harvested it and
then placed him under arrest.
Strangers mot Wanted"
eve were unable to get conviction
against him. although the fellow was
not working and had no visible means
Of support It was not until we caught
him mapping with couple Of stool
pigeons that we finally convicted him.
In order for the system to work out
we'll the bootleg"cr must be we'll ar-
qualnted with his customers and have
their confluence in Il large degree.
"Another populn: method Of dis
penSing the hard stuff was through a
couple Of fountain SyrngeS. suspend
ell from the shoulders one in front and
one on the back. They would fiji Il
flask or serve by the drink as desired.
"Whcn things begin to get too hot
for the pocket pedtllers," Mr. Evans
continued. "they solicit business and
fiji each order one ut time by taking
the customers money. going to the
hide and returning with the goods. l
doubt If there is sufficient trust In
ones fellow man for this system. to
work .out successfully in n city the
size of Buffalo. T."
1--WE have picked up men with
considerable stock Of booze on their
persons while to ali Appearances it
did not seem possible that the indi-
vidun! could have more than Il flask
or so.
''ln the days before the f0rm-fitting
clothes. when long coats and peg-tOp
trousers were in style. many suit
was tailored with huge pockets in fine
trousers. and sometimes inside the
coat under the arms.
'"The blind tiger. so popular in the
South, was never used much in Maine.
It's only recommendation is that it Of
fers more or less safety in selling to
strangers. You put your money
through small opening in wall and
out through the opening comes
drink.
Beer Was Too Bulky.
"The methods used by saloon. keep
ers to keep out Of the clutches of the
law were almost as numerous as those
Of bootlegging. The first step Of the
saloon keeper when the lid was
clamped down was to eliminate beer
and ale all together, as it was too
bulky to handle in the event of a raid.
In those days near-beer was q much
doSnispd and little known artioIo IN