The New York herald., 1921-04-24
Chasing Rum-Runners Along the Canadian Border

played his tooth insignia and his member
ship card
Am in town for two or three days. he
explained 10 a brother Elk. Gould | get a
drink"
~ brother can, | guess was the reply,
and the stranger received and drank his
drink
Having downed the stuff. he pulled back
his coat and displayed volstead badge.
Now what do YOU think Of that:" he
sneered
What his host thought and put into words
Is not to be set down here He left the
stranger in no doubts and was thinking of
new ones when the stranger interrupted:
"Oh, sit tight. It's all right. How'd yon
like to buy case. or say two cases?
have only two cases left and you're vel
come TO them at St00 a case What do you
say to that?''
There was nothing to say except YES"
and the trapped man said It, He had to
buy II. He bought it.
Two nights after the raid on the Mary
Reilly road and its sequel on Bare Hill we
went over into Canada to run the road with
Wilson. Mcmillan. McCaffrey and Bill Me-
Naughton. The situation is different in
Canada. The roads are bad and there are
more customs men along the border. Mon
treal Is the great centre Of the liquor traf-
fic. There are about $50 licensed dispens-
ers Of booze in that town, and there are
two good highways running into il from
the States. For that reason the triangle of
land lying between the American border
and the st. Lawrence River, especially that
Ix.fp .,ft
reach of Lake Champlain and the Richeieu
River, Is sown with relay stations. Booze
is dispensed there and made in those sta
tions. In almost all instances they are
farms
The tyro runs great risk of not getting
what he goes after. You drive your car To
the designated farm. The barn door Is
opened. In you 90. You are invited to the
house to partake of sample slug and have
bite to eat. When you return TO the barn
your car Is packed with the required num-
ber OF bottles or cases The gasolene tank
has been filed and you're oil supply replen-
ished. You are fit for the long drive It's
little short of 450 miles from Fort Cow
ington or Chateaugay, y. v. TO Manhattan.
You can get your load OF booze ten miles
inside Canada or even less.
Anyway you have paid $40 a case for
medium brand of youthful Scotch or 500
for honest stuff (stuff that Is becoming
, rarer and rarer, by the way). You are just
as likely as not TO arrive in the States with
a cargo Of synthetic stuff 50 freshly labelled
that the paste thereon Is not yet dry. If
you know the game they 10 not attempt
fraud, or il you are a member Of certain
ring or clique you are treated fairly. How
ever. the Canadian farmer is not any more
angelic than his American brother. It's
safe game. The buncoed one has no come
back. There's no one upon whose official
shoulder he may weep.
We met in Wilson's Offices in the Canadian
customs office north OF Trout River. Nc
MILAN was nursing n bruised fist.
You're late" grinned Wilson. "AIcAIil-
Ian here's just after administering a grand
beating to state policeman. Yep, New
York State policeman. At any rate he
wore the badge OF onc--both OF them did.
Yes, there were two. You tell 'em Mac"
But Mcmillan declined. He's whale OF
a man, about 60 years old Every 80 often
he fares forth into the habitat OF the tough
est citizen in his baiiwick and dolcs out to
that citizen a tremendous walloping. The
moral effect is wonderful. Thereafter no
body seeks TO take advantage of old Macs
soaring years. Tie holds forth officially at
Dundee, Quebec. just across the border
from Fort Covington.
"Havc II your own way, then" went on
Wilson. "McNaughton and Mcmillan there
were out having look nj Napoleon Bas-
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