The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-08-23

warehouses chanting negroes were roll
ing barrels of whisSey and Juggling cases
the West End Liquor Shop drinking
beer. Five motor boats were relaying
the barrels and cases to the Isaac Wig
gin or whatever its name was. There
was no excitement, no effort at secrecy.
no haste. The big schooner was not due
to sail until midnight, and it was only
6 o'clock in the evening.
Negro women worked beside their
men folks. They sang. too-a weird
obbligato to the fervent mounting
chanting.
Natives Chant Continuously.
The chanting was endless. They sang
while they ate their fish and rice. They
sang while they toted gunnysack bags
of bottled goods on their heads. these
gunnysack bags were slowed away upon
the smaller. faster boats that were going
to take their luck between thumb and
foreflnger (if you will concede a boat
thumb and forefnger) and run for one
Of the thousands Of dark, treacherous
inlets that fray the Florida coast. In
case of accident or chase, the gunny-
sacks and their alcoholic contents
would be dropped overheard IN shallow
water to be rescued later on.
Then there were larger power boats,
sixty footers. destined for the nasty
trip around Key West and up the
western coast of Florida to somewhere
near Tampa, or on up to Appalachee Bay
, or Pensacola, or even New Orleans and
Galveston. That they are successful is
apparent to any visitor to Florida and
the gulf ports. You can buy perfectly
good Johnny Walker and Haig c Haig
in Jacksonville for 81 and SIS quart.
But the main interest, of course, was
centred in the two big schooners that
were to pull out for the North Atlantic
coast within a few hours and become
mystery ships. The interest seemed to
be the sole property of THE NEW York
HERALD reporter. however. because no
body else along the beach displayed
any.
1.-THE smaller schooner explained
man known as Richie. lis booked for
somewhere off the Virginia coast. A
Jew and Greek from Savannah are
putting UP the money. It's a hell Of
combination. They fight most of the
time hut they've made 100000 in a
year. Where are you from?
New York? Have you noticed the
New York Yacht Club colors down this
way? No? Well, we see 'em often.
Some OF the biggest private yachts that
ever dropped anchor in New York har-
Dor make trips down this way these
days Mr.. IS big yacht took on 800
cases of whiskey and champagne in the
yacht basin off the west end of New
Providence a couple OF weeks ago. You
know him. / guess. And then there was
- ----'s yacht. lie took on $50
cases of Scotch Oh, there are ten mil
lionaires I could name whose private
yachts have been down here to take on
stuff for their private use. Anybody
who has the boat and the money can get
It, And everybody's in the game. Look
at that bunch"
College Youngsters Drink Rum.
lie swept his arm IN IN arc that took
I in the crews the despatchers, the whole
salers' agents. the gang bosses and the
rest Of the white men. Drinking rum
and lime juice were four youngsters
from Southern State college. Three
of them were husky lads who talked
about athletics and the coming football
season The fourth was an understood,
4 intellectual looking chap with horn
trimmed spectacles They all wore ex-
/ ceedingly dirty fannels. Their conversa-
| tion forced you TO believe that they
/ were running their own cargocs In a
\ power boat that lay among those close
\ in shore. They had experienced con-
siderable excitement.
! There's been too much talk" said the
! boy with the spectacles. He seemed TO
/ be the leader. 1.-The newspapers have
\ been arousing a great deal of sentiment
I against authorities who don't make ar
/ rests. Bobo Deans ne xspaper over In
Miami has been the worst. He's drier
than Bryan"
Nearby sat hulkng individual who
\ evidently had been a policeman some
\ where. for he still wore his badge of Of
( flee on his braces. That was the in
/ spiratlon OF much wit.
/ when business gets bad you turn
/ copper again." laughed the fat man In
/ the filthy Palm Beach suit Maybe
you'll have to pinch yourself"
| IF my luck holds out for another
month";" replied the ex-cop. "Ill never
look at policeman again. I'll be hiring
/ cops to guard my dough-"
1 Further on there was a group OF sub
1 stantial looking citizens who were lis-
tening to what sounded like Il report on
various activities Of prohibition enforce
/ ment agents in the States short,
plethoric fellow whom they addressed
as Counsellor was doing the report
| ing.
waiting Until Drys Calm Down.