The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-07-25
Millions of Dollars Said to be In
volved in Plot to Supply United
States With Whiskey-Myster-
ious Vessels Hover Beyond 3
Mile Limit.

New York, July 25.--Federal au-
thorities along the Atlantic coast rec
doubled their vigilance toward tramp
ships today following disclosure of
evidence indicating the existence of
at least two gigantic international
whiskey smuggling tinge, one having
headquarters in this city and one in
Atlantic City.
Aid of the navy department also
was being sought in an effort to build
up a rum hunting fleet capable OF
coping with the mysterious ships and
their allied fishing smacks which are
alleged to have landed hundreds of
thousands of dollars worth of con-
traband liquor at secluded points un-
der cover of darkness. According to
Leroy w. Ross, United States dis
trict attorney of Brooklyn, foreign
md domestic capital aggregating sew
eral million dollars, is behind the
whislley smuggling conspiracy.
Keenet watch was being kept by
revenue boats today off Montauk
Point of which. authorities were
tipped. large vessel was bound from
the Bahama islands with cargo of
5000 to 10000 cases of choice Scotch
and Irish whiskey. The conspirators
learning that word of the sailing had
reached federal official, were report
ed trying frantically to get in touch
with the whiskey runner to direct
her to another point less carefully
watched.
A tramp steamer cruised saucily
outside the three mile limit off At
lantic City yesterday according to re-
ports received here and taunted fed
eral agents by breaking out pennants
saying: Lay down your money and
come and get it.
1.-THE tramp slipped away as night
fell and it was thought he was head
ing for some deserted point where
fishing vessels could work unhamp-
cred at the task of lightering her car
go ashore.
The three masted schooner sus-
pected of being Il rum ship. also was
reported off Atlantic City Fishermen
along the coast, according to Mr..
Ross, are reaping rich harvest run
ming the forbidden cargoes ashore.
They work almost entirely at night.
he said. making landings at points
known to be free from surveillance.
Their compensation is said to be SIS
for every case of whiskey landed and
many of the fishermen are declared
to have abandoned entirely their reg
ular trips to the fishing banks in fay-
or of the more lucrative smuggling.
The smugglers are met on shore by
automobile truckmen who whisk the
.cargoes away to secret store houes.
Effort of federal agents to check
whiskey running along the coast have
led so far to seizure of two vessels.
They are the schooner Curle, taken
last week off the coast of Florida, and
the fishing smack Jennie T., seized
Saturday at New Haven. Government
men also have boarded the British
schooner Pooemoke, at Atlantic City,
but as the vesel's papers show her
"wet'' cargo to be consigned to Can
ada, no action has been taken against
Z her or her crew. A part of the Roco-
moke's cargo was jettisoned off At
lantic City, her captain admitted,
( but this was done, he declared, be-
cause the vessel was in distress and
not because of any design to get the
cargo lahore there.
Emanuel KatZ, an Atlantic City ho-
tel man, was to be arraigned in the
Cape May county court house here to-
day on a charge of violating the state
prohibition enforcement act. Katz
was arrested last week in connection
with the seizure of 152 cases of whis-
key alleged to have been smuggled
in