Martinsburg journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1920-1977, 1921-07-20
BOOZE CAR THEME
OF MUCH COMMENT
AROUND WINCHESTER
Daring Escapade Rivals Tame
Dime Novel.


den booze car through the streets
Of Winchester in the wee hours of
the morning yesterday and slick
changing of Cadillacs outside of
that city continues to be an absorb
ing theme in that city. The first in
umation of the approaching cargo
came at 3 o'clock Tuesday morning
when telephone message was re-
ceived at Winchester police head
quarters from s. 1nton, to the eff
feet that an autnr 1hile loaded with
100 gallons of bootleg stuff had left
Stanton bound for Hagerstown. The
message came from a private citizen
Of Staunton, who said that he did
not wish his name mentioned in
connection with the affair.
Chief of Police NJ. A. Doran
stretched an armed Gordon across
the Valley turnpike rear the end Of
Valley avenue, where the road en-
tiers the corporate limits.
After a wait of an hour and
half, about 4.30 o'clock, the officers
were rewarded by the appearance of
the booze car. The negro Robin
son was driving and in the seat be-
side him was a white man who is
relieved TO be named Berger, as that
was the name telephoned here by
the Stanton citizen
Patrolman Clark at orce pulled up
alongside of the machine and told
the occupants that he would have to
put them under arrest. The negro
and white man obeyed Clark's in
structions to drive their car slow
~ to police headquarters. Patrol
man Clark. while he did not see the
actual bootleg whiskey in the car, is
satisfied that the machine was load
ed with the hard stuff, for the rea-
son that the whole back of the car
contained a heavy load which was
covered from sight.
When the car reached a point i'll
front OF Patton's store, at the cor.
ner of Valley avenue and the turn
pike, Chief Doran and officer Dove
stepped out with drawn revolvers
and commanded the men to halt. II
was at this juncture that Robinson
stepped on the gas" and beat it
along Braddock street into town.
Patrolman Clark, mounted on a
new Indian motorcycle, Immediately
gave chase, and followed close to
the car to Gerard street, where Rob
inson turned and dashed across to
Washington street. Clark in the
meantime fired two shots at the car
from his revolver, but this failed to
halt the machine At the corner of
aud
Clark had fired the second time, his
motorcycle got out of control as it
ran at high speed. and the officer,
guiding it with one hand while he
held his revolver in the other, was
thrown off. AS soon as they saw
Clark's predicament, the men in the
booze car dashing to Washington
street at IS miles an hour, and were
soon lost sight Of
Soon after leaving Winchester the
negro, said to be George ('Tobe")
Robinson. of Hagerstown, is thought
to have switched the booze to q
waiting Cadillac. presumed to have
been held IN readiness on a side road
by young fellow named Morton
Willis, also of Hagerstown; Willis
was taken in by Robinson and Ber-
ger continued the wild ride TO Ha-
gerstown with the valuable wet car
so. The Berkeley county and Mar
tinsburg officers who had been
warned hurried to the state line and
captured Robinson and Willis, TAX
ing them back 70 Winchester.
The negro Robinson denied en-
rhatically, in police court, that he
had hauled any whiskey, and ne
also denied vigorously that he had
driven two different cars early thai
day. There was no evidence what
ever to show that the negro had ac-
tuallv driven a car that contained
whiskey. There is no doubt in the
world that the car was loaded with
booze. but evidence to substantiate
this in court was wcefully lacking,
as the rum-runners were using two
cars and worked in relays.
Shortly after moor Tuesday, the
negro Robinson received by tele-
graph from his employer at Ha.
gerstowl S5S.25, with which he
paid the fine and costs assessed
against him by Magistrate Worsley
ava NNSSNoAAA9 NiIC SHECa lllulL anu
resisting an officer.
There hoing no further charges
against him '-", was permitted
to leave town. Wearing a broad
grin, that spread from ear TO ear.
Robinson, who proved himself to be
very sbrewG negro. got into the
"innccent' Cadillac and beat it fol
Hagerstown.
Tie booze car had a Virginia H.
cersH on it, while the car in which
Robinson and Willis were brough!
back bore d Maryland license, No.
1i2,7iS. This car. which was park
ed Al police headquarters Tuesday
during the hearing of Robinson, is
pretty much the worse for wear. The
tonneau is badly battered and
scratched ami has the appearance of
having done good service in haul
ing boxes or kegs.
As fa- as liquor is concerned,
however. the car was as dry as the
Desert of Sahara. No charges were
preferred against young Willis, as
he was not in the booze car when
il made its wild dash through the