Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-12-06
SAYS RUNNER
GAME IS WANING
Many Reasons Given For
Falling Of of Trade by
~ Lane Moloney.

violations Of the national prohibition
act generally are on the wane in
North Dakota, according to Lane Mo-
loney. field division head Of the fed
eral forces In this state.
several factors have contributed to
drive rom the state men who earn
their livelihood by smuggling whiskey
across the Canadian border, chief
among them being the Close co-opera-
ton OF federal, state and county au-
tnor1tieE to break UP the illicit traffic,
Motoney said. But the runners have
~ shifted to territory less dangerous
to their liberty and life.
The federal prohibition department
Ras f1ve workers In North Dakota ex-
elusive Of the field head and their ef-
hcient cooperation with the states
forces Of varying number and sherifs
Of every county through which roads
freduented by the runners lead has
resulted in more than 80 per cent de-
crease in the traffic this year, Mo
loney estimates.
Another fact that has acted as a
deterrent on ambitious at
tracted by mythical high returns, he
sad, has been the high mortality rate
among their ranks, six having been
killed In gun fights with officials and
several others wounded in the course
OF the past year. The federal forces
have not suffered in this respect, he
said.
,, Most of the runners. he said. have
transferred their operations from
Red River valley In Minnesota, while
others have shifted to running alco-
hol etveen Chicago INT St. Paul and
from Louisville, KY, to points north.
Many Have Quit Game.
Then, too, many Of the runners
have left the game, voluntarily or
otherwise" Moloney said. Some of
them have realized hat the return is
too small Compared with the risk and
West.
For every nan who has made his
fortune in this illegal business a hun
dred others have lost all they had and
some OF them are in addition serving
v sentences in prison. Others who en-
gagged officials In gun fights nave re-
covered only after long >sieges in hos
pitfalls and will be crippled, for the rest
of their lives. The game doesn't pay
and some Of the more intelligent run
ners are beginning to I'M it out"
Moloney cited what he called "only
the greater costs" which a runner
must consider before starting opera.
SStlons.
Say a man in Omaha is going tc
start running whiskey,' he said. "Ht
buys a high powered car for $4,000
then in Canada he. gets 80 cases o
whiskey for $50 a case, making an in
vestment OF $4,000, not counting hi
time WI h%ardships and those of hi
partner. and the necessary expense
must figure a $500 fine which is tn
least puniahment, II caught, and prob
ably $1,000 for attorneys fees to figh
the case. =
8. Profits Not Great.
IF he gets through he probably cal
&. sell his load of whiskey for $4,000
4. Obviously the returns to be had from
such a following have been great
I H~overrated."
Moloney declared that rum run
ming operations in North Dakota hav
been less prevalent during the pas
summer and fall han ever before, an
that the intensified activity Of a yea
ago hen daily reports told Of auto
mobiles, heavily laden with the con
traband, passing through various lo
-calities had not been repeated thi
a
- '"Whiskey running in and throug
North Dakota has shown an apprec
4 able decrease" he said, land it wi
Il continue to show a decrease"
Il The weight Of the counties again'
u the rum nne has been felt throug
n the operations or SherlnS OF counL(
& traversed by the whiskey smugglcr
routes, Moloney pointed out.
d Shcrins Got 20 Cars.
" Collectively. sheriffs in the vario,
" counties have seized a total Of mo-
n than twenty cars since July l he sal
q Sheriffs Hall of Darlington. Larson
. Valley City, Hennesey. of Bottinea
d and Nelson Of C~ooperstown. he me-
II 'tioned as having been unusually SUI
4 .cessful in hating The forbidden trait
4 through their territory.
81 In the matter OF liquor law VOL
n lions in North Dakota, exclusive
vi smuggling activities. Moloney decla
Ri ed that federal agents had uncover
n 245 such violations inc February
Sd mostly Of illicit manufacture and sa
IA OF intoXicants. This number does n
"a include fifty cases before the sta
N courts, he pointed out. Action II
@s been started or is contemplated in
~ of the PAS cases he said.
"a TAKE A CHANCE.
#s Grandma. can you help me wi
II this problem"
&& Ino,I do,r h,,t doavon think