Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-07-18
fRSEY COAST LAIR |
'GRUM SMUGGLERS.
: .,,,.+e Craft" Believed Ships
Laden With Liquors
From Abroad
TRANSFERS MADE AT SEA
~. the Associated Press

II. City. July 1s.--Pirste yarns
= n.an,ts of mysterious ships seen
'.,rs - along the trade lanes OF the
.,lantic may be explained by the
,ol.n ..''...rv wv Of blockade runners that
sl. ~. h.en landing valuable cargoes OF
~ .,,,,h,pd liquor on the Jersey coast
!. n, opinion of revenue agents in TINS
district. ., ,o-s,s,srt stories
= hsen told Of strange vessels ap-
...h;ns merchantmen on the open
!. though prepared to attack. and
tas a.,h;ng o. off into the darkness with :.
ben cossarr;ng the inviolable rule OF
rt ouS srs code signals. 1t was even
pnsws.% that these specter like craft
eus{.sth. ~ able to explain the disappear
% 80 Of certain vessels.
NY 40 900 shipment Seized
What revenue agents believe to be the
',.sstion Of such unusual actions on
ps,sh seas was brought about through
r. .ssmre of whisky valued at SZO;oou
t1e ts,sh y 4, said to have been landed along
sIrr ae,s near wildwood from an alleged
.mystery ship. A.. ,a,,. uos
.c,ovsrsd and confscated. an unknown
wship was seen maneuvering lns'
Nsniidf Ns.,id. ~ the three. mile limit Oft Wild :
wa va Revenue cutters were sent 70
vVu n The vessel Disappeared, but
eh W hefore officials think 1t had dis
~ r%,s,d A cargo Of whisky.
ensp,.soh,b;tion officers declared today
!! we're confident smuggling of in
mY ats on this coast is being con-
49, an a tremendous scale. Cargoes
sS W vast fortunes are believed to have
~ ~ h,o,rht from foreign countries.
n,fsrrd To small boats at night and
ssrhsd In unfrequented spots.
If n Is thought probable that the
.si..tsde runners" have also transA
A.,,.d their illegal cnrgoes to vessels
Esrine authoritative clearance papers.
an, The officers say. would account
4, the strange actions of the mystery
,hius," Their explanation is this:
Transfers Made at Sea
The captain of the liquor laden vessel
instructed to meet another vessel
Aound for an American port at a given
e,;nt along the coast, transfer his
iouor, which can then be landed with
Legitimate cargo. When the runner
reaches the RENDEZVOUS he approaches
various vessels, and, failing to get the
proper signal. hurries off to prevent
discovery.
I'VE have Information to show that
his wholesale smuggling is undertaken
X scores of individuals. one revenue
irent declared. THE Government is
using large number Of fast motor
bo,b for patrol duty. but the force
would have to be quadrupled to at
lempt real watch on this coast.
I'VE have picked up entire RATS
which show evidence Of having been put
overheard from ocean liners with q
cargo Of whskey. 1t would be impos :
ibk to make an arrest outside of the
three. mile limit. even if we saw a
cargo transferred, II would require a
whole feet of patrol boats to thwart a
landing under cover of darkness.
Emmanuel Katz, formerly liquor
dealer here. has been arrested on sus-
pition by Federal agents. seeking the
ke Of the ''landlubbers' who arc
smuggling liquor between this city and
Cape May. The "landlubbers. as they
have come to be known, are those who
work the land end OF the liquor running
after the wet goods have been sent
lshore from ships.
Mysterious ships coming from the
South are said TO he lowering off the
coast here from time to time, their ap-
pearance usually being followed by
considerable precipitation, Much Of
the whisky being seized here bears the
name Of an English firm. 1t is thought
70 be shipped via the Bahamas.
Federal agents who have called q
conference with prohibition agents from
this district. declared they were almost
positive that thousands of dollars worth
o. high power liquors was coming
ishore from ocean liners. the smug
psn using RATS, slipped overheard
under cover of night, at carefully
ehArted noints off this con st