The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1921-09-07
Rum-Runl1ers
>--lz,.s' -
Fleet Of schooners Said to Be
Distributing Liquor Along
the Coast

New York, Aug. 24-Staid Old
salts aren't taking kindly to ali the
prohibition inspection, official and
unofficial, that's going on inside and
out the three-mile limit.
''Gettin' so you can't drop a
mud hook without some lubber
whispering you're a rum ralpf q" )"
said one sun-tanne6 skipper who
recently breezed into port with MS
Ischooner aglitter with fish scales.
According to this captain and
others Of his calling, numberless
sleuths who played the 'chaseethe-
spy" game during the war now are
tbent as zeaIousiy on tracking down
[liquor-laden craft in postwar
days.
There were spies during the war
and there probably are rum runners
now operating off the coast, but
shippers innocent Of more than 6
strong tea breath are complaining
that even their cod and haddock
now are falling under suspicion and
that reflection is being cast on tie
ancient and honorable calling OF
fisherman.
Several months ago, strange fan-
tastic tales began coming in from
the Atlantic of vessels mysterfousfy
missing and of other vessels as
mysteriously sighred-the phantom
craft chat bobbed up out Of fegs
circled merchant craft and scoongd
away as silently as they had come.
Pirates was the first verdict.
Then, in July, off HateeEds, waS
found a stranded schooner, so Eaa.s-
tered by the waves that even het.
name had been ground off her
stern. She never was Identified,
but before she was destroyed by q,
coast guard cutter as menace t&
navigation, there was found IN her.
hold cargo Of rum.
This set folks thinking and when
there came from Montauk Point, on
the tip of Long Island, reports Of an
English schooner, that lay. OFF the
hree-mile limit and dispensed for
bidden drinks to all corners, there
We're persons afloat and ashore who
gave credence to the story.
Atlantic City, too, contributed a
tale of a liquor schooner that lay
off shore. sold liquor and taunting-
ly signalled to prohibition enforce
ment officers to come and get It.
Other schooners were reported,
from Tampa north to Cape Sable.
and a"a was suspected Of rum.run-
ming. In most cases, it was re-
ported that the two-stickers had
ignored signals. refused all adj.
vances and kept snobbishly on their
courses.
Now hardly cay passes that
some vessel reaching port sone-
where does not report encounter
ing these battling strangers. until
it seems as if the entire merchant
marine of all countries must sud-
| denly have turned to- rum running
for a living.
Then seizures began and to date
more than half a dozen schoone1s
are being held on technical charges.
At Philadelphia, Gloucester, New
Haven. Atlantic City and New
York there's lying a schooner un-
der suspicion.
The case of the Henry L. Mar
shall, seized off Atlantic City and
brought to New York by a coast
guard cutter, has aroused perhaps
the greatest furry. For she was
flying the British flag outside the
ithree-mile limit when the cutter
swooped down on her, and now Of
fetal Washington has been called
upon to decide what is to be done
with her and the liquor found
aboard her. Great Britain has IN
dicated she will enter formal pro-
test. just by way Of showing without
animosity, that she can't approve Of
other nations grabbing her vessels
on the high seas. Her British reg
istry, however, has been challeng-
ed
Federal officials claim to have
evidence Of conspiracy involving
prominent men in ports along the
Atlantic seaboard, who are believed
TO have put up hundreds Of thous-
ands of dollars to sell liquor to their
thirsty fellow -countrymen. The
Bahamas is alleged to be the konse
( of a rum-running fleet. Others are
believed to sail from St. Pierre,
Miquelon, the French island south
Of Newfoundland.
Federal agents hold that eyi-
Idence Of a conspiracy to smuggle
liquor in the country entities them
to seize craft Of other nations even
in the international safety zone"
On the other hand, contention
is made that it is perfectly legal for
alien shippers to drop anchor out
side the theoretical line and sell
liquor to their hearts content to
dories putting off from shore. The
illegality. it is claimed, comes when
the owners Of these small craft
cont drink up their purchases but
attempt to bring some ashore for q
more arid moment.