The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-07-25
Navy HELPS
CATCH RUM
SMUCCLERS
Agents Seize Two Vessels
With Cargoes of Con-
traband Whisky.

New York, July 25-Federal auth
critics along the Atlantic coast re-
doubled their vigilance over tramp
ships today following disclosure CT
evidence indicating the existence Of
at least two gigantic international
whisky smuggling rings, 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 running fleet cap
able of coping with the mysterious
ships and their allied fishing smacks
which are alleged to have handled
hundreds of thousands of dollars
worth of contraband liquor at Sc
cluded points under cover of dark
ness.
According to Leroy w. Ross.
United States district attorney of
Brooklyn, foreign and domestic
capital, agg-egatlng several million
dollars is behind the whisky snug
CLING conspiracy.
keenest watch was being kept by
revenue boats today off Montauk
Point toward which, authorities
were tipped a large vessel was
bound from the Bahama Islands
with a cargo of $4,000 to 10000
cases of choice Scotch and Irish
whisky. The conspirators, learn
ing that word of the sailing had
reached federal officials, were re-
ported trying frantically to get N
touch with the whisky runner TO
direct her to another point less
carefully watched.
Saucy Steamer.
A tramp steamer cruised saucily
outside the three-mile limit off At
lantic City yesterday, according to
reports received here and taunted
federal agents by breaking out pen
nants saying:
Lay down your money and come
and get it."
The tramp slipped away as night
fell and it was thought she was
heading for some deserted points
where fishing vessels could work
unhampered of tightening her car
go ashore. A three -masted schoon-
Ell suspected of being a rum ship
was also reported off Atlantic City.
Fishermen along the coast, ac-
cording to Mr.. Ross, are reaping
a rich harvest running the forbid
den cargoes ashore. They work al
most 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 whisky
landed, and many of the fishermen
are declared to have abandoned en-
trely their regular trips to the fish
ing banks in favor of the more ~
Crative smuggling.
The smugglers are met on shore
by automobile truck men who whisk
the cargoes away 10 secret store
houses.
Take 2 Vessels.
Efforts of federal agents to check
whisky running along the coast
have led so far to seizure of two
vessels. They are the schooner
Curlew, taken lasC 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 Pocomoke at Atlantic City,
but as the vessels papers show her
wet" cargo to be consigned TO
Canada, no action has been taken
against her or her crew. A part
of the Pocomoke's cargo was jetti-
soned off Atlantic City, her captain
admitted, but this was done, he
declared, because the vessel was in
distress and not because OF any
design to get the cargo ashore
there.
Emanuel Katz, an Atlantic City
hotel man, was to be arraigned in
the Cape May county courthouse to-
day on a charge of violating the
state prohibition enforcement ac-
Katz was arrested last week IN
connection with the seizure OF 152
cases of whisky, alleged to have
been smuggled in.