The Bismarck tribune., 1921-12-06
VIOLATIONS OF!
DRY ACT LESS /.
SAYS OFFICIAL
Smuggling of Whiskey From
Border a Hard Job

Pun running, illegal manufacture
of liquor and violations of the national
prohibition act generally are on the
Wane in North Dakota, according to
Lane Moloney, field division head Of
the federal forces in this state
Several factors have contributed to
drive from the state men who earl.
their livelihood by smuggling whiskey
across the Canadian border, chief
among them being the close cioopera.
ton of federal, state and county au.
| thorities to break up the illicit traf-
fic, Moloney said But the runners
have not Abandoned their operations.
merely shifted to territory less dan
gerous tD their liberty and life. e q,
The federal prohibition department
has five workers in North Dakota eX.
elusive. OF the field head and their
efficient cooperation with the states
forces Of varying number and sheriffs
Of every county through which roads
frequented by the runners led has re.
suited in more than 80 per cent de-.
crease in the traffic this year, Mtolo.
ney estimates.
Another fact that has acted as de-
terrent3 on ambitious runners,,> At
tracted by mythical high returns, he
said, 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. if E@tI
Most: Of The. runners, he said, have
transferred their operations from
North Dakota to Montana and the Red
River Valley in Minnesota; while 9TH
ers have shifted to running alcohol
between Chicago and st. Paul and
from Louisville. KY, to~points north.
| Then, too, many OF the runners
have left the game, voluntarily or
otherwise, "Mploney said. "Sonle Of
them have; realized that the return is
too small compared with the risk and
the amount of money they must in.
vest tist& l@ES,<t s'afiE :, .>':1
For every man who has made his
fortune in this illegal business a hum
dred others have lost all they had and
some of them are, I'M addition serving
sentences in prison. Others who en-
1 gagged officials in gun fights have 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 find it out"
Moloney cited what he called "only
the greater costs" which runner
must consider before starting opera
ti0ns.
"Say a man in Omaha, is going to
start running whiskey,' he said: He
buys a high powered car for $4,000,
then in Canada he gets 30 cases OF
whfskey for $50 a case, an Investment
of $4,000, not counting his time and
hardships and those Of his partner,
and the necessary expenses OF the trip
which are heavy Then he must fig
ure $500 fine which is, the least pun
ishment if caught and probably $1,000
for attorneys fees to fight the case.
If he gets through he probably can
sell his load Of whiskey for $4,000.
Obviously the returns to be had from
such following have been grossly
Overrated." r'
1Moloney declared that rum run
ming operations in North Dakota have
been less prevalent during the past
summer and fall than ever before, and
that the intensified activity OF year
ago when daily reports told Of auto
mobiles, heavily laden with the contra
band. passing through various local
tiles had not been repeated this year.
"Whiskey running in and through
North Dakota has shown an appreci'
able decrease" he said, "and it will
continue to show a decrease
The weight of the counties against
the rum runners has been felt through
the operations Of sheriffs of counties
traversed by the whiskey smugglers'
routes, Moloney pointed put.
Collectively, sheriffs in the various
counties have seized a total of more
than twenty cars since July 1st, he