The New York herald., 1921-01-30
oowsa...d y,v~ pyvo-ss.e Pugs.

boats, sometimes one, sometimes as many
as six or seven, or even more, often so
many that the task Of transferring their
loads of booze to the deck of the dishonest
skipper's ship consumes the hours well
along TO midnight Then as silently as
they came out from the unlighted mostly
uninhabited islands, rocks or Gays the
island bootleggcrs recede again into the
darkness and are gone Their pay is re-
ceived from the Bahama representatives, OF
the bootleggers whcn their craft puts In
again to the Bahama shores.
Ocean Deeps Hold tho Secret
OF Many Disappearance
Though weather conditions since the first
Of the year have been perfect for such
work 1t Is not always so and more than one
mysterious disappearance Of native BAHIA
mians has It's explanation locked at the
bottom Of the sea or behind the sealed lips
of the men of the ships with whom he was
carrying on his Illicit trade.
Not many minutes pass after the last Of
the small boats contents drop upon the
deck of the bootlegging ship before her skip
per has her under way. The booze has
come aboard In sacks, which have the shape
of small pyramids There are four bottles
In the bottom layer Of the sack. The sacks
are sometimes Of a rubber and cloth tissue,
but more frequently any strong cloth serves
the purpose
Only three bottles form the second layer
and they are inserted neck downward be-
tween the outstanding necks of the first
bottles to enter the sack. The next row
taf n
single bottle fits In at the upper edge of
the sack. Then the top of the sack is
drawn and tied very tyhtly-the tighter
II Is tied the more firmly the single bottle
forming the apex of the pyramid is pressed
down to hold securely those beneath it.
Three Important Operations
While the Ship Speeds to Port
Three things are being done as the ship
with the booze, sometimes as many as
hundred cases, ploughs her course swiftly,
straight toward the Florida coast all the
way from so to 100 or $50 miles, accord
ing to the spot where she received her
precious load from the whiskeyteers. First,
the agents In the Bahamas, by means I'M
possible Of discovery at least to the cor
respondent of THE New YORK HERALD, are
informing their Florida confederates of
the successful departure OF the treasure
ship.
Next the crew of the ship carrying the
contraband liquid get to work attaching
long strings-varying in length from six to
even ten or twelve feet-to the tied end of
The sacks. And, last, a generous sized cork
or sponge or other material that is certain
10 float, be II block of wood or other such
substance, is tied to the free end of this
string. Then the second bootlegging group
are prepared for their last connection with
the Illicit transaction except, eventually,
TOR the collection and distribution of their
share Of the profit taking.
It Is not vet daylight when the big ship
With It's argosy Of spirits arrives just out
side the three mile limit somewhere off
he coast of Florida. The spot may be any
vhere from north of Jacksonville to off
Key West, according to the instructions of
the Florida bootleggers.
It happens frequently as when delivery
Is called for in the nelghborhood Of Jack
sonville or at Key West at the other end
Of the long, mostly desolate Florida coast,
that q whole day or even longer is required
for the ship to carry her load. There Is
more danger of detection in these cases
than where the straight run is made say
10 the neighborhood of either Palm Beach,
Miami or intermediate points.