The New York herald., 1921-12-20
Fight rum RUNNERS;
SEIZE CRAFT IN BAY
Customs Agents Exchange
Pistol Shots With Snug
glers From Liner.
z ESCAPE BY SWIMMING
Regina d. Italia Firemen
and Lot Of Wine
Are Captured.
INTENT TO KILL CHARGED
Jersey Raider Who Shot Two
Men Must Answer i'm
State Court.
INTENT TO KILL CHARGED

United States customs inspectors
and several men in two motorboats
which had just put out from the Ital-
Ian steamship Regina d'Italia at the
foot of Forty-fourth street, Brooklyn.
fired several shots at each other last
night. According to the Government
agents the motorboat contained a
cargo of whisky which the men were
trying to run to the Brooklyn shore.
The customs inspectors caught up
with the motorboats, and seven of the
men In the craft jumped into the
water, swan ashore and escaped. One
= italian. Rafelle Granardo, fireman
on the steamship, was caught and ar
rested. He told the agents his COM
panions were sailors aboard the
Regina d'Italia, but would not give
their names
Tho steamship locked YESTERDAY and
Sergeant p. j. Derby Of the customs
squad received word soon afterward
that during the night an effort would be
made to take liquor from the vessel. He
went to the pier with dozen men and
they put out into the water in two
rnotorboats. They rowed their craft for
awhile so as not to make any noise. ard
remained close to the steamship. Finally
tney saw two boats. containing four men
each, draw up alongside the ship. Sig
cals were heard, and then eight bags
We're lowered. four being put in ca 1h of
the boats.
The men started their boats. and Derby
shouted to them to stop. They paid no
attention, and Derby fired shot. The
alleged bootleggers returned the fire and
several shots were exchanged. While
this was going on Derby's men started
the engines in their boats and the craft.
gradually crept up on the alleged boot
leggers. Derby fired the last shot, he
mad IN his gun, ana a inon.ent later he
heard splashes i'm the water and then
saw the seven men swimming for shore.
dc went alongside the boats and cap
turned Granard. In the two boats Derby
SAID afterward, he found bags contain
ing ninety-two bottles OF Italian whisky.
s. Charge Intent to XIII.
Two separate complaints charging
atrocious assault and battery with in
toni to Kill were brought against Green
Miller, Federal prohibition agent in the
police court in West Orange. N J., by
Chief of Police McDonough at the re-
quest of County Prosecutor u. Henry
Harrison. Miller is alleged to have shot
William Stanton Of West Orange and
James Mcfarland of East Orange last
Friday night after a raid on the grocery
store of S. L. Dowd. where a case of
gin was found. The two wounded men,
who We're employed as clerks in the
store. are In hospital.
Miller for several years chased moon
sinners in the Kentucky mountains.
where he has been in more than one
shooting affray. He is quick on the
trigger He said one Of the men shot
started to draw q pistol and he fired in
self-defence.
"This is very regrettable affair"
said Charles Fl. Brown, Chief Prohibit
ton Director. in charge of enforcement
in New Jersey 1--WE are not exalted
over it, and are very sorry. Green Miller
must have shot in self-defense These
men must have followed and punched
him. He is an old time revenue officer
and has been in many shooting affairs
Victims Not Armed.
Dowd told Prosecutor Harrison that
ic man came to his store Friday niCht
and tried to sell him a case OF GIN but
he declined to purchase il. He said n
two other men, entered his store. ard
seized the gin from the man. who made
no resistance. Director Brown said that
Louis l.. Lussky and Claude M. Spindle,
s2ugers. sent from Washington to ex-
anime liquor stored in Newark. were
the two men with Miller at the time of
Tire shooting, and to the best of his
knowledge they were rot armed.
Stanton and Mcfarland evidently fol-
lowed Miller out of the store. There
arc several conflicting stories as to the
shooting. Witnesses cay that wnon the
shots were flied by Mill2r the two vic
TINS were fifty feet away Prohibition
agents claim the two men were ;iyIrg
10 reclaim tie gin and had attacked the
enforcement men.
After the shooting Miller came tc
New York and Immediately went TO
Washington. Word was received yester-
day that Miller had gone to his home
in Kentucky TO spend the Christmas
holidays, but would be available at any
time to the New Jersey authorities
Prosecutor Harrison announced last
night he would present the charges
against Miller before the Grand Jury
to-day.
Action TO show cause why more than
Si.000.1ov worth of liquor seized by
Federal prohibition agents in New York
should not be confiscatcd by the Govern
DehJ was begun yesterday In the
United states District Court by AS
s's'ant Isr..d States Attorney Sanford
y. Cohen. Unless tho owners can come
into court and prove the liquor was pur-
chased before the advent Of prohibition
or was Illegally seized. It will be dis
posed of to charitable institutions. hos
pitfalls and Legitimate holders such as
wholesale druggists. The liquor is
stored in the Knickerbocker Ware
houses in First avenue, and is well
guarded
Owners Of liquor seized by police in
535 different actions have been cited to
appear in Part | OF the Supreme Court
for the remainder OF the week to show
cause why It should not be disposed of
by the New York County authorities.
TheSaction is brought through Assistant
District Attorney Sabatino and involves
LIQUOR seized since the Mullan-Gage act
went into effect on April last. No Oft
cial would venture a guess how much
the liquor is worth.