Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-03-24
FLORIDA BOOZE BUSINESS
Bankers Stand in With Bootlesgers
for Huge Profits.

for Huge Profits.
Miami, Fla, March 20.-Federal
prohibition agents acting under direc-
tion of Col. L. L. Mutt, Of the Inter-
national Revenue Department, had
made eleven raids in the city Of Miami
up to noon today and at Nuts head
quarters it was stated the officers ex-
pected to make thirty more raids be-
fore night The raiding parties started
their work this morning.
Most brazen operations by bootleg
gers along the Florida coast especially
at Miami, with the assistance of some
Miami bankers who hold the money
for deals in liquors were found by pro-
hibition agents working here under the
director of Col. L. L. Mutt. chief Of
the federal prohibition commissioner
Roy A. Haynes at Washington made
public here today, Col. Mutt said.
1T did not take long, after one days
investigation Of conditions in Florida,
especially in Miami, to determine that
solution of the smuggling problem
lay in cleaning up the shore situation,
particularly in certain sections Of Flor
ida. II found that conveying liquor
from nearby foreign shores was min
or transaction compared with the pro-
gram of bringing 1t ashore and ship
ping to Northern points, terminate the
existing facilities for shipping. smash
and shore lain market, was the solu-
ton as our trained men saw 1t, and
with that end in view we went
Systematically to work.
I'VE were startled by the revela-
tions. We found sort of cooperative
plan among operators. Our investi-
the same frankness that a stranger
receives directions from a corner po-
liceman. Operators discussed trans
actions like bankers. Indeed, several
of them gave bankers as reference, and
in two instances after negotiations
were closed, had leading bankers hold
the purchase price in trust and sign
contracts TO that effect.
"In substance the operators brazen-
ly proposed: I'VE will contract for all
liquor you want-Scotch, Irish or
champagne. We will go and fetch it
in "a hours and deliver it where you
say-at your hotel, at the courthouse,
or at the post office. We will deliver
at the railroad station, if you wish it
shipped; and will attend to placing 1t
in cars and will buy the necessary
grapefruit or tomatoes to cover it up.
That is all that is necessary, just pile
it into refrigerator cars, with a camou-
fiaging Of fruit or vegetables, and
with the cars sealed the shipment will
go wherever you wish"
more than a dozen of our investiga-
tors, on the first days operation re-
ported propositions of the above char
acter and in two instances negotiations
were closed, with the aid of bankers,
all of which will be revealed shortly
in court procedure.
Our investigators discovered that
many Of the operators owned their
own smuggling ships, would make
night voyages to a point near Nassau,
Bimini, or Gunkey, meet a schooner
laden with liquor, make purchases at
the average price of SIS per case, re-
turn the next night and receive
double the price from their purchasers
also make a snug profit on the fruit
and vegetables for packing. They
would explain that by diluting the
consignment could be doubled and
even trebled in quantity and sold up
north for at least 500 a case in all a
tempting proposition.
"All of this our investigators more
than verified and continued for more
than week to carry on negotiations
for big and little shipments without
the slightest trouble.
$50 brazenly was the law violated
in the city of Miami that in several
instances the principal prizes OF
punchboards operated in prominent
cigar stands were bottles of liquor
Our investigators not only made win
nings of Gordon gin, Johnny Scotch
and Bushnell rye but carried away
the punchboards as souvenirs.
with the avenues of transporta-
tion, distribution and marketing cut
off, especially along the coast line, the
smuggling problem will solve itself,
for the simple reason that liquor will
not be brought in if distribution is
prevented and this can and will be
DONE"