The Washington times., 1922-12-09
SIX DOMINATE
|. FLEEIOF'RUM
RUNNERS
Bahamas Send 100000
Cases Of Whis'sey TO New
York for Xmas Trade.

uOtH uOS AUu0D sIooOs
Herewith is the first of a series
Of four st0ries on rum running
and bootleggfn0. These articles
wiu sho1U hoso str men dominated
the risns-ruxning trade; tho whole.
sale Laso breaking, murders aad
sDindlss perpstrated, tell hoso nun
runners ore nsaking from 1000 to
5000 per cont profit on their turn
oper; hop 500, 900, gallons Of de-
natnred alcohol is .,oithdraUn and
illegally converted. into drinks
monthly IN Neso York, and soiu IN
tyoduce you to lay Eiasteis asd
Abe Smith, tho champion prohibi-
tion agents in The United States.
BY WALTER WOODES. n.T
CesmepsIitas Nsws service.l ..
NEW YORK, Dec. "a mon
ster traffic in poisonous and for
hidden booze In this area ts domi-
mated by five or six men. now mil
lionaires, who control the rum rIn-
ming business" John D. Appleby
said today. Appleby rs divisional
prohibition enforcement officer foF
New York and New Jersey. He
further asserted that:
Flour miles off-shore lies q
rum running pirate armada. with
crews amply armed, ready to battle
with any and all who would chai
lenge their illegal trade =. :
2-Wholesale law-breaking. muir
der and swindling are Haunted be-
fore Federal authorities. >, y
Prey On Each Other -
3-There is q daily toll Of lives.
not only from consumption OF the
poisonous liquor, but also from the
drownings due to 1eaky boats ana
killings due to disputes. OF these
deaths the public seldom hears.
+The rum pirates also prey on
one another. Instances are known
where rum running crews have
boarded a rival ship and stolen the
cargo, putting the rival crew In
irons. ..rs .sr.,- *
5-The rum running armada now
contains about 800 vessels. The
boats are manned mostly by Bar
hama negroes. and they, ply between
the Bahamas, Cuba. Nova Scotia,
and New York. 500. . -
"a fleet now lies Off New York
with $500 cases aboard. Govern
ment operatives have learned that
100, 900 cases Of fake whiskey, val
ued at SIC. 900 900, were cleared from
Nassau during the week Of Ne:
cember Q for the Christmas trade
along the Atlantic coast >
Sell Fake Liquors.
THE five or six men who con;
troll the rum running business from
New York, sell fake stuff entirely.
They reap profits Of from 1000 per
cent to 5000 per cent on the turn.
over. .
Stories of armed clashes on the
rtmrunning armada are frequent.
Here - one:- A small boat ap.
preached a rum vessel, bought .
consignment OF iiquor,s paid for It.
and drew away. Then the captain
of the rum runner discovered that
the money was counterfeit.
He seized rifle and shouted to
the boat to stop. There was nc
answer, so he fired. One man top
pied over dead in the stern of the
small boat. The boat raced on. the
rum buyers took $500 from ,tneiI
dead companion's pockets and
threw his body overheard. This
was within few miles Of New
York. H'.F"...
Dosen Boats In Dry Fleet.
This story cannot be verified
But rum runners> and some prohi
bition officials will youch for it.
Here are the high lights Of 9
gargantuan enterprise: New York
with it's 6,000.0o0. population
watches the situation calmly. The
prohibition navy of = the Fedora
Government has less. than q dozer
small boats to combat the efficien'
booze armada. %rt. %
sAppleby impresses one as . mar
with small, force honestly trying
to tackle a Job 100, times too btg
He explained: - - 80 "
1.-TWO of the men operating rum
running fleets have Been indictet
for drawing liquor Illegally from
warehouses. Some day soon we vii
get all OF them. S5' 81" 80
"The five or SIX men who contro
rum running were brokers ant
lenders OF the proposition. Sinc'
then they have become very DOW
erful. 3t -. =
"The liquor they smugsis int,
the United StateO s~what. we cal
cut stuff. That 10, II -isT diluted, b
Il II \ substitute. IT. arrives
sacked. with labels and bottles tina
give It the appearance of real. iru
ported stuff. But u wa an faxed
II am convinced that most Of tn
boats used for rum. running ar
unsafe. Accidents are frequent. tn
boats sorne times. 70 to. the bottom
with Q large loss Of life- - Tn
stories come out later. !.
Recently Q rum runnerc wen
down just outside the barber. ]
was an obstruction 70. the harbo
entrance and when Il was blow
up. 500 cases OF nQuor oAmer witt
t." ~, ~ Egsr ,
BOY THIEVES CAUGHT { !
.rr . -. - - = y tla.. = =