The Washington times., 1922-06-11

The first thing he saw was three large
stills going at full blast Next was a row
OF fifty-one barrels, containing alcohol
Further Investigation revealed severa!
jars Of chemical coloring and essences OF
various hqueurs, used to give the spurious
liquor the taste and appearance of the
well-known brands.
There was bottle of oil, which. added
to the moonshine whiskey, gave it that
bead" or collar of bubbles which connois-
seurs regard as the infallible test of quail
ity. And in another room the prohibition
labels and government stamps that would
nave deceived all but an expert. All that
night the three bootleggers were made to
carry the evidence to a dray, which was
then taken to New York for evidence.
Fred Libby, owner Of the house, was not
at home when the raid took place. He
surrendered to Izzy three days later and
was fined $500 and sentenced to serve six
months in prison.
The episode of the grave digger Is a
fair sample of Izzy's more spectacular
methods of obtaining evidence, but he does
not consider it represents his best work
Like Edgar Allen Poe's detective charac-
ter. Izzy thinks that simplicity represents
the consummate art in his daily business
of detecting.
His raid last Summer on a fashionable
cafe near Far Rockaway, New York, is
convenient instance of this theory.
For some weeks neighbors of the cafe
owner had complained to Prohibition
Director Day of bcisterous parties that
disturbed their sleep Izzy was assigned
to investigate.
AS matter of course he used one OF
his dress suits and wore a dozen of his
paste diamonds. In the guise of nouveap
richie spender he rolled up to the cabaret
In the prohibition departments most lux.
urious $1,000 limousine, handed mis- silk
hat and stick to the girl at the cloak roorl
and commenced to distribute lavish tips
right and left
He was shown to one of the best tables,
and waiter obsequiously hovered at his
elbow for his order-which was whiskey.
But there had been many threats of inter.
ference from the worthy people of Far
Rockaway, and the waiter was not to be
caught snoozing. He regarded Mr. Elm
stein with cold. poker eye and said
there was no whiskey to be had. Right
at this point the ordinary prohibition agent
would have returned to New York. But
Izzy is no ordinary agent.
Two hundred feet from the cabaret was
the warm, inviting ocean beach, dcttet
with bath houses and bathers. Icy
checked his dress suit at the nearest bath
house, took quick dip in the ocean ana
returned to the cabaret with his roly.pol,
figure encased in bright green and yellow
bathing suit
Now Izzy will tell you himself that the
bathing suit was a master stroke.
What waiter or bartender ever con.
ceived Of revenue man wearing a bath
ing suit? Certainly not the waiter who
took lzzy's order for a full pint-at least
he didn't until Izzy reached under .he belt
OF his bathing trunks and fished out his
government uduBe. ln6 waiter, manager
and half the staff shared in the rude sur
prise.
In another instance Izzys dress suit was
not sufficient for the bootlegging waiter,
even when 1t was supplemented with a
beard. toupee and papier mache nose
which the detective sometimes uses to
escape detection.
That was in Reisenweber's famous
Broadway cabaret few weeks ago. In
vain Izzy repeated his order The fishy
eyed waiter was apologize, but uncon
vinced.
"The manager would like your card" h.
said. after Izzy had sent him to that dig.
nitary.
Now It happens that business cards are
the simplest devices in all Izzy's bag OF
tricks. He has them in all pockets. bear.
Ing all names and occupations-excep.
that Of prohibition officer. The card he
handed to the waiter bore the Inscription.
"A. Cohen, Sacramental Vines With a
significant dropping Of the right eyelid he
added to the waiter that Il would be to
the managers interest to rush his order.
An hOur lator ha uatta, nraoao4ad thu