South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-04-03
RUM SPY SYSTEM
THWARTS OFFICERS
IN SMUGGLER HUNT
Georgia Liquor Runners Out
wit Law Officials, Who
Act Very Cautiously.

SAVANNAH Ca, April 2-The
espionage system Of the rum snug
glers, who run in huge quantities OF
liquor along the Georgia coast from
the British West Indies. is declared
TO equal in perfection that of the old
Russian empire.
According 10 state officers. the
heather Chinee.' whose ways are
tabled to be dark and his tricks
vain" has nothing on the Georgia
liquor runners. who so far have
managed to keep a length ahead OF
the officers in pursuing the favor OF
fate in connection with the liquor
business.
"They know every minute where
every officer is" is the way Chief
Chapman. of the Chatham county
police. expressed it. and il they
don't know they hatch up a trick to
get him somewhere else than where
they want 10 do business.
II Men Have Wide Field.
The chief. who has a force of 10
men 10 cover a territory of 365
square miles. the whole of Chatham
county. mas often found himself run
ragged by the liquor spies when the
unloading Of a cargo with which il
was feared he would interfere was
ON tap. according 20 his accounts.
They must have barrels of money
coming in from the trade" he said,
because 1 know II must cost them
enormous sums 10 maintain the spy
system they do. Why, they are
everywhere Whenever they get
ready TO unload big cargo OF liquor
they phone in and say there IS a big
murder. robbery or other desperate
crime going on needing the attention
OF a large number of officers. OF
course. we don't know; it may be
SO. and we have TO investigate.
often, when we get 10 the loca
tion given. all is as peaceful a.
heaven Later we learn that about
that time a big liquor cargo was
being unloaded in the opposite direc-
tion TO that we were in. II is impos-
sible 20 brand these bogus calls as
fakes until investigated The names
Of some of the people giving them,
always by hearsay. would surprise
YOU"
Police Chief Fooled.
Neither the chief Of police nor
Sheriff Dixon. Of Chatham county.
have been immune from such tricks
of the smuEeIers. Not long ago. ac-
cording 70 the sheriff, the chief OF
police phoned him that he had
positive tip that a large automobile
OF liquor could be caught at a certain
place al a certain time. This tip
came from what he considered re-
liable sources. Acting on Il, the
sheriff took nearly all his available
men, the police chief nearly all his
and they rang in a large number OF
federal agents. Arriving az the place
designated. they threw a Gordon
around the entire section. patrolled
the roads for hours and finally went
home without a single automobile
having turned up. Next morning
they learned that while there a ship
uuloaded several thousand cases Of
standard WHISTLES and liquors al one
OF the wharves In Savannah.
one Of the humorous features Of
the illicit liquor trade is the pro
fessional" jealousy existing between
the liquor runners and the little Eel
low who distills his own IN the
Chatham county swamps and -retails
70 around himself or through per-
sOnal agents.
According 10 the state and county
officers the rum runners" violently
resent the activities OF the moon
sinner and never lose an opportunity
10 tip or the officers 20 the location
OF a still in the swamps. Most OF