The Washington times., 1923-01-08
GOT MONEY
AND KEPT.
RUM
Dapper Young Man Found
Many Victims at $50 to $500
Each for Promises.

How q dapper young man VINO
claims he is the "King of Savan-
nah, Ca, Bootleggers" mulcted
coterie of prominent Washington
business men, several officials OF
b leading railway company and
q Pennsylvania avenue hosiery
out of sums ranging from $500
down to $50, Saturday, is being
whispered about the city today by
associates to whom the principals
have told their plight.
Some Escaped Shares.
Numerous other business men,
whose firm names are by-words in
every Washington home, are today
thanking their stars that they failed
to avail themselves of the bogus
hootlegger,s offer to sell the choicest
brands of whiskey at SIS case, or
25 per cent below the present bootleg
market.
For this particular bootleg king,
while adept at describing the intri,
cate workings of his underground
liquor caches in Savannah and
creating an irrepressible desire for
his bottled-in-bond wares, the local
men find today is nothing more than
an imposter who has taken their
money with no intention OF deliver
ing the goods"
Are Without Redress.
What makes matters worse, the
business men point out, is that the
transactions are Illegal ones which
viii not be recognized by the court,
ana they are powerless to bring him
to Justice or even stop payment on
their checks, which in several in
stances have been cashed in good
faith.
In fact the manager of the Penn
0ylvania avenue hotel involved. who
cashed a $500 check for the Boot
leg King" upon learning that the
prominent local business man who
wrote il had stopped payment on
Il notified him that unless it was
taken up by cash the whole affair
will be put in the hands OF the
police.
AS it win be worth $500 for this
particular business man to shield
his name from undesirable publicity,
his friends said today he has de-
cided to reimburse the hotel man
agement.
Sent Him to Friends.
The Savannah Bootleg King"
who has been in Washington lay
ing his network of plans for the
past several days, possessed an en-
gaging personality and so gained
the confidence of some of the rail-
way officials and business men
that they unhesitantly recommend
ed him to friends whom they knew
would appreciate choice liquors at
reduced prices.
One of them, who failed to
patronize the bogus bootlegger, in
he pnnfIno Kin0 m tho
management at the Pennsylvania
avenue hotel. He explained that he
had only known him a day and
could not vouch for him, but in
spite of this the manager met the
bootlegger's request to cash the
check The bogus bootlegger told
the management he was just
checking out" when as matter
of fact he had never stopped at the
hotel.
A humorous phase of the several
phoney liquor transactions perpe-
trated by the Bootleg King was
staged at the apartment house of
one of the officials of the railway
company.
Waited ImpatientIy.
All day yesterday he anxiously
awaited the arrival of the $50 case
Z Of liquor which he had purchased
from the dapper "bootlegger." Half
hundred times he jumped to the
window or fretfully walked down to
the front door
AT last sound was heard at the
front door and he jumped to answer
It. vibrant with a spirit of victory.
But, alas, 1t was only his wife.
Where did you get that new hat
ana how much did IL cost" he
peev1shly questioned his wife.
why l paid SIS for it. How do
you like it?"
What, $18 for a hat and only a
few days since Christmas. Do Won
want to drive me into bankruptcy"
At this stage he must have been
possessed with bit of conjunction
for his TRADE, in view of hfs $40
liquor purchase, for he left the
apartment again in his watch for
the missing case.
Got Back at Him.
AS his freakish antics continued
for several hours his wife demanded
to know what was worrying him
and he confessed he was waiting
for a case of liquor he had pur.
chased. Then they both waited,
When a true sense Of the stu.