The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-11-06
By n. DE WINTON WIGLEY,
Special investigator for London Daily
copyright. 1923. by Cosmopolitan
News Service.1

Special Investigator for London Daily
copyright. 1928. by Cosmopolitan
News Service.)
sailed for the West Indies
from America in q small ship of
British register and early in the
voyage saw something of the
feyerish excitement which DOS
sesses men and women engaged
In this wild and lawless adventure
Of lquor-running.
We left Miami docks, Florida,
In dry United States of America,
and were soon tossing on the
Gulf stream, with big passenger
list of negroes, and few whites,
, three or four of whom were
women. To the south was the
caribbean sea. A few words may
help to suggest the atmosphere of
this enchanting part of the world,
forever known to romantic ira
dition as the Spanish main, and
now the center of the illicit liquor
traffic.
Sunsets Of SpIendOr.
From under our high schooner
built bows scores of flying fish were
Heaping into sight, Swimming oyer
the waves and disappearing ahead.
The sea was of an unbelievable
blue, and when the sun began to
sink the sky famed with a tropical
glory. Every little ragged cloud
had its edges faithfully reproduced
IN thick lines Of FURNISHED gold.
blazing against a flushing sky of
palest yellow, green purple, orange
and blood red. We were alone in
the great circle of sky and sea.
The colors faded fast as the moon
rose, and leaning over the rail l
could hear the negroes, compelled
to- travel astern, singing Southern
melodies.
The white folk were drinking
nAtd. Bottles of gin, whiskey and
liquors were brought up on deck
and spread out under the awning
One man acted as dispenser.
All Night Party.
Fit for the gods" cried woman
a. she held up her glass. Summer
lightning. playing on the horizan
oil through the night. family H.
Illuminated the party, which did
not turn IN until the early morning.
Say" shrieked one of the
women, shes had Scotch, beer.
gin and Benedictine and I've got to
90 in the same cabin"
This scene formed q fitting pre-
Jude to my later experiences in the
Bahamas. During the night we
passed numerous small Gays and
isiets and sailed close to Bimini
and Gun Cay. the islands used by
the ocean adventurers of long ago.
and now employed by bootleggers
as handy dumping place for rum"
IA term which embraces all sorts
Of HQuor-off the American coast
In the morning we reached, New
Providence Island in the Bahamas.
The sea changed from dark blue
20 turquoise of such clarity that
we could see the fish flashing on
the coral beds fathorns below.
Blacks PredOminate.
Blacks predominant in Nassau,
and the harbor was crowded with
them for our arrival. We drifted
slowly past the sponge fishing fleet.
and made fast opposite the not
very impressive public square,
while officious native policemen, in
white linen uniforms, kept the
chattering black folk in bounds
Bay street, the chief thorough
fare, runs parallel with the hapbor,
and its only buildings of any con-
sequence are the postoffice, before
which stands a statue Of Queen
Victoria, and significantly new Of
hces of the Royal Bank of Can
ada. The men who run the liquor
stores are mostly Bahamas, with
some Americans and EngIishmen.
There are several hotels in the
town. The Lucerne is known aa
the bootleggers' headquarters, and
there, or at the Allan Hotel, you
are always sure Of finding a group
Of men engaged in rum.running.
The schooners which carry the
liquor up to Rum Row." off the
Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey or
TO the dump islands, lie close to-
gether in the harbor.
1t was necessary for me now to
guard carefully the secret of my
identity and the object of my visit
Some of the people who have come
to Nassau would be anything but
gentle IL they knew. Nassau mas
been the rendezvous of some oi
Americas biggest crooks and dad