The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1923-07-27
BATTLED BY MOB OF 1000
beer THIRSTY "TOUGHS"
Boats Engines Sealed Under
Customs Laws Tor Violation
of Navigation Regulat'ns
EFFECTIVE BLOW TO RUM RUNNERS
All Owners of Power Boats Must
Register Craft, Enabling Of
fcers to Keep Tab on Them

Federal prohibition agents assisted by
representatives of the Treasury Depart
ment, on July Ia seized 200 motorboats
off Ecorse, Wyandotte and Trenton, in
the downriver district near Detroit
The boats are suspected of rum running
The agents conducted their operations
in the face of an angry mob of about
1000 who, according to officers, attempt
ed at one time to dynamite a small
bridge giving egress to a boat we'll. The
boats were seized on the ground that
they did not comply with government
requirements as to equipment.
With customs department seals affixed
to their engines the vessels were put out
of commission until their owners have
explained their failure to equip them in
accordance with federal navigation laws
They were towed to docks along the
river front and placed under guard.
Waterfront lanes in Ecorse, reputed
to be favorite highways for rum run
ners, were crowded with men who pro
tested the authority of the customs
agents in tying up the boats. Numer-
ous attacks were made by gangs of men
upon The agents. The most serious clash
zeame when &C quantity . asce1 was found
in boat we'll. Three successive at
tempts were made to destroy the small
bridge leading to the we'll. The first at
tempt was to dynamite it, and this fail
ing, gang of men armed with crow
bars began TO demoish the bridge, an
nouncing that the owner of the property
had ordered them to destroy it, After
they were driven away by the agents
an effort was made to set fire to the
bridge.
Action of the Treasury Department in
joining forces with the prohibition
agents is expected to make operations of
the down-river rum runners increasing
ly difficult, according to James r. Davis,
federal prohibition director for AIichi-
gan.
Owners of all the boats seized will he
required to explain to the authorities
their failure to comply with the naviga-
tion laws and also will be warned to
register their craft. Registration will
enable the authorities to keep a close
check on the owners of virtually every
power boat on the river
Mr. Davis is quoted as saying: "The
Treasury agents have joined forces with
the prohibition department and we pro-
pose to run every unregistered boat out
of American waters. We intend TO make
the rum-running boats show their red
and green lights at night. If they do
not they can be penalized under the
navigation laws if we can't penalize
them under the prohibition law. We are
satisfied we have the rum runners on the
run at last. BY tying up their boats
because they do not comply with navi-
cation laws we will decrease rum run
ming operations greatly"
Mr.. Davis declared that hereafter he
would ask all bootleggers brought to
court to be held in $4,000 bail instead of
81 900. He said:
am satisfied there are hardly
five men engaged in the down-river
rum running business who can raise
$4,000 bonds. Most of the bootleg
gers admit they are nearly broke
and have to borrow money to pay
their court fines. The bootleggers
no longer do business on credit.
This shows the blockade of Ecorse
is effective