The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-11

CluD lie IS Qfeafy existence with
nothing but ginger ale and sparkling
cider, and the club membership and social
prestige Of the La Montagnes gave them
splendid opening to do q magnificent
bootlegging business ii supplying liquors
not only to the clubs, but to their hosts
Of club friends.
n While there might be some doubt about
the quality and the safety Of the liquors
purchased from most bootIeggers, there
could be no doubt Of the entire reliability
and high quality of the wet goods sold by
these fashionable millionaire bootleggers.
So the La Montagnes were more popu-
lar and more conspicuous than ever, for
they were not only good club men and
agreeable acquaintance, but they served
an important need in supplying reliable
wet goods.
It is not surprising, therefore, that the
arrest Of the four La Montagnes threw,
New York club life into futter Of ex-
element and dismay.
'They won't send poor Rene to JAIL"
the ladies said, as they gossiped on the
club verandas. They just can't do such
a thingr'
Prisons are such horrid, smelly places.
Twas in one once when our chauffeur was
there said another.
And the food is simply impossible"
said third. Positively the poor boys
would not survive; no, it would kill
them"
"And what did the boys do, I'd like to
know? They were not common, low
down bootleggers that sell that dreadful
poison stuff-everything the La. Mon
tagnes supplied you could depend upon.
For my part, and my husband John says
so. too, think high-class people like these
boys ought to have reward instead of
punishment, just as an example to the
disreputable bootIeggers."
And so clubdom decided that the La
Montagnes would get off with fine. A
term in Jail? Nonsense, no Judge would
do such a nasty thing.
The picture of the La Montagnes in
dinner coats in the club dining rooms with
cocktails as preliminary first course and
little sherry or port, bottle of cham
payne and liqueur with the coffee-this
was familiar to all. But the conception
OF these popular clubmen with tin mug
of vile coffee and plate of corned beef
and cabbage-this strained the unimagi-
native minds of New York's club world.
But the impossible happened.
The lawyers put up every argument
that they could think of. And some of
the arguments were pretty ridiculous.
Among the almost comic pleas made for
leniency was one set forth by Lawyer
Wade B. Ellis, who with glistening tears in
his eyes, pointed out with great solemnity
that the La Montague boys did not go out
and solicit business, but simply had sup
piled the liquors to friends who had come
to them. Thus, he would have the Judge
consider that club man in dinner coat
who wrote down an order for dozen
cases of champagne from a fellow club
member should be excused for this quite
harmless and quite proper violation of the
Volstead Act, while roughneck bootleg
any wet goods were needed should be
taught proper lesson by good stiff jail
sentence.
And the aged lawyer, John G. Milburn,
arose and addressed the court, and pointed
out that his clients were worthy of special
consideration because of their interest in
sports. This certainly was novel point
of view--a man who is good polo player
ought to have special police card ex-
empting him from the law.
Lawyer Milburn went on and explained
another reason why a special exception
should be made in the case of the four
Bootleg Brothers-because their father
and they themselves had been in the rum
selling business for many years.
"Only the other day." he said, ''they