Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1923-10-04
GUNS READY TO FIRE
AS US. AGENTS SEIZE
SKIFF AND ITS CARGO
Three are Arrested for Illegal
Transportation of Liquor
at this Port
GET 3 LATER IN NIGHT
Are Charged With Interfering
With Federal Officers
Agent is Attacked

The busiest night since prohibi-
ton went into effect was the ex-
perience of representatives of the
local customs house. in local waters
last night and this morning. Three
men were arrested for illegal trans
portation of liquor AID five hours
later three men, were apprehended
for interfering with government Of
ficers.
Cruising about in the government
boat at the foot of. Rector street at
midnight, Custom Gfficer P. j. Nc
Avoy, Engineer Harry Kraft and one
of the men connected with the local
lighthouse, spied an oyster slxiff.
Before the occupants OF the skiff
knew it, the customs men were up
on them and the seizure, was made.
The skiff, it is said,A contained
sixty cases of the best liquor obtain
able at the three mile linifA an sAhe
occupants of the boat, Joseph Z
man, OF New Brunswick avenue, tns
city; Walter Gill, $40 Bayside ave.
nue., Highlands, and Fred King, Ok
Ferguson street, Newark. were APP
pretended on the transporting
charge.
With their prisoners handcuffed,
the customs men marched to police
headquarters where they were enter
ed by Lieutenant William Calvin.
The government representatives had
guns ready for action along the
route from the shore to the station
house.
Action Starts
upon their return to the dock ;ne
government men found four men
who, 1t is claimed, were planning tc
seize the skiff containing the cargo
of liquor. The intruders, it is SAID.
refused to leave the scene and the
government representatives placed
them under arrest.
Everything went well until The
customs men neared police head
quarters. An automobile drove IN
ana one OF the occupants reached
from the running board in an effort
to pull the lighthouse employe in
the car. The lighthouse man sue
ceeded in resisting the attempt and
marched his prisoner into the cation
house.
McAvoy was the last of the group
in charge of prisoners and just after
the attempt was made to pull the
lighthouse employe into a car he was
struck on the chin by a weapon said
to be a hammer. The customs man
hit yelled for help and fell to the
ground.
Call Heard by Police
Lieutenant Calvin, on duty at
headquarters, heard the call and
hurried to the injured mans assist
anee, McAyoy was carried into police
headquarters unconscious and City
Physician DIR. j. v. Smith was sent
for. The physician at first believed
that the government man had sus-
tained a fractured skull, but this
doubt later was removed.
One of the four prisoners arrested
on the second trip Is charged with
hitting McAyoy. This party succeed
ed in making his getaway. The men
entered on the blotter at police head
quarters at about $50 o'clock gave
their names as Theodore Gregory
and Theodore oflugh of Highlands.
and II. G.. Harris, of Hoboken.
Search for Prisoner
Sergeant Frank Kasprzak and
Officers Emil Koyen and Joseph
Gaydos were detailed to search for
the government prisoner but were
not successful in locating him. Three
or four shots were fired by Engineer
Kraft at the fleeing prisoner after
McAvoy had been downed, and then
his gun jammed. The lighthouse
keeper poked his gun into the stom-
ach of the man in the automobile
who tried to pull him away from his
prisoner. Lieutenant Calvin succeed
ed IN bringing McAvoy to conscious
ness before the arrival of the city
physician.
The hammer believed to have
been used by the prisoner in knock
ing out McAvoy was found by Officer
Koyen on Market streer when the
police chauffeur was attracted by
unusual noises on that thoroughfafe.
No arraignmeat was made of the
prisoners by the local police this
morning. they being held for q
hearing before Commissioner John
A. Delaney. 1t is said the customs
men were looking for a South River
boat when the oyster slxiff was cited.
The boat and liquor will be taken TO
New York by the customs men to-
day.