The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-17
BIRMINGHAM AGE-HERALD, TUESDAY, JULY IT, 1923

, don't need all they get They sell 1t to us-at a profit"
 however The bootlegger gave a plsuslble excuse for their absence.
 O o O
 Claiming "Influence" nt Washington. After the trip of inspection the agent appeared satisfied and an np- pointment was made for him to meet | the distlllers and the alleged repre- sentative of the department of jus tice characterized as "al1-powerful" at Washington the following Sunday. In the meantime the bootlegger told ! the supposedly crooked supervisor that the store of liquor belonged, In the main, to two brothers who financed the organization" but that he the bootlesger, also had a pretty tair-sized stake in the stock. The names of the brothers were given the supervisor and with them the ln- formation that two or three of their vessels used in rum running had been seized by the government. but that through the good offices of the all legged all l-Dowerful" man in the de- partment of justice, the seized ships and their liquors had been returned Saturday came, and with 1t a most unexpected development. An active enforcement agent, having traced a purchase of liquor to the office build
 
 raided 1t. The entire huge stock of liquor was seized.
 The agent knew nothing of this de- velopment till he walked into tho of flee and found another agent cross examining the men arrested in the raid. Among them was the boot logger with whom the agent had been negotiating. Still hoping that he might be able to follow through the bribery negotiations. the agent pre- tended to be greatly disturbed and frightened and made motions to the bootlegger 60 refuse to answer quesr tions and make no admissions, The bootlegger accepted the prerended fear as genuine and when he had an opportunity cupped his hand over his mouth and whispered
 Its all right. Bill, I'll protect you. You can depend on me. Everything will come all right. Don't worry" That night the bootlegger tele- phoned to the agent and told him that sulting from carelessness, and In no wise affecting their previous nego- tiations. He called off the trip to Washington, however, saying that ne woupld necessarily Hay low" for few days while the situation cleared. powers of his all-powerful" friends at Washington, declacing that they could easily fix the whole thing" and promised to telephone again in a few days.
 DootIeggers With "Cold Feet, During that time the bootlegeers and his associates had change of heart At the next meeting the agent was informed that the original agreement could not be kept. The Organization" was frankly worried They didn't mind the raid and the loss of the liquor, but they were facing a charge of conspiracy, and suddenly 1t had dawned upon them that they were discriminating them selves to the limit in their dealings with the agent if he were not Ion the level"
 They were unwilling, therefore, either to meet the supervisor and disclose their identity or to have him meet their supposed representative in the department of justice at Wash ington.
 That "all-powerful" agent and the other influential friends at Washing ton, 1t developed later, lived only in the bargaining fancy of the "or- ganization."
 However" the bootlegger told the agent. "the organization can't do my thinking. I believe you're on the level, Bill. If you're not, and want to lock me up, all right; but the