Evening star., 1923-12-25
NEW YORK RUM WAR
YIELDS RICH HAUL
Despite Captures of Ships,
However, SmuggIers Claim
Immense Profits.
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associate Press
NEW YORK. December 25-The
! war of government forces on rum
! row. seat Of history's greatest SNUG
CLING operations. an activity thar
since last January, has provided many
thrilling stories of piracy. tragedy
haul in ships, liquor and men.
Conservative. unofficial estimates or
the seizures by coast guards, customs
and Treasury Department agents.
prohibition agents and policemen de-
velop the following list:
Small rum-running speed boats $50
Deep-sea craft .............-... i"
Seaplanes ..............
Motor VehlcleS ............. 80
-Sien M ..-...'... -
Cases of liquor ................27.0 .000
In addition to the seizures coast
guards caused more than 100 runners
to jettiSon their cargoes, averaging
fifty cases a boat.
Monetary Loss $4,000. 900.
The monetary loss to smuGglerS
through these captures is estimated
at about $5.000.000. but they only
laugh at this. claiming the loss to bc
but "a drop in the bucket" compared
to the gain Of successful operations
KUN SIN luEgllnS. begun on Il SINAI
| scale off the New Jersey coast in
1921, was extended all along the At
| lantiC seaboard in 1922. and the first
big anchorage of rum carriers estah-
llshed in the waters south of Ambrose
lightship last January established the
now famous rum row, a location de-
sirable for the runners of Long Island
as well as for those Of New Jersey
Nineteen rum boats. including three
steamers. were parked on the row
n fINn h fCrln h. faTa N--ar rlH
and since that time there has been
always at least one rum carrier out
there doing business
Coast guard boats launched the
campaign against the runners in the
first month, seized at least dozen
of the craft. and smuggling became
| d hazardous game.
Activities of Federal Agents.
Federal agents ashore began CON
certed operations AGAINST tue motor
| truck runners. and many rich prizes
| fell into their hands. Still the bust
ness continued The gaps made iii
| the runners rank by captures .lled
! like hole dug in dry Sani. Cap
lures increased in number, smuggling
increased in volume.
was employed by the runners on the
Long Island shore for scout worF
| One day the seaplane, disabled, mad
| a forced landing near coast guard
\
Some OF the bigger craft of the
| smugglers became venturesome then
and were caught close inshore. Morn
| ing was unfolding two months ago
| when the coast guard cutters on
rum patrol sighted the Tomoka,
| British schooner. about six miles of
/ the Jersey beach. They chased her
| through haze. overhauled her and
took her captain and crew, and Rum
my Bit Mccoy the king Of rum
\ smugglers.
| PaIatial Cruiser Captured.
A week later tile Dragon. pala-
| tial cabin cruiser equipped with radio
| wireless. was captured. She Is SAID
| to have been the mother boat OF the
swarm of small runners. her duties
/ being TO warn them of impending
| danger and the whereabouts of gov
1 ernment craft.
The latest seizure of consequence.
| the Dutch auxiliary schooner Zee
hond. ended the career of the trans
port used by Mamie" kessier. the
bootlegger king. the shore rival Of
Mccoy. Kessler soon is to go to At
| lanta to serve term for conspiracy
! TO violate the prohibition laws.