New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1925-11-06
CANADIAN WH|SKEY
NEARLY ALL FAKE
Is Mostly Denatured Alcohol
and MOOnShine

Chicago, Nov. 8 Up - The food
OF Canadian whiskey which spilled
over the border during the first
years OF prohibition, has largely
been damned up and the thirsty
get only "moonshine" and "cut"
whiskey with Canadian labels. re-
ports from st. Paul, Detroit, Clevo-
land and Chicago indicate.
Prohibition authorities In the ST.
Paul area say that SIS per cent OF
the liquor sold there is redistilled
alcohol. Rum running over the
Minnesota line, they say, has been
well in hand for two and a half
years"
Even the anti-prohibitlonists ad,
nit little Canadian liquor is avail
able. What there Is comes In by
automobile, generally run at night
on nonstop trips from the border
to the Twin-Cities. The alcohol
used in connecting fake liquor
comes In from the east under false
consignment and many large sci2,
ures have been made.
10000 Blind Pigs
There are 10000 blind pigs" in
Detroit, estimates Frank II. Crou
commissioner OF police. which
would indicate large and steadily
flowing supply Of alcoholic drinks.
Before prohibition there were L.
500 licensed saloons. Some genuine
liquor escapes the blockade on the
Detroit river and on Lakes st.
Clair. Huron and Erie, but federal
agents assert that most OF the
Canadian labelled whiskey Is spu-
rious. some OF it poisonous and
most OF 1t green and unfit for con-
sumption.
Rum runners In the Detroit area
get a comparatively small return
for the chances they take, the rate
OF pay being so cents a case for
beer and 81 case for whiskey.
Most wholesalers, however, pay
the runners q fiat salary, generally
$50 q week.
Cutting" is Profitable
"Cutting" has become more and
more profitable. 1t is a process OF
making green moonshine or water
and alcohol taste like genuine
whiskey by the addition Of small
amount OF recognized brand. so
great has become the demand for
good whiskey for Cutting pur-
poses that this liquor itself Is wa
tered and Is often merely a skill
fully blended "cut" whiskey.
An effort to stif1e river running
at Detroit Is now being made by
Carey p. Ferguson. collector Of
customs, who has become lad
miral" Of a feet Of nine fast boats.
with 200 agents concentrating OH
the liquir traffic.
The liquor business IN and
around Cleveland consists almost
entirely In the manufacture and
sale Of corn whiskey with a side.
line on the importation OF Can.
adian beer, declared Thomas Stone
former prohibition chief. Much
home made wine Is sold. as Is syn
thetic gin made from alcohol.
Whiskey running and importa-
ton OF bonded liquor into Clove.
land Is a rarity. Beer is brought IN
carload lots from Canada, billed as
cast iron, concentrated lye and
other merchandise. Beer formerly
was brought across Lake Erie in
small boats but since the govern
ment rum chasers became active.
this mode Of transportation has de-
creased.
Official confirmation is lacking of
reported aerial bootlcgging in the
Chicago district, but 1t Is agreed
that automobile, rail and water
transportation are about equally
popular among rum runners in
this territory.
New Processes
New processes have been devel-
oped In the manufacture of intoxi-
cants in this area which arc known
as cleaning denatured alcohol.
Just what processes are used, be-
sides redistribution, is mystery
which federal sleuths and chemists
are trying to solve. they suspect
the moonshine magnates have in
their pay chemists as clever as any
in government employ.
In striking at this particular
source, prohibition field agents
raided a Chicago drug store where
the principal stock was body-rub
alcohol. Much OF it still was in car
tons but some had been poured into
two gallon jugs. In these floated
liver-like substance which resem.
bled the mother" OF vinegar. The
druggist explained that this sub
stance was Russian mineral oil
which had been put into the alco.
hol to consume Its "denatures. As
to whether he disclosed his real Sc.
cret, prohibition agents are uncer-
| tain.
Thus far the department has I'M
earthed fewer cleaning plants"
handling industrial alcohol in Chi
cago than on farms; in out-of-the.
way rural places, and in small
towns.