Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-10-23
MYSTERY DEEPENS mi.
rum SCANDAL
Carslake Named Special Detective.
To Conduct Investigation.

ed thick and fast in connection
with the rum scandal at Rancocas
and Bridgeboro.
John Whitehead, federal prohibit
tion agent, has been recalled from
Burlington County by Captain Her
bert Smith, head of the. prohibition
squad of Philadelphia. Whitehead,
it is claimed, told friends the day be-
fore he was ordered out of the coun-
ty, that he was about TO blow the lid
off the rum scandal, together with
asresting two of the county's lead
ing politicians. The next day he
wss eff the job.
The break came en- Saturday when
S4mner Elliott, formerly of this city,
row residing at Bridgeboro, was APP
preached by Whitehead and asked if
he knew where any liquor was hid
den.
Il know where there is lot of it
but I'll have to communicate with 1t
Nichols Of the State Police before |
tell you anything about it." Elliott
is reported to have said
Lieutenant Nichols, when told of
the affair, called up Whitehead's sub
ordinate, Smith, of Philadelphia, and
after making several uncomplimen-
terry remarks about Whitehead order
ed him withdrawn. Late that after
noon Whitehead got his walking
papels. The question now foremost
in everyone's mind isWhy was
Whitehead withdrawn without being
given a chance to defend himself?
Whitehead was about to clinch the
whole case when he was yanked off
the job and has been given no
chance to explain the situation. He
is veteran of the revenue service,
and is known to be fearless in his ac-
tivities.
Right on top of this affair comes
the admission Of Elliott that he was
the stool pigeon" who gave the tip
on the first raid and not Carslake.
Elliott claims that Carslake and him
self were working together, Carslake
to get himself reinstated on the pro-
hibition force and Elliott to get on
in a similar capacity.
Carslake however was getting all
the glory which Elliott could not
swallow.
"When l heard the barge was
landing l went to Judge Lloyd and
told him about it and he telephoned
to Prosecutor Hillman at Mt Holly.
After the raid Carslake came to me
and said he was going to allow me
to make some easy money" He said
that the barge would be towed across
the creek to my wharf and was to
guard it and get $35 a week for the
job.
"He also told me that when every
thing "blew over" the state would
SELL the barge. | would be allowed
to buy it at a low figure. Then l
was to sell it TO loc"l sand concern
and split the profit with him. | guess
the sale is all off because somebody
sunk the darn old barge.
"I'm getting aick of the whole af-
fair he continued ever since the
bootleggers learned I turned them
up my life has been miserable. They
have even put letters under my door
that they were going to kill me. |
have been stopped on the street sew
eral times and told | was going to
be killed"
'Im going to sell this farm and
get away" he said.
"One evening the past week town
official of Bridgeboro came to my
house and demanded that | give him
$3.50. He said that he knew positive
ly that the bootleggers on the barge
gave me $500 to keep quiet and
double-crossed them Can you beat
that? / didn't get cent"
The next development in the rum
scandal is the appointment of Car
Stake, as a special County Detective.
Carslake for time was a member OF
the Federal Prohibition Department,
but for some reason he was discharg-
ed Now he has been appointed as
special detective by County Prosecu-
tor Hillman.
Lieutenant Nichols also announces
that D. A. Brown, of Philadelphia,
has been assigned to work with him
in the place of John Whitehead.
Manv new developments can De