The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1926-06-02
HUBBARD IS
.CLEVEREST OF
DRY WORKERS
Youth, by Two Years Daring
Detective Work, Smashes
Big Rum Ring

Seattle, June 2-TO a young man
81 ~ years. who only few y,sns
ago had visions of becoming great
inventor. goes the credit for one of
the most daring and clever pieces Of
detective work in the history Of pro-
hibition enforcement.
For Alfred II. Hubbard. almost
. single handed, has smashed the great
rum running ring Of the Pacific
northwest
!: He energies from the mazes and
lntricacies of this gigantic conspir-
acy with tale so thrilling that it
rivals the widest imagining of the
fictionist. Not even Shelock Holmes
was ever called upon to enact a more
: ingenious role, and the derring do
Of D'Artagnan is matched in this
/. stor' of mere boy who pitted his
wit. and his nerve against band
Of super-criminalS such as are
. known to only one craft-~boo.lcg
ging.
Joins Rum Ring
And here is what Hubbard did.
More than two years ago he went
to Washington with mystery mo-
tor that he believed would extract
energy from the suns rays.
A xshort time later he appeared in
thes9 nnrrhwest. His knowledge Of
radio caused Roy Olmsted, convicted
. loader Of the rum runners. to en-
rloy him to build II radio broadcast
ing station.
Hubbard so won the confidence of
Oimsted that he Was made his first
!: lieutenant in the daring game 'of
smuggling liquor down the coast
Oh I'm. atar h..
Canadian coast
Hubbard won this position by his
bravery. because he volunteered for
the. most dangerous trips OF the rum
yunncr5.
Shots Came Close
He delivered large quantities of
liquor BY truck and boat. More than
once he was chased by other fede ra
ard state agents. unaware of his
identity. Shots from their rifles
came nightly close to him several
times.
Hubbard's next move was to in i
ducc Olmsted to allow him to keep
the books Of the rum runners. Secret !
: ly. he kept n duplicate set for the !
government and learned Of money
passing to corrupt officials.
Three times he was arrested and .
stayed in Jail for several days. |
For nearly two years he carried
his life in his hands ard then he !
sprang his coup. No one was more |
surprised than state and federal /
agents who had been working OH the |
same case.
? Nee Than 80 Indicted
And Now more than $50 people !
have been indicted as the result Of /,
Hubbard's daring work, including po- ,
lice officials, shcriffs, coast guard
officers, a naval aviator, steamer
captains, business men and speed
boat shippers.
II was Hubbard's knowledge Of
srie"ce that really enabled him to
work into the inner circles Of the :,
rum ring. Radio broadcasting sta
ton kFQX at Seattle, which he !
built for Olmsted, was one of the
best known stations in the north !;
west The story is told-though new |
er pIoved-that through this station
MRS. Elise Olmsted. wife of the rum |
king, broadcast code signals to rum
boats in the Puget Sound region.
She told bedtime stories as "Aunt !
NWien' to an appreciative audience |
of children. and, it WAS whispered, TO |;
daredevil men showing speedbOats +!
south from Canada
Repaired Rum Ships
In Olmsted's palatial home Hub
: bard lived and worked-for the fed |
cral prohibition department. As an
engineer. he was called in at first to
put rum boat engines in repair when |
they ceased functioning.
And row Olmsted. dubbed the king
of Rum-ania. has drawn four-year
sentence and $4,000 fine. He has
appealed.
And in a Seattle hotel room. with |
two six-guns and a bandoleer handy, |
sits Hubbard. guarded by federal |
men, for his life would not be worth
a nickel were he to run afoul of
one Of the rings plug-uglies.
Two years he has carried his life |
at his finger tips. They haven't got |
him--not yet. And he is not afraid !
that they will.
Moral If you want action, join
Uncle Sans dry forces.