The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-06-17
BOOTLEGGER
SAYS BANKS
HELPED HIM
Inside Story of Whisky Bust.
ness Is Told to House
Alcoholic Committee.
SENSATION is EXPECTED
Big Names Mentioned, In
Guiding Dry Chief Andrews.
By Roscoe b. Fleming
Times staff CORRESPONDENT

By Roscoe b. Fleming
Times staff CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON. June II. A
small, middle-aged, crippled man
poorly dressed and carrying a
crutch, sat before the House Com
mittee on the alcoholic liquor traffic
and testified Wednesday afternoon
and night.
AS he testified one could feel the
attitude Of the weary committee
change into electric interest.
For, in the bootleg vernacular, the
little man had the stuff" He
made the spectators and the com
mittee feel that a real figure in that
mighty industry of the shadows
bootlegging, was lifting the curtain
upon the actual workings of the in
dustry.
Big Names Mentioned
His name is William C. Davidson
and he lives in Los Angeles. AS
bootlegger his name was William
Game, he said. He had been liquor
salesman and buyer. Big names on
the enforcement side of the law. in
Guiding those Of General Lincoln c.
Andrews and Wayne B. Wheeler,
entered into his story
He said high officials in national
banks in California, Oregon and at
Detroit, Mich, handled and expedited
his bootlegging deals.
He gave names, dates and places.
When he had forgotten a man 3
name, he told how he looked, what
he wore, where his desk was.
The Banks Part
The banks part, it appeared, was
to hold the cash of checks con-
cerned in the purchase or sale Of
whisky until the deal was COM
pleted. Buyer and seller were mu-
tually suspicious.
And Davidson only told a frac-
ton. Time after time he refused to
detail cases, because, as he said,
that guy gave me- square deal. I"
Only when he felt he had been
double-crossed, it was evident, would
he talk.
Then he told how 10000 cases of
high grade wines I'D whiskys had
been concentrated III Crawford
County, Ohio, just before the Shrine
convention of 1928 in Washington,
for a big annual visit in Washing
ton" Two thousand cases of this, he
said. had beer brought to Washing
ton and the rest distributed in
Cleyeland. Cincinnati, Detroit and
Indianapolis. The Crawford County
plant, he said, was at the hub of a
wheel, from which distribution was
easy.
Used Circus Car
He told how. pretending to be a
vaudeville performer, he had repeat
edly with the connivance of railroad
officials, loaded whisky on a circus
baggage coach and shipped it to and
from Memphis, New Orleans, Los
Angeles and other towns.
He told how he had decided to
turn straight" on June 2, 1925, and
had wired General Andrews in
Washington in September that he
had important evidence, detailing it.
Andrews referred him to the south
ern California prohibition chief, he
said. He got the Anti-Saloon League
interested and he and the League
southern California head worked to
yet the district attorney to take ac-
ton. Finally, he said, he was cut
off by w. w. Anderson, assistant
southern California prohibition di-
rector, under peculiar circum-
stances. The California special
agent" had already offered him s10,-
600 for his story, he added.
Tried to See Andrews,
Then he came to Washington to
see Andrews, he said, and, unable
to see him, went to Representative
La Guardia of New York with his
story. La Guardia had a row with
the committee and threatened to
hold a ''one-man hearing" if the
committee didn't hear Davidson and
the hearing was finally arranged.
Davidson promises to become 1.-THE
center of a big prohibition sensa-
ton if he lives. He refused to give
his Washington address, because, he
said. in a matter of fact tone, II
don't want to be bumped off,"
After the hearing Representative
Kvale of Minnesota, and Representa-
tive Upshaw of Georgia, two of the
Of
asked what they thought of Ander-
son and his story.
Telling Truth
Hes telling the absolute truth, .
said Kvale. What rotten mess it
is under nreSent enfnrcenaant meth