Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-08

Continued from First Page)
leggers and rum runners had been
wounded in battle over rum boats, an
order had gone out from here to catch
the boOtleggerS and rum runners
but to do it without the use of fire.
arms if possible.
Policy of "Gentleness."
1t was this policy of "gentleness" in
catching the law violator, which was
believed by officials here to have been
partly responsible for the increas sing
savageness of the rum runners who
have been encountered recently. The
weaker ones, who were unwilling to
engage in gunfire battles with the
Government, it was explained here,
have been pretty we'll retired from the
business in Florida waters, officials
said, and there seems to be engaged
in the smuggling business there now,
band of desperados, who have de-
termined on policy of shooting to
kill, when captured, if they have to
shoot their captors in the back to
do it.
Officials here would not say that a
relentless warfare with all guns
In Florida waters, but it was evident
that the death of two Government
men has set them grimly to consider
ing such a policy Should such a
policy of open warfare with gunfire
be ordered, the battlefront on the sea
against rum runners, it was predicted
here today, would likely see some
marine battles unsurpassed in the
history of prohibition enforcement.
According to official reports received
here of the killing Of Sidney c. Sander
lin, Coast Guard boatswain'S mate,
he was shot in the back by Horace
Alderman, the alleged rum runner.
while Sanderln was entering the
pilot house of the Coast Guard boat
and after the boatload of liquor
and it's crew had surrendered to the
Government men. Alderman was
said to have had two pistols.
The fight later turned to a free-for-
all. with the odds turning strongly in
favor of the alleged rum runners.
Two-gun Alderman had the situation
almost in his own hands, 1t was re-
ported, when Jodie l.. Hollingsworth,
Coast Guard seaman second class. in
tentionally went overheard during a
scuffie. and swan around to the back
of the boat. HollingswOrth in some
fashion obtained an ice pick, and at
lacking two-gun Alderman, stabbed
him sufficiently to disarm him. SO the
tide of battle turned on Holdings
worth's bravery.
Tried to Sink Boat.
The rum runners had threatened
the Coast Guardsmen to eXterminate
the entire crew, reports said, sink the
Government boat, and thus destroy all
evidence of their crime. Robert f.
Weech, another Of the rum runners,
actually succeeded in flooding the
bilge of the Coast Guard boat with
gasoline from a broken line, 1t was
said, and had lighted a match. But
the match went out.
The rum runners succeeded, how
ever in scuttling their own craft.
which sank with all of the load OF
about $50 cases of liquor, except
bottles, which the Government men
saved as evidence.
Webster, the secret service agent,
was shot and killed in the second
stage Of the battle, reports said. he
was on a special mission to investi-
gate the origin of $40 and $50 counter
felt bills, believed to have issued from
the Bahama Islands. The Coast
guard boat was out on this mission,
taking Webster. when it encountered
the rum runner Webster was a vet
eran Of the World War, trained by
the Government as a secret service
agent He was appointed in March.
1924