New Britain herald., 1929-11-23
Hi-Jacking De Luxe, Con- fidence Schemes and the Truth About "Genuine Bonded Whiskey" Re- counted By ex-Rum Peddler.

Cupation, with the satisfaction Of moving that numerous adventures m bootlegging a number Of years ago are chalked up as acquittals, oI which he cannot be tried again, a man with a record of acquaintancos with all sorts of racketeers, ni- jdCkers and rum runners that would outshine many a fiction narrative, has taken up a temporary residence in New Britain.
 "Gyp" games galore are familiar stunts with him. Not that he has piled many of them as a trade, but he became acquainted with ,I,1hcm in a varied career covering activities in and out of Canada, and iii the liquids distributor busness" m distant state. Let this man tel Scme of hs experiences, with a lit 'lo preface, and perhaps even some Of the blase bootleggers in town, ii there be such, will admit that he should rate as an old timer in the game. Naturally none Of the places, actual circumstances. or cases in which this man was involved arc mentioned.
 GIamor In Rootlceg.ng
 ''i'irst in interest. I generally find" this individual says, "arc the adventures of the 'wheeler.' the man who runs booze for a living-thc man connected in some way with the bootlegging business. He may be manufacturing alky from some one of a dozen materials that will weld grain alcohol, selling this alky a5 a sort of middle man, converting It into ore war whiskey,' pcddling the Whiskcy to speak or evan running the speakeasy himself. All of the men in these various branches of the industry have their own particular problems. 1t may be lti-jackcrs or federal men, or just straight 'gyp' games worked by the highest class hi-paCkers in lhe world. who prefer to use their wits instead of a gun to get the booze they are after.
 Besides the liquor game, Of course, it was natural that l shoull come in contact with men who were working other schemes, utterly dis Connected with violation of the liquor laws. Some of th.m were clever: others were so simple that it seemed ridiculous to believe that anyone would be taken in by them but they were and they still are falling for them throughout the country.
 : <I l. ir1, al [, hi-jaclling stunts I know of is thu shed trick Alcohol is transported n large quantities, in five galloi cans, in most cases. There are two kinds of cans, the round ones ani the square ones. The round can stand up better on long hauls; tn square ones are moro convcnlen for short distances, because the, gan be packed more compactly. I'm square cans arc about like a larg' edition of q gallon maple syrup cai built just the same, except thd ;hcy are on 8 larger scale.
 Gets SI5O Gallon
 Suppose the alcohol middlemai is getting $7.50 a gallon for hi product, when sold to the individu |! who is going to make Whlska put of it. This may or may not b Inc prevailing price in New Brit ain. can't say as to that. In an event the shed trick is worked lik lhis: The customer calls up tn distributor and offers satisfactor proof that he is 0. K. He asks tn price of alliy and orders 100 gal iCns, delivered in square cans at certain place he names, well out ] Inc country.
 "He explains that he will met Inc driver at an old shed. and eau ions the dealer not to dare to sho s light near the shed, eXplainin hat he is fearful of capture C } 1oubts the ncighbors. He sets eel ain hour at night for the deliver md everything is settled. At til ,ppointcd time the driver arrives ais truck and is shown where lrivc up to the shed, yelled III u .cr darkness. The unloading pr> .oes begins. The driver hands 1T sans out of inc truck and the GU iomcr' and a helper carry thcl through a small door into the she When they are all unloaded the pu chaser fishes out a roll Of blllS al vays All right, here's your Stoo'
 Six fifty says the driver w l ss seven fifty a gallon and you got % gallons, so you owe Il ) i750.
 Argument Cooked Up
 An argument follows, in whit he purchaser insists that he Ii ,rr stood he was to get the stu or sG.5O a gallon, refuses to D; noro than that, and makes his o cction seem perfectly logical .ointing out that he planned to st he atky for S700, and hence ca lot afford to pay S75o. The outcon ,L the discussion is that the ldrlv 'efuses to accept the price offer md the customer declaring that s perfectly all right and he
 cry to have made so much trout yer a misunderstanding, gives ,rder to have the alky loaded alc dealers truck again.
 "Out come the cans from { bed They arc loaded onto t suck and the middleman driI "a * to his storchouse with the sith the apologies of the custom inging in his cars. And yet the ca ,c takes back to the Warehor ontan nothing more potent tn rater. The customer he will fir
 then he stops check up, has d
 ppcared. How is it done? Just
 asy little hocus pokus in the she "Whcn the customer and
 clper carry the cans inside {
 hed they arc seized by confed'
 les, who carry them carefully ( of ff