The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-04-08
Secrets of Rum Runners Are Barred
by Skipper of SWpken I'm Alone

This is the first of two interviews with
Captain John Thomas Randell, skipper
which was sheled and sunk by Z. 5.
coast guard cutters in the Gulf of
Mexico. Captain Randell reveals that
organized and operated on huge scale.
By NEA serrfce
NEW ORLEANS, April 8.-The
Y illegal business of smuggling
alcoholic liquor into the United
States is one of the industrial giants
Of the eastern and southern sea-
boards of the nation.
Liquor comes in in a f1oOd-hun-
dreds of thousands Of cases an
nually.
The traffic is handled on a strict
business basis.
1t combines, Curiously, the CLAM
our and thrill of the old-time snug
gler with the efficiency and cold
calculation of the modern high
pressure business enterprise.
These facts are revealed as an
aftermath of the sinking of the
British smuggler I'm Alone by the
United States Coast Guard cutters
Walcott and Dexter.
Captain John Thomas Randell,
who diVed from the deck Of the
sinking smuggler to be rescued by
the coast guards and brought to
New Orleans in irons as a prisoner,
told an interviewer about them as
he waited for his trial in federal
court at New Orleans.
CAPTAIN RANDELL can tell an
~ interesting story. He has
craved excitement all his life
-craved it, sought it and found it.
The episode of the I'm Alone is
only the latest incident in long
series; the latest, and hardly the
most interesting or thrilling.
He holds, for example, a distin-
guished service cross, awarded him
by Great Britain for sinking a cou-
pie of German submarines during
the war.
Then. before that, he fought with
the British army in South Africa.
He was at Gallipoli, too, during the
World war; and later on, with the
battle feet, he was at famed Scapa
Flow, helping Britain keep the
North sea secure.
Two years ago he took command
of the steamer Morse and sailed
from Halifax to the Arctic on sci
entific mission for the Canadian
government.
He explored desolate coves in
Hudson bay, flew an airplane over
ice packs-drove dog team. on
journeys to the interior, helped the
northwest mounted police to solve
a murder mystery
II
THEN he returned to Halifax. A
4 Canadian shipping concern had
Just bought ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
just bought the trim schooner I'm
Alone, which had mode something
of reputatin as rum runner on
the Atlantic coast. The new own
erS proffered the command to Cap
tain. Randell. This was last Oc-
tober.
Il couldn't see the idea of just
loafing about Halifax" he eX-
planned. so I took the berth be-
cause I thought I'd get some eX-
citement-and I did.
Il tok the ship at Lunenburg,
and we cleared in ballast for st.
Pierre. There we took on a cargo
Of $4,000 cases of assorted liquors,
brought from the Great West Wine
Company.
Just before we left st. Pierre,
sn employe Of the Great West Wine
Company came to me to explain
how I was to deliver my cargo. 1
never knew the names or Identities
of the consignees. I didn't have to.
They had a better system.
This man gave me the torn
halves of about a dozen one dollar
bills. I got One-half Of each bill,
you see. Then he told me to take
my ship to a position thirty miles
due south of Trinity Shoals light
buoy and deliver my cargo to the
person who presented me with the
missing half of The lowest-num-
bered of the bills"
Thus do the modern rum runners
make sure that there will be no
chance of a cargo landing in the
wrong hands through forged papers
or mistaken identities.
WELL" resumed the captain,
w I'VE went to that spot, and
after brief delay there a large
motor boat came alongside. A man
came aboard and handed me the
missing half of my lowest bill So
I delivered him my entire cargo. We
transferred it into his motor boat,
cast off and headed back for an
other cargo"
The second cargo consisting of
some 2,700 cases of liquor was de-
livered like the first, without a
hitch, said Captain Randen.
Then the I'm Alone put off to
Belize, in British Honduras, for a
third cargo. And it was this cargo
that was destined to cause the
! trouble.
Instead of reaching the hands of
the consigneeS at New Orleans. it
went to the bottom Of the Mexican
gulf, cost the life of one sailor and
landed the government of the
United States right in the middle Of
a puzzling international dispute that
/ has not yet been solved.
Captain Randell, in telling Of his
cargoes, revealed that no money