Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-18
RUM FORCES PLAN
FOR DETRO|T BATTLE
Operators May Use Planes if
Dry Crusade Stops Up
Liquor Highways.
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page.)
directed to participate in enforcing the
eighteenth amendment. Large loads of
liquor were pulled across the river in
broad daylight in slow boats, and un-
loaded at the docks.
Michigan State Police Active.
Six years ago the Michigan State Po-
lice formed river patrol. The run
| ners, to meet the new menace, brought
their liquor over at night and unloaded
1t into waterfront warehouses at Ecorse.
The state police began to raid these
and the SmugglerS abandoned river
front warehouses and transported their
liquor from the rivers edge in auto
mobiles to various garages, called
plants" some distance from the river.
When these plants began to be dis
covered the smugglers bribed various
groups of customs border patrol men.
The bribery explains in large part, the
11gures given by Mrs. Mabel Walker
Willebrandt former Assistant Attorney
General In charge of prohibition en-
torcement, showing that the total of
alcoholic beverages officially known to
have been exported from Canada to
the United States in 1928 was valued
at $24,397,956.
An undercover agent known at first
as Mr.. X2,' and later identified as
former petty officer in the United States
navy, was sworn as a customs border
patrol inspector, September 81, 1923.
ana IN two months had evidence that
a score OF inspectors were accepting
brides.
Bride Money 100000 a Year.
John r. Watkins, United States Dis
crict Attorney, at Detroit received in
formation that the bride money was in
excess of 100000 a year, the usual
schedule being Is cents a case for beer
and 81 a case for whisky. Eight of the
indicted inspectors, who pleaded guilty.
admitted, however, when they were
lined up for sentence in the Federal
than $1,000 each.
much of the smuggled liquor for home
consumption. But large proportion
Moved over the various highways radiat-
ing 10 all sections of the United States
TO reach eventually an area estimated
TO contain population of 5O,OOO.OOO.
Chicago is almost wholly dependent
upon Detroit for Canadian liquors. In
chicago, one bottle of Detroit whisky
is made into three The adulterated
liquor goes to Minneapolis, st. Louis,
Indianapolis and other cities. and is
sometimes "cut" again upon reaching
those destinations.
For time, it was estimated. so
liquor loads day left Ecorse and other
doWn-river wholesale centers for Chi
cago over United States Highway No.
112. Thirty-f1ve loads day went over
United States Highway No. IL and an
average Of Is over other highways.
Paid "Tax" to Sheriff.
A few years ago most of the liquor
went over United States Highway No.
II, and in Jackson, Mich, the runners
were required to pay tax on every
load to the sheriff, Warren C. Stoddard,
who later was sent to the Federal Peni-
Tertiary at Leavenworth, Kans.
But United States No. 112 eventually
became the most popular highway be-
cause the rum loads were not required
to go through large communities. They
were in danger, however, of being hi
lacked by gunner. RevolverS, shot
guns and machine guns became stand
ard accessories of the liquor automo-
biles, and bloody battles ensued over
their cargoeS, worth $4,000 to $4,000
each.
The customs graft expose here was
severe blow to the liquor operators
New agents were brought to Detroit
and they we're not susceptible to brides
of intimidation. A few weeks ago 20
rum runners and half dozen customs
border patrol agents fought a pistol
battle at the foot of TWenty-fourth
street, Detroit, near the American
terminus of the new Ambassador Bridge
to Canada.
No one was injured, but the customs
men captured a cargo of Canadian
liquor and the rum runners stole two
customs patrol cars, later abandoning
them.
In addition to the fact that new Gus
toms men were on the job was the
menace of the new Jones law, carrying
a possible five-year prison sentence and
$4,000 fine for a first commercial pro-
hibition law offense.
Swifter Boats Are Used.
Swifter speed boats, which would
run circles" around the Government
craft, were the answer of the big OPP
orators.
A few weeks ago the Haunting de-
fiance of the Government by the rum
runners was Strikingly Illustrated in a
photograph obtained by the Detroit
News which was widely copied through
out the United States and found its
way to the desks of prohibition chiefs
in Washington
The photograph showed a cargo of
liquor being unloaded at 9:25 in the
morning at the foot of Riopelle street,
ut aCt of
the main thoroughfare of Detroit A
speed boat had crossed the river from
Canada in 2 minutes and AZ seconds.
It was unloaded in SO seconds into an
automobile conveyed by another car
containing armed men and speeded on
its way through streets where traffic
had been halted by other armed men.
Shipments continued all day. Gus
toms boats several times gave pursuit,
but they were outdistanced. This was
within a few minutes ride of the Fed
eral Building and police headquarters.
There followed the declaration of war
in Washington.
And the answer of the rum runners
to that is that if they cannot find loop
holes in the river blockade. they will
use airplanes on a large scale. Air
planes have been used to some degree
to smuggle in liquor for two years. The
new effort, it is reported, would be on
a greater scale.
Incidentally, the charters given bor-
der city explorers by the Canadian gov
eminent grant them the right to export
by airplane and to operate wireless ap-
paratus.
Copyright. 1929. by North American News
paper Alance)
Will ROGERS