Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-14
POLICE RUM WAR
CUTS D. c. FLOW
Pratt Cites Record Since May
IL, With Smoke Screen
Nearly Effaced.

Rum running from Southern Mary
land and the use of the felonious smoke
screen by liquor runners has decreased
materially since May, when the Police
Department began q concerted drive to
check the flow of liquor into Washing
ton. 1t was announced yesterday by
Supt. Henry G. Pratt.
Records submitted to Mai. Pratt
show that only two smoke screens have
been used In the District since May IL,
marked contrast with conditions for
several months prior, when it was COM
mon for the police to be smoked up"
three and four times night by speed
ing rum-laden cars in their effort to es-
cape capture.
Maj. Pratt does not believe the police
have effectively plugged the bunghole
Of Washington's liquor supply, but he
said he is convinced that the quantity
coming In is not as large as in the past
The ACKNOWLEDGEMENT squads are just
as active as they were two months ago
he declared. but the rum runners have
either found an unguarded route into
the District. or else some of them have
quit the racket
Pratt Sees improvement.
The reduction in the arrest of rum
runners, coupled with the decrease in
the number Of pursuits engaged In by
the police and the almost complete
-
Maj. Pratt points out Is indicative Of
the improvement in the liquor running
situation.
The liquor reports record 400 arrests
for transportation since January /. a
decrease Of 81 in the corresponding
period OF last year. A vast majority
of the arrests this year. however. It
was pointed out. were made before the
police concentrated on the rum cars
coming in the District over Southern
Maryland roads.
Maj. Pratt does not attribute IN
creased police activity alone to the ap-
parent reduction In rum running, but
declared that the action Of the court
several weeks ago in convicting two
liquor runners who were caught with
smoke screens obviously had q ire
mendouS influence In aiding the situa-
ton. These bootleggerS, however he
said, have not yet been sentenced
Despite the decrease in the number
Of arrests for transporting this year,
the amount Of liquor seized has been
greater than in the first six months of
1928. According to reports to head
quarters 1925 gallons have been seized
since January /, compared with 1888
gallons in the same period last year.
The capture Of . moving van loaded
with liquor O month ago, 1t was said,
Is responsible largely for the increase.
Smoke Screen Gases.
One Of the two smoke screen cases
since May IL was reported July 2. The
other is recorded June IS. In the for
n1er, however, the machine equipped
with the smoke screen laid down q bar
rage for no apparent reason, since the
officer who saw 1t speed across the in
tersection at Fourteenth and @ streets
reported no one was In pursuit. Police,
however. pursued the other car and
were given q bafrage of smoke, but 1t
was captured at Fourth street and
Rhode Island avenue northeast when
1t had a collision and was wrecked
The driver escaped, but another occu-
pant of the car was arrested and charged
with transporting and using a smoke
screen.
Although Maj. Pratt reports the
liquor supply Is dwindling, patrons Of
Washington bootleggers and Speak
easies" declare they are having no more
difficulty In procuring liquor and there
has been no advance in price. In fact,
several bootleggerS are reported to have
established credit business in an ef-
fort to increase sales.