The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1936-05-08
HCHJACKERS OF STATE C0N1l@s
BY II. L. MAURY

/
prohibition developed new rackets
and even news words in our lang
uage. Among these was the BUSH
ness described by word coined to
meet the need for the new line
HIGHJACKING--the word is not
yet in most dictionaries.
When evasions of the 18th
Amendment was in sample early
form, rum runners (another new
word) bought or bucked their way
from Canada with fast cheap cars,
loaded with contraband whiskey.
The only danger was from the
more or less active enforcement
officers. Soon a new scheme was
thought out. When the tired way
farer with his valuable load was
near his journeys end, close to his
eager market, he would run over
a bunch of sharp upright nails,
break down in a furlong. Men
would then rob him of his merch-
andise. He, being in unlawful
trade, dared not complain. The
robbers Of bootleggers were termed
''highjackers." Methods of defense
and attack have kept up pretty
well in history. The sudden slow
down soon warned the rum runner
Of the presence Of highjackers in
time to get his gun. The corpses
of highjackers, near the highways,
began to suggest that it was q
rather hazardous pursuit.
The Highjacling Fraternity next
organized, so that the enforcement
squads faced bootleggers bullets
and the highjackers would get a
rake-off by the old game Of Double
Cross-the Middle Playing against
both Ends. The highjackers, thru
pretended friendship with bootleg
gers, kept informed of the ex-
pected arrivals of illicit cargoes.
They tipped Off enforcement Off
GERS. TIL unlucly bootlegger
would rush for help to his friend"
The friend was ready with bail
bonds and sometimes hush money
and legal talent. This surcharge
on bootlegging became so lucrative
as to attract in some parts of the
Union Though never in Montanal
sons of Federal Judges, admitted
to the Bar, to become standing
counsel for the highjackers.
Finally arose highly trained ex-
perts, natural leaders of men, fit
ted by nature to command. Gen
erals usually die in bed, not in
battle. The Heads of the High
jackers sat way behind the battle
between bootleggers and enforce
ment officers. They got their
minions into the Federal employ.
The wholesale bootleggers bought
immunity from some lieutenant of
an invisible General Highjacker.
These generals had to have two
characteristics silence about what
they were directing complete per-
sonal abstinence from liquor - or
they would become quick failures.
Whenever they tried to use or buy
a newspaper to carry on with
or INDUCED in braggadocio, pro-
ceeding from personal alcoholic ex-
hileration-their plans would with
er. Charles E. Miller, jr. lacks
these two qualities of bigh high
jacker.
Tubercular germs die on expos
ure to sunshine. The genuiseS Of
the Order Of Highjackers borrowed
an idea from Capitalism during
the Great War. It was fine to kill
helpless men to fool the world that
an actual war was being waged to
save the World for Democracy.
But, there was gentlemen's cap
ltallstic agreement not to destroy
munitions plants; and it was all
right for England to sell rubber
and Morgan and Dupont to sell
copper and gasoline to Sweden for
resale to Germany to help kill Ally
fools at the Front. And it was a
good plan for Germany to sell
chemical gases to Holland for re-
sale to France to help kill German
fools at the Front.
So in their little schemes, the
Generals of the Highjackers would
allow the enforcement officers to
make just enough arrests to secure
just enough convictions to fool the
public that an actual contest was
going on, and yet not overdo the
matter and end the profitable occu-
patton of bootlegging, controlled
and regulated by the Morgans Of
the industry, the Highjack Lead
ers.
Apt pupil of the muddled times
OF prohibition and War Though he