WHISKY RUNNING RAMPANT.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 January 1921, Page 3

WHISKY RUNNING RAMPANT.

I ARMED WARFARE. VANCOUVER, Nov Hi. • There is no disguising the fact that i matters are rapidly heading towards a I national climax all along the | United States boundary in consequence

of the' wholesale traffic- in whisky carried on by Loth Canadian and American organised bands who are nnabatingly op posed to the present prohibition laws ob_' tabling in both countries. The determination of the people to get liquor in the American States has reached such a stage that armed conflicts are nightly occurrences near the international line between the rum-run-ners, as they are called, and the Ameri can and Canadian Federal authorities. On that portion of territory bordering the Great Lakes, and especially around Detroit Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, matters have reached a desperate ’pass, and so determined are the U.S. sleuths to discountenance the whisky-

running that swift-travelling motorboats, as used for submarine chasing, are patrolling all waters on the boundaries, and unless night parties immediately stop when detected, a gun is fired from tliQ submarine chaser into the whisky-running craft. Windsor, Ontario, is crowded with Americans purchasing surreptitiously large quantities of liquor which they get aver the border and transport by

swift automobiles hundreds of miles even to Southern States. All the men in these cars are armed “to the teeth,’’ and knowing there are immense profits in the traffic shooting a few interrupters does not worry them.

It is estimated tha tat least 85 per* cent, of these mid-night parties get clear with their loads of liquor, which they readily dispose of to American kibblers at excessively high prices. In Windsor there has just been enacted a sensational affray in which Rev J. O. L. Spracklin, pastor of the Sandwich Methodist Church of Windsor, acting as a special license inspector, made a raid on hotel premises, and shot Beverly Trumble, one of the proprietors, and killed him at 3.30 in the morning. , Evidence adduced lias been somewhat contradictory. Spracklin stating that he shot in self-defence, whilst the widow of Trumble declared that she witnessed the tragedy denying that her husband had any weapon, but simply held a cigarette in his hand, and asked the in-spector-parson “what the idea was,” when he intruded himself upon the com- j pany in the hotel.

Spracklin lias been let off scot-free, and his church elders have praised him for his courage, although he will have to vacate his pulpit, as men who have killed a. human being are disallowed in the Methodist pulpits in Canada.

Rev. .J. O. L. Spracklin, is a ((inverted prize-fighter, his .brother having coti.verted him' to the aburcli. The two brothers saw considerable servue in (Jie Royal Air Force, and the Methodist pastor says the war is still on, but it is now against vice. He and his brother declare they will not drop their campaign against rum-running, and will not allow the whisky ring to think the license inspectors are beaten in their efforts to put down the illegal traffic. In Winnipeg, however, the tables were turned in some respects when a man known as “.Tames Brown,” resented the intrusion of a morality squad who fought their way into the Stockyards Hotel in St. Boniface, and in the a (Vi a v Inspector Alex McCurdy "as instantly killed in the fusilade, and two other officers were wounded, one James Uttley, fatally.

While all (his murdering has been proceeding, innumerable methods to get liquor over the border and elsewhere have been uncovered by the authorities. A Windsor liquor broker, who, with friends, bought a horse in Montreal lor 100 dollars, and he and bis party (har tered a “palace car” on the railway, laid in a big consignment of and placed tbo steed in the centre. They used every precaution they bad heard was being employed to protect Sir Barton and Man-o’-War, the famous racehorses, on their travels. The car was padded with blankets and straw. and a “trainer” placed with the animal. The result was that the consignment went through unmolested. The deal involved more than 100,000 (lollais, and the latest report was that the horse was wandering around afterwards with no one to claim it ! The “old plug” bad been treated like a Derby winner, camouflaged with a fortune in booze. An interesting sidelight on the whisky traffic with • the United States from Canada developed in a ease lioni d in the Montreal Court of Sessions when J. A. Peasant and H. Ricci were charged with (also pretences, and having used a false trade mark.

E. Davis ,of Detroit, said in evidence that he had come to Mont- ; real last May with view to baying whisky for the States, and had there met the accused. He bought 500 eases of what purported to be Canadian Club rye whisky, costing 15,000 dollars. This made up 6000 bottles, which it was nr- , ranged should be shipped in bags of two dozen bottles each, and were covered with bags of potatoes. This carload of “potatoes” was shipped to a produce firm in Detroit, and under whose reputation the car went through without a hitch. The firm was told that it was an ordinary car load of potatoes coming through, and they put all Customs papers through, charging Davis 50 dollars, brokerage fee. • The car was then opened up. It was discovered to contain bottles holding “a. concoction of wood alcohol, chloroform, and so on,” and their contents were dumped into the river. A .Seattle carpenter, finding business in his line somewhat quiet, journeyed to Vancouver with it good-sized suitcase, and crossed back over the international line with the receptacle containing 16 bottles of the best liqtioi which be planned to sell at famine prices in the “bone-dry” territory. He was detected when leaving the train, and in Court made a clean breast of it, and not having the money to pay the fine went to gaol for three months. in consequence of British Columbia having a few weeks ago voted “wet,” a tremendous influx of* Americans already has been noticed into the Western Canadian province. From Seattle alone in ten days 39 members of one labour union precipitately forsook the Washington c.itv and hurried to Vancouver,

where they claimed, conditions “were wetter.” The Federal Prohibition Director for Washington Stale, Donald A. McDonald, is arranging a conference in Vancouver shortly with Canadian officials, ‘‘to determine on what co-operation lie may expect in stopping whisky-runners from entering the United States along the Washington border line.” He says there are fifty roads from Canada into the State of Washington which may be used for taking in contraband liquor to his State. Government sale of liquor, recently authorised in British Columbia, is causing prohibiton officials in the American State “added worry” as they believe that liquor may be obtained with much greater freedom. Conditions in British Columbia are much more difficult that in Ontario, where has been entered into whereby an American officer will accompany Canadian license squads, and when pursuing runners they will no longer he required to stop at. the international boundary. ;