RUM-RUNNING SCHEME

Hokitika Guardian, 31 December 1931, Page 8

RUM-RUNNING SCHEME

THE ILL-FATED VENUS. LONDON, December 18. The adventures of Captain Kettle disclose nothing more thrilling than the full'story of the career of the alleged rum-running steamer Venus, which was lost off the coast of Norway, with the lost of all but two of her crew of 14. -The “Evening News” discloses that the captain of the Venus, Karl Visnagrotsky, placed before a London syndicate in July a proposal for rum-nm-ning into Norway. Financiers, including a gentleman, a contractor, and a retired army officer, provided £50,01)0 capital. The money was placed with trustees, namely, a solicitor and an advertising agent, who arranged to purchase a seaworthy trawler at Emden for £2OOO and 2500 tins containing 10 litres of alcohol each from Dutch distillers at 5/- apiece, delivered at Antwerp. The first voyage was unsuccessful, the vessel failing to find the rendezvous for transhipment. It therefore took the cargo to Lerwick (Shetland Jsles). The second voyage ended with the arrest of a supercargo, who was sentenced to five months in a Norwegian gaol. The army officer and other members of the syndicate, learning of this dissociated themselyes from (he enterprise and the remainder arranged for the final and luckless voyage.