MAXIMS POPPING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19473, 7 May 1925, Page 10

MAXIMS POPPING.

CHASING A RUM-RUNNER

LIVELY HUNT IN NEW YORK

HARBOUR.

A tale of nun-running in New ’York harbour mid of the condition of tho cabarets of the second city, of tho world was brought to Wellington by the steamer Pm-iri. it was a foggy evening in March when the Puriri, bound for Auckland, pulled out from her berth in New York and steamed slowlv down the harbour. Even though ho had a pilot on board, Captain Pickworth was not satisfied with tho_ weather. And so. when only a quarter of a mile or less from New York docks, he hove-to and lot go his cable waiting for a bettor chance of vision. Tho captain and pilot were together- In tho steamer’s cabin, when they heard a continued popping, as of machino-gun tiro. The pilot was off-hand about it. “It’s only an excise boat after a rum-runner,” he said, and dismissed the matter from mind. Bnt’to the master of the Puriri such things did not come in the daily round. When called on dock by the second officer a few minutes later the captain went willingly. Tho faint popping now had swelled to the recognised clatter of machine guns. There was a glow in the fog, a bright beam which moved in a short arc and emphasised the density of the clinging vapour. Suddenly there came a, rush and slither of foam, and a powerful launch shot from the obscurity into the short circle of tho watcher’s vision. She was fast; she did a good 55 to 40 knots as she swung wide, with shots creaming the water all about her. and chugged round tho Puriri’s stern. Right ahead went tho excise boat, her machine-gain still splattering though now no answering fire came from a ship ahead. In a moment the fast rum-chaser was swallowed by the fog, while the prey she sought swept round tho bow of the merchant vessel. eased up. and came to rest. It lasted only a few seconds, this glimpse of motion’ smugglers being pursued, but for two hours the unknown launch remained under tho counter of tho Pnrin. and then stole away to some appointed spot to discharge her unlawful cargo. lit Now York, according to other record arrivals, good Scotch whisky can lie had at. 15 dollars a case. A to.io is fold of a cabaret where the prices on the wine list wore not so very high, probably because the liquor was from a plundered shir,. The rum-runners have other enemies besides the revenue-cutters, and these foes will wrest a cargo from them with as little compunction ns any official would display. Good liquor in Now York is now to be had in such i|i>, ant dies, as to dispose of -.be ncees-dly of drink-ng “fire-water,” and eve- A, (fie offing lice * l . o rum fleet, waiting for fog or darkness.