However, the prisoners were soon released. After a visit from the
British Ambassador, the wheels of official Washington began turning and
it was ruled that the three mile limit must be observed in the search
of foreign vessels. The pressure brought to bear probably did not have
“the freedom of the seas” so much in mind as the fact that three miles
from shore meant easier work for the rum-runners in their efforts to
land the contraband.
In the meantime Carl had landed and re-established himself in New York.
The accounts in the newspapers as to the seizing of the “Resolute” were
amusing to him owing to the way facts appeared to have been juggled. He
related his story at the club that night to several of his friends. One
of them, a Doctor Rowland, was rather surprised and proceeded to tell
his side of the story.
“My chauffeur, John, was arrested last night by a dry agent, while he
had twenty cases of brandy in his car, which came from the ‘Resolute.’
He had gotten the liquor at an East River dock, from a motorboat, the
crew of which was dispensing the liquor to a number of customers who
had paid for protection. However, John’s load was seized just as he was
about to enter my garage. The cases were unloaded into a truck standing
nearby and John was placed under arrest and ordered to accompany the
agent to the police station. After they had ridden a block or so, they
let him go. The joke of the whole affair was that John was arrested by
a man undoubtedly posing as a dry agent. He might have been one--but
how do we know? I inquired and learned that the seizure of the liquor
had not been reported to the authorities. So I am the loser, to the
extent of two thousand dollars.”
The two men enjoyed a hearty laugh as Doctor Rowland continued, “Last
month, our friend White’s chauffeur was held up by two gunmen just as
he was leaving the dock with a load of liquor in the evening. You know
certain policemen are tipped off to stay away from that particular
section for an hour or two on certain nights. The gunmen jumped into
his car and pointing their revolvers at him, forced him to drive past
an empty lot. When there he was kicked out and the thieves drove off
with the car, liquor and all. White found the car standing in front of
his home the next morning.
“There is no questioning the fact that certain men accept bribes to
have the booze removed from the boats, then put the holdup gang on to
the trick, for a consideration, and still further benefit probably by
dividing the booty itself. Just plain double-crossing.
“Last week the Federal grand jury censured several dry agents for
taking large quantities of liquor out of government warehouses where
it had been stored after seizure. These agents, however, claimed that
they did not sell the stuff, but gave it away to their friends and
relatives. Who wants to believe them?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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