The Seattle Star Newspaper, October 16, 1922, Page 14

Bootlegging ‘All About the “Knockover Kings.” Sometimes Officers Blamed Unfairly. Worst Men in Trade Sell “Fake” Whisky. Tomorrow “Inside Business Secrets.” (Biaitor’s Note: This is the fifth of a series of articles on the bootlegging fndustry in Seattle, It is not a fanciful tale—it is w plain, matter-of-fact statement as made to a reporter for The Star by one of the principal “retailers” In Seattle, The reader must bear in mind that it is the story the bootlegger, told from his own viewpoint, and that The Star does not in any way subscribe to many of his views.) e-. BY JOHN DOE, M. D. (As Related to Robert Bastien Bermann) In my previous articles I have pretty well covered what I term the “legitimate” side of the bootlegging business— that is, the activities of those men who deal in bonded whisky and who strive only for a reasonable percentage of profit. i : 5 Hy I now turn to the other side of the question—the illegiti- mate side. In this class I place every one who sells adul- terated or fake products—and, in addition, bonded liquors who reap an unreasonable profit by reason of extortionate selling prices or the acquisition of liquor by dishonest means, dsebats The largest, and most dangerous, class of illegitimate bootleggers comprises the “knockover kings.” By “knockover king” I mean those|tionsand we can rarely get anyone men who, instead of buying their}to consent to raid them. Hquor in Vancouver and smuggling! Outside of the “knockover kings, it across the line, let the other fel) the largest class of illegitimate boot- low go to this expense and danger | jeggors comprise the “Joints"—“blind ‘and then steal his cargo from him | pigs,” fan they used to be called. by means of stealth or violence. | These “Joints"—except when they jare in alliance with a “knockover | king,” as is frequently the case—are | mot necessarily dishonest, but they jare awful profiteers. Most of them buy their liquor tn bottle at a time—because the lea» dispose of it if there is a raid. And they sell practically all of it drink—60 cents for a glass that holds |Scarcely more than a thimbieful. Even if they are selling high-clasn they probably have to pay $7.50—but that is only a fraction of what they get out of It. They water their whiskey, you see—a fifth of a gallon of water to a fifth of liquor. with their small tumblers, this makes it possible for them to average 60 drinks to the bottle—or $20. They may have to give away a few drinks, no@ and then, to keep the good will of their trade, but, even at that, they can count on a net profit of $2 & bottle. If they sell, say, half a case a day, thelr profit. is made up of law-en-|which makes us bottle retailers look officers. These are th@! pretty small. make raids on thelr own) ut they have to pay tremendous t who don’t even pretend 4 Protection. As against the mere $50 e's anything legal about tt.) , month that we hand out, many of ply get hold of our liquor ing +joints* are compelled to go as us to beat it and foFB® | nigh as $500 or even $1,000 a month. ‘The retatler, you see, pays only to the patrolman on his beat and, maybe, to the sergeant. But the “joint” has to pay in 15 different directions— half a dozen different policemen and rast tee runt ! a7egt itt | dealers in! very small quantitios—sometimes a they have on hand the easier it ts to| THE SEATTLE STAR |Wedding Postponed; | {Too Busy Canning) “Too Fa oa i | c post poned | | wedding with Frederick Hopkins two weeks { | ee las many prohibition agents, at least | However,,the shrewd “Joint oper ator ts uper. In laddition to the whisky business, the {joint buying, an x rula from wholesalers at 26 cents « quart and selling et $1, In some anes the “Joint” makes ite own beer 1 then it usually sells at 50 to cents a bottle—as the cost Iw only about 10 cents or less y no means a usually sells beer Also, most of the “Joints” have an jother business —the nature of which }I intimated in a previous article. These “joints don't Hke to sell |Mquor by the bottle. The profit inn’t | big enough for them—altho they charge a stiff price, $10 a fifth, as a | rule, As far as the public welfare goes, the worst type of bootleg gers are those who deal in “fake” whiskies, I don't knew much about this business—except that the stuff they sell is absolutely . as I know to my sor the death of several friends who have been victimized, There ts no way to protect yourself Against this class—nnless you go on the wagon or else buy thru a boot |legger whom you know to be able. The stuff ts colored vored #0 that it looks, sme! | tastes like the stuff that it to be, and the counterfeit [labels and stamps are usually Jabeut perfec | ‘The manufacturer t# usually * \ clever that even the corks are swelle Lup just as they are in bonded whisky But I wouldn't have the least rey on men who sell this kind of tuff. If you buy a bottle of poison whisky and are fortunate enough | to live thru the expert by the | tirst thing you ought jnome absolutely incorruptible public official and tnaist on the arrest of ithe dealer. Uquor they make a tremendous prof. ! it. If they buy a bottle at a time | shine bar,” The moonshiners and the “moon where home-made whisky sold at 25 cents a drank, are also |MMegitimate—tn. that they don't sel! good Viquor. | not as iniquitous as those of the fake And, | whisky-vendor But thetr practices are an, altho moonshine in frequently fatal, it fs not sold un dor false pretenses and the man who la idiotic enough to poison himeelf! with moonshine deserves everything | he gets, | As for the drugstore vendors, they | ro really legitimate. As far as I am personally concerned, I have no par-| $120—| ticular stomach for drinking grain | alcohol myself—but I never heard of it killing anyone. The only thing | that I can’t understand ts why a man | will pay $10 a quart for gin manu factured In two minute’ from water, | alcohol and easence of Juniper, when | he can get good Gordon's gin from us at $8. Tomorrow I will go into some tn- aide secrete of the business—and tell you how we're able to get away with at, THE BON MARCHE BarGain BASEMENT Low Operating Expense and Volume of Business Permit Us to Offer them clean, and they turn to the knockover game in a desperate effort to recoup. I. say desperate—and I mean it. Because this class of “knockover king” never lasts Jong. They are be- | PLUSH | COATS But no one has anything but con- tempt for the doyble-crosser.. ‘The law-enforcement officers, en- tirely aside from ethical reasons, have no use for the “knockover kings” because the latter are con-| tinually getting the officers “in Dutch” by using their names when they make their raids. Lots of Nearly as Many Styles as Coats! Big Bargains Fur-Collared “Saltz” 919.75 Rich, lovely Plush Coats, selling at low bargain prices, This is a deputy sheriffs are blamed by boot-| most unusual event, and it merits your immediate attention. —Raceoon —Kit Coney —Fitch Opossum —Coney —Skunk Opossum and —Others with Fur Collars leggers today for stealing lquor that they've never even seen. The “knockover kings,” wearing deputy sheriffs’ badges and calling each other by the actual names of certain deputies, manage to convince their Victims that they are really ofticers | ~and then this misinformation finds its way to Sheriff Matt Starwich, and the officers who were imperxon- ated are called up on the carpet. Which really isn't right—because the officers are guilty of enough stuff without being blamed for what they didn't do, The legitimate bootloggers, on the other hand, have even less use for the “knockover kings” than have the efficers. First, of course, no one enjoys losing a cargo for which he paid eight or nine “grand” (a “grand” is $1,000). But that isn't the worst of it. The “knockover kings,” not content with theft, proceed to ruin the market for us by underselling. As the liquor didn’t cost them a cent they can naturally afford to do this and it makes our regular custom. ers think that we're holding them up, whereas, as a matter of fact, we're making a much smaller profit than the “knockover kings.” But, as I said before, the “knock- over king” of this class doesn’t last very long an a rule. Suits Two sha from. Sizes 3 to 7. Full cut coats of latest fashion, with corded belts, and some with fur cuffs to match the collars, Sizes to 44. Kiddies’ Corduroy Strong 2-plece Corduroy Suits with sallor $2.29 collars. des of brow n to choose Just Arrived! Tricotine and Poiret Twill Watch for daily announce- ments of October Trade Sale Events, TheBonMarché PIKE STREET—SECOND AVENUE—UNION STREET See the new Barbara Lee Dresses—Utmost in Style and Value—at $39.50. October Trade Sale of Silks __|39-Inch All-Silk Canton Crepe $2.45|___ One of the most popular of silks for dresses. In henna, bisque, cinder, cornflower, sand, bright-eye blue, poppy, purple, brown, periwinkle, jade, ivory, navy, midnight and black. 36 and 39-Inch Soft Silk-Pile Duvetyn, Yd. 35-Inch Natural Pongee Very lustrous and durable, in natural | color, Fine for dresses, draperies, un / Cc derwenr and children’s clothes. 35-Inch Black Satin Messaline A good, durable quality, very popular | for dresses and blouses—and very inex: | pensive in the October Trade Sales ‘98c Tuesday. 39-Inch Chiffon Velvet Soft, lustrous Chiffon Velvet—reduced for this event. In shades of American | $4.75 Beauty, royal blue, Copenhagen, mial- berry, navy and black, $2.95 Ever so nice for trimmings, dresses and millinery purposes, In navy, jade, poppy, henna, copper, seal, golden brown, emerald, cin- der, Copenhagen, sapphire, rust, burnt orange, midnight and black. season. 35-Inch Chiffon Taffeta An extra fine quality, soft and non- crushing, in shades of navy, brown and | $] 25 Tuesday. ) 35-Inch Plain and Changeable Satins at an extra low price. Plain and changeable, Instrous and durable. In 36-Inch Minuette Tricolette Including navy, midnight, cinder, gold, Copenhagen, poppy, taupe, nickel, white and black. binek, offered at a very low price for Satins | $4.25 most wanted colors and black. American Beauty, jade, redwood, ecru, turquolse, | $4.65 Fabric Floor—Third—The Bon Marche S6inch Knit Krepe, Ya. 1.95 A banner offer for Tuesday in the October Trade Sales. Popular Knit Krepe for a very low price. Full 36 inches wide. In the most wanted colors of the 36-Inch Black Dress Satin Very lustrous and pretty, In a Jet black, $1.25 & muchwanted fabric for all dress pur- poses, 36-Inch Lustrous Gown Satin | $1.95 Glossy Satin in shades of navy, brown, ~ . turquoise, henna, midnight and bisck. | 40-Inch Charmeuse Satin brown, copper, hgh Hey Ml orchid, gold, rose, beige, jade, , apricot, midnight and black, } October Trade Sale of Shoes 3,000 pairs of Women’s Pumps, Oxfords and Shoes made by leading manufacturers of women’s fine footwear, were bought especially for this event. Illustrated: are a few of the many attractive styles. 780 Pairs Women’s and Girls’ Oxfords, and Shoes, Par 4-90 Fine patent colt, black or brown kid and calfskin, with Goodyear welt sewed soles, Cuban or low heels, with rubber top lifts. Fine for street wear. Widths AA to D. Sizes 3 to 9. Upper Main Floor—The Bon Marche October Trade Sale of 281 Untrimmed Hats Beauties— $2.45—$3.45 LOT 2 1,260 Pairs of Women’s Extra Values Fine Black or Brown Satin with brocaded quarters; black kid or pat- ent colt in this lot. Newest of patterns on semi-French last, with turned soles and full Louis heels. All the season's accepted styles, fabrics and leathers. Sizes 214 to 8, widths AA to D. Upper Main Floor—The Bon Marche Dependable Linens Priced Very Low Irish Damask, Yard $1.75 Pure Irish Linen Damask, handsome patterns. 70-In. Damask, Yd. $1.95 Irish Linen Damask, good pat- terns, 22-inch Napkins to match, $6.00 dosen. Linen Crash, Yard 15c Alllinen Crash, natural color, 16 Inches wide. Limit of 10 yards to a customer, Turkish Towels 20c Each Heavy Bleached Towels, nize 19x38. Limit of one dozen to a customer, Crash Toweling 5c Unbleached, 16 inches wide. Pillow Cases 30c No dressing, 42x36, Put just a touch of trimming here and there and you have a new Winter Hat! They’re Approved Styles for Fall and Winter at Very Little Cost Small, medium and large, soft crown models, novelty effects of Paon, Lyon’s or erect-pile velvet. Poppy red, brown, pheasant, sand, navy and black. Decided Vdlues in: Bedding Cotton Blankets $3.95 Woolnap, wool-finished White Cotton Blankets, An expert trimmer will be on the floor to tack the trimmings on if you choose. Cotton Blankets $4.95 LOT 3 1,120 Pairs Women’s Sap Pumpe $8.89 Footwear for street or dress—combi- nations of black, brown or beige suede ‘ings of patent, gunmetal or brown calf. Also all-black kid with Cuban The dress pumps are of satin or patent, some combination effects. Cuban or Louis heels. Sizes 214 to 9, widths AA to D. Upper Main Bon Marche Just Arrived! For October Trade Sales New Top Coats Woolnap Blankets, 72x84; gray, Pink, blue borders, Plaid Blankets $4.50 Gold, hello, tan, pink, gray and blue; size 66x80; $4.50 pair. Baby Blankets 35¢ Plaid Blankets, size 30x40, In Here is one instance where the law-enforcement officers and the bootleggers work hand in hand in protecting the 18th amend ment. The bootleggers, of course, have a “secret service,” which is far more efficient than any branch of the law enforcement Millinery Section—Third Floor—The Bon Marche OCTOBER TRADE SALE OF NOTIONS Pins with good sharp points, 300 Braided Elastic in a nice, even in package, 4¢. weave; %-inch width; black or Pure gum Household Aprons, white; 3 yards for 10¢. in medium size, rubber tape Bias Binding in white, solid col- at neck, in colors of gray and ors und stripes. ‘The. white Pl and blue. red; each 35¢. comes in different widths, 6 y Blankets 15¢ Silk Sewing Thread, 50 yards on —_yards on a bolt, 3 bolts 26¢, Shoét Blankets, size 27x36. Ins, spool; smooth finish; good as» Cotton and Mercerized” Rick. , aa 1 sortment of colors and black; rack Brald in white and some | Heavy Sheets $1.40 Each 4¢ spool. colors; 3 and 6 yards on bolt, Full size Bed Sheets, no dress- Selssors in 6 and Tinch lengths; 3 bolts for 25g. ing; size 81x90. good cutting edge; pair, 25¢. English Twill Tape in white, & alco Sanitary Pads, medium yards on bolt. "%, %, %, % fiove Pidew Cases 35¢ Ze x56. size; 1 dozen in pkg. 25¢, %-inch widths It, 10¢, ‘Third Floor—-The Bon Marche at $15.75 . Exceptional Values! Most practical coats for business, travel- ing, motoring and outings. The materials are double face and rose plaid back coatings, DRESSES $14.89 6 Delightful Styles Fine grade Tricotine and Poiret Twill, in navy blue and black. Lovely long, flowing sleeves, and differently trimmed with beads, ‘The “knockover kings” among the braid, ribbon and Chenille embroid- Jawenforcement officers themselves ery. See them. Sizes to 42, do not run the same risk—as they have too many influential connec- imported pinhole checks and diagonal tweeds. Inverted pleats in the back, con- vertible collars, strapped and cuffed sleeves. Youthful models—one in particular with sleeves finished with three buckled straps. Patch pockets and breast pockets. Women’s and misses’ sizes. Second Floor—The Bon Marche Upper Main Floor—The Bon Marche