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Vermont Prohibition News Articles

Exciting Capture
May 13, 1931 issue of the Orleans County Monitor

The seizure of a Cadillac phaeton, 576 bottles of Canadian Ale, 12 bottles of wine, a Chrysler roadster wrecked, and the capture of the driver of the rum car, were the work of U.S. Customs patrol officers W.M. Stone and E.E. Revoir patrolling near North Hyde Park early Sunday morning.

When they were patrolling in that vicinity at about 6:30 Sunday morning the Chrysler roadster was seen coming at a fast clip. Having a suspicion that the operator was acting as a rear pilot to a rum car, they took up the chase. They had no trouble in passing the roadster as en route it was found down over a bank badly wrecked after turning completely over when it connected with and cut off a telephone pole.

Bent on capturing the rum car the government car shot through the entanglement of wires placed across the highway when the pole was cut off, overtaking the rumrunner three miles father south.

The operator of the rum car leaving his car in gear stepped to the running board and jumped, hitting the shoestring trail cross country. The officers shifted their course by plowing through the fence and out across an open field in pursuit of the fleeing man with their automobile, resulting in his capture.

Returning to the highway, they found the Cadillac nearly a quarter of a mile out in a field where it had gone unguided and without damage.

The rum driver was Gerald G. Dudley of North Hyde Park, who was held by U.S. Commissioner Walter H. Cleary under bail of $1,000.

Barre Rumrunner Caught
With Heavy Load After Long Chase By Customs Patrol Officers
Article from the May 9, 1930 issue of the Newport Express and Standard

A Cadillac automobile, heavily loaded with liquor, was captured by customs patrol officers at the Pioneer on River Street in Montpelier at 4:20 Tuesday morning and the driver, Leo Fisher, of Barre, was taken into custody. His machine lost a tire as it was speeding along the cement highway toward Barre after passing through Montpelier, the accident breaking a rear wheel and bringing the machine to a stop.

The officers, Fay Temple and Wilford Stone, who had been in pursuit all the way from Eden, in the northern part of the state, caught up with the rum car and arrest the driver, taking him and the contraband to Newport, after repairs had been made on the damaged automobile at a Montpelier garage. Another automobile, believed to be a pilot car, was noticed, but it made its escape.

The rum car was operated a breakneck speed and Fisher was about to land his valuable load at the destination point in the Granite City when apprehended. The rum car bore Vermont registration plates No. 27575.

A check u p of the contents on the arrival of the officers back in Newport revealed 312 quart bottles of ale, 192 bottles of Guinness Stout, 96 bottles of wine, and 168 bottles of vermuth.

Temple and Stone have prevented several loads from reaching their destination thus far this season, the one of Tuesday being a record breaker on mileage.

Before U.S. Commissioner, Walter H. Cleary Tuesday evening, bail was fixed at $2,000 which was provided and Fisher released from jail.