15 Negroes Hired to Destroy 4,000 Cases of Liquor. . . Liquor Was Seized from the Rum Ship Elma and It Has Been Stored at Wilmington. . . Judge Meekins Dooms Liquor. . . He Ordered the Contraband Destroyed—Elma Was Captured at Sea by Revenue Cutter
Wilmington, N. C., Oct. 15 (AP)—Under the direction of Marshal R. W. Ward of the eastern district, 15 negro laborers were today engaged in destroying 4,000 cases of Scotch and assorted whiskies which were taken from the rum ship Elma when that ship was brought into part her about four months ago.
Destruction of the whiskey was in compliance with an order signed by Federal Judge I. M. Meekins.
History of the Liquor
Wilmington, N.C., Oct. 15 (AP)—The destruction of the contraband carbo of the Elma was by far the largest in the history of the state, being approached only the similar fate of 1,000 cases of assorted liquors seized from the ill-fated “Message of Peace” during the fall of 1921.
The 4,000-odd cases, valued at $400,000 bootleg price, represented the finest brands of alcoholic beverage obtainable. An analysis by prohibition department chemists at Charlotte showed all samples to be absolutely pure and free from adulteration, a finding that is not published about many samples of seized bootleg liquor.
The liquor was destroyed in the same manner and at the same location as the”Message of Peace” cargo on December 14, 1922.
The cases were passed out of the barred vault in the ground floor corner of the Customs house to the street running along the Cape Fear, an ancient passageway paved with Belgian blocks. Here the cases crashed and negro stevedores demolished with axes and picks the few bottles that remained intact.
Nearly three days were required to unload and store the liquor, and the task of destroying was one not a great deal lighter. Virtually an entire day was consumed in disposing of the 1,000 cases from the “Message of Peace” and although more men were at work on the Elma’s cargo, it loomed as a job of many hours.
Crowds that outnumbered the throng which craned its neck four years ago when Wilmington’s first big rum cargo was destroyed pressed against the ropes setting off the area of destruction. Every Deputy United States Marshal that Marshal B. W. Ward could muster was on hand to see that nothing went amiss.
Then it was being towed by the Coast Guard Cutter Manning, carrying a crew of 60 men under the command of Captain Algier. The crew of 13 men were under heavy guard and the liquor was sealed beneath the hatches of the captured prize.
Thousands of citizens were attracted to the scene at the Customs Huse dock when the contraband was transferred from the Elma’s holds to the Customs Huse vault. Interst was accentuated by the knowledge that the vessel had been seen at dock in Morehead City a week prior to its capture, the last week in June, and the report that she had been engaged in the most audacious attempt to land liquor in the history of prohibition in the South Atlantic States.
The boat, when she entered the Morehead harbor and when she was overhauled off the Virginia capes by the Manning was masquerading as a government lighthouse tender and flying the official lighthouse flag at the masthead.
Later it was learned that the Elma was formerly a lighthouse tender, and had been reconditioned and sold to private individuals in Boston after being taken out of the service.
No owners have been put in a claim for the boat, and it has been advertised for sale on November 15th at public auction under libels filed against it by the United States government.
The order for the destruction of the liquor was signed by Judge I. M. Meekins, and forwarded to Marshall Ward at Raleigh by Deputy Clerk H. H. Ford of the U.S. District Court at Wilmington. The order left the method of destruction up to Marshall Ward.
The Judge’s decree order that “enough” liquor be preserved as evidence. When the boat was first captured members of the crew told newspapermen that the Elma took on more than 4500 cases in a transfer at sea, about 20 miles off Cape Lookout. They said the plan was to take on 5,000 cases, but that rough weather intervened.
It was said that many cases were thrown overboard when it was seen that the Manning was going to overhaul the craft. Less than 4,500 cases were removed from the boat and the original number was short about 20 cases when the cargo was transferred from the jurisdiction of the Collector of Port of Marshall Ward. This was accounted for, however, by officials who said that there was probably an error in the original count.
The 14 members of the crew, without disclosing who was skipper, were jailed under $10,000 bond. Later this was reduced to $1,000. The ship’s cook, said to have turned government witness, was released without bond and is now working here. One member of the crew died of tuberculosis last month.
The case is expected to be tried some time during the fall, but court officials have expressed doubt that the trial will disclose anything of importance, as the men at liberty on bond are not expected to appear.
From the front page of the Concord Daily Tribune, Friday, Oct. 15, 1926
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073201/1926-10-15/ed-1/seq-1/
