Let’s remember when the Seattle Times reported on bootleggers smuggling liquor via circus train, on this day in 1933 (August 4)
This story is rather hilarious, a story about the ingenious ways people were resorting to sneaking booze into the US during Prohibition.
HistoryLink’s Phil Dougherty said:
On August 4, 1933, The Seattle Times publishes a humorous article written by reporter Doug Welch (1907–1968) about an attempt to smuggle liquor from Canada into the United States at Blaine on a circus train. There are any number of creative and entertaining stories about smuggling liquor during Prohibition (in effect from 1916 until 1933 in Washington state), and this essay talks about three of them, including Welch’s story.
The circus train crossed the Canadian border at Blaine, edged up to the town’s train station, and squealed to a stop. It was midnight, the depot was dark, but customs inspectors were there and waiting. Several men casually sauntered out and began walking the length of the train. A circus manager on the train, equally casual, hopped down to the depot’s platform, fired up a cigarette, and waited.
A customs man eyed the circus boss. “I suppose you haven’t any liquor on this train,” he said laconically. “Hell no,” affirmed the circus man with faux innocence. “We know better than that.”
The inspector didn’t think so. Climbing into a baggage car, he opened a trunk that appeared to contain scraps of old clothes. He slid his hand underneath the clothes — and out popped the head of an angry rattlesnake from a corner of the trunk. Screaming, the inspector whipped out his .45 revolver and fired off a couple of rounds at the snake. The circus baggage master then owned up that there were a dozen more snakes in the trunk. The inspector ordered him to take them out. The carny refused. The inspector offered to shoot the rest of them. The carny changed his mind. Out came the snakes, and lo, what was there but twelve quarts of whiskey hidden underneath their lair.
A bribe could’ve worked out better for everyone.
Read the whole thing:
