BOOTLEGGERS' PHONE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18089, 13 May 1922, Page 8 (Supplement)

BOOTLEGGERS' PHONE.

IN PROHIBITION OFFICES. Telephone men made a discovery in prohibition headquarters, New York, reoontly, which may account for the full and accurate information concerning enforcement affairs which has been displayed by booUeggors for many months. They found in checking up tho number of telephones in nso in prohibition headquarters that one instrument is missing and that then* is n. live connection in the switchboard which could not bo " traced through." It in thought probable that bootleggers have for some time beon able to listen in on conversations carried on over tho various extensions leading out from the headquarters switchboard. On several occasions it has been observed that information not yet made public had found its way to the hearing of bootleggersSources of information of persons interested in the enforcement of the Volstead Act have not, of course, been confined to any knowlerge they may have had of telephone conversations with prohibition headquarters- A. man known to bo a hootlegger was able one morning to inform E. S. Yellowly, while ho was in Now York as Acting Stato Director, that a telegram would arrivo from Commissioner Haynes in Washington that same day summoning Mr. Yellowly to Washington. A couplo of hours later tho telegram arrived. Tho telephone employees worked for hours trying to find where the live extension led. Tho discovery was made when work was begun on an inspection of the office's iclephono facilities, in connection with the removal of headquarters.