❖ BOOZE RUNNER ON THE ROCKS ❖

The U. S. S. GUARD Makes Large Liquor Seizure

Six Thousand Dollars Work of Canadian Liquor and Opium 

 in Hands of Federal Authorities.

The US Revenue Cutter GUARD

Jane Barfoot Hodde noted "the GUARD 

was slow and couldn't catch many rumrunners".

While cruising about Smith Island Tuesday afternoon, Captain Greene of the U.S.S. GUARD, picked up a booze runner, whose craft, the speed boat K 247, had been driven ashore on Miner's Ledge of Smith Island, during the southwest blow Sunday.

      The boat's cargo consisting of 49 cases of choice Canadian booze valued at $5,000, besides several thousand dollars worth of opium according to the owner, was being taken to Seattle for the Christmas trade. The owner of the contraband goods and boat gave his name as Giles Martin of Seattle. He was accompanied by an assistant whose name was not learned. The speed boat is a total wreck.

      The men were completely worn out by their shipwreck experience and made no effort to destroy the convicting evidence when approached by Capt. Greene. They, with the contraband were brought to Friday Harbor; late Tuesday afternoon they were taken to Seattle where the booze runners will be turned over to the federal authorities for prosecution.

       This is one of the largest and the first booze seizure by the Coast Guard since last February, and Capt. Greene is to be congratulated upon his good fortune."

Text only from: The Friday Harbor Journal
Front Page, 30 November 1922

      A few years previous to this incident, Gus Viking of Friday Harbor, served as a crew member on the cutter GUARD, as noted in the FHJ of Feb. 1916.