By Jim Schwartz
“Rum Runners Captured by Plum Island Coast Guard” was a headline in the May 22, 1930 issue of the Door County News. The May 16th Door County Advocate offered a much more dramatic and sensational headline “RUM RUNNER AND BIG CARGO SEIZED, Taken by Coast Guard at Plum Island, CREW OF 6 HELD AT COUNTY JAIL, Offered No Resistance When Stopped and Boarded Late Wednesday.”
The previous week, a tip was received by the Coast Guard in Chicago that the AMHERSTBURG 18 had left Goderich, Canada with a load of illegal liquor. The Coast Guard and Customs officials searched for the vessel for the next week. During that time period, Capt. Matty Jacobson of the Plum Island Coast Guard notified his lookouts on St. Martin and Rock Island to watch for any suspicious boats.
The AMHERSTBURG 18 was spotted off the whaleback reef by the St. Martin Island lookout. “THE BULL” was dispatched with Capt. Jacobson, W. Reynolds (boatswain’s mate), R. Peters, and A. Daubner (surfmen). THE BULL reached whaleback shoal at the same time as the AMHERSTBURG 18 and drew up alongside. The crew of six gave no resistance.
When boarded, the heavily laden boat was found to contain 4,000 cases and barrels of Canadian beer and ale valued at between $80,000 and $260,000. The boat was thought to be on the way to the city of Green Bay although the crew was mum about the destination.
The AMHERSTBURG 18 and crew were taken to Sturgeon Bay and the boat tied up at the Goodrich Transportation Company dock. When the crew was taken from the boat they tried to hide their faces from the many reporters from all over including Milwaukee and Chicago. One photographer from The Chicago Daily News made the trip by airplane so he could get pictures of the boat and crew as they were arriving.
Carl Young, Deputy Director of Customs at Green Bay, arrested the crew and they were placed in the Door County Jail pending the arrival of two deputies from Milwaukee carrying warrants from the United States Commissioner.
The crew of the AMHERSTBURG 18 consisted of Al Gorman, Frank Clark, Harry Slater, George Wilson, Edward Benson and Albert Jackson. All of the crew except Jackson was American. Jackson claimed to be Canadian. Afraid that the cargo of liquor would be stolen, the ship was moved to the Coast Guard station in the canal.
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The following morning the AMHERSTBURG 18 and her cargo was taken to Milwaukee. Captain William Betts of Sturgeon Bay navigated the ship with the assistance of his son Everett and several Coast Guard members. Once in Milwaukee the illegal cargo was transferred to a federal warehouse.
Several days later the crew was taken from Sturgeon Bay to Green Bay to appear before United States Commissioner John Watermolen. All six men were charged with the illegal importation and assisting to import liquor into the United States. An attorney representing the men entered a not guilty plea. The AMHERSTBURG 18 was stolen U.S. government property having been seized by the government two years earlier. The men were held in the Brown County Jail on a joint bond of $50,000 with a May 28th hearing date.
A week later the men were transferred to the Milwaukee County Jail. At the May 28th hearing, two of the crew (George Wilson and Alfred Jackson) took the stand in their own defense. Interestingly, George Wilson’s real name was Bertram Barwick, a Canadian. Alfred Jackson was actually Alfred Williams, an Englishman.
Both testified that they were employed at the last minute and didn’t know what the cargo was until they were well under way. They claimed not to know the name of the Captain who employed them. According to Barwick, the Captain later left on a speedboat that the runner had in tow.
Although the grand jury was originally scheduled for October it was rescheduled for January 23, 1931. In the meantime, the cargo was destroyed and the AMHERSTBURG 18 was sold at public auction.
All six men pled not guilty at their January 23rd trial. Barwick testified that the six men were hired the night of their sailing by three men, one of whom was the Captain. They were told the cargo was package freight. Two hours before being captured by the Plum Island Coast Guard the Captain, Chief Engineer and “a well-dressed man” left in the speedboat.
Five of the six men were found not guilty by the jury. The five were Bertram Barwick, Alfred Williams, Frank Clark, Harry Slater, and Edwin Benson. Al Gorman did not appear trial and forfeited his bond. Captain Jacobson represented the Coast Guard. After the trial Captain Jacobson was quoted as saying “They are darned nice fellows, all of them. We had no troubles and they behaved like gentlemen.”
According to papers seized by Deputy Young, the AMHERSTBURG 18 was of British registry. Her registry number was 211459 and was 86 feet long and 93 gross tons. She was built in 1895 in Neneneshe, Norway. The registered owner was John S. McQueen of Canada.
At the trial, one major surprise was the revelation that the AMHERSTBURG 18 was the legendary rum-running tug GERONIMO. The GERONIMO had already been seized once for rum running by U.S. Marshalls in May 1928 near Windsor. In December 1929, the GERONIMO ‘mysteriously’ became unmoored from her dock and drifted back across the Detroit River where she was put back in service carrying illegal liquor.
In earlier years, the AMHERSTBURG 18 served as NO. 18 South East Shoal lightship in Lake Erie (1910-1927) and recommissioned as the TIPPERARY from 1931 to 1947. She was listed as dismantled in 1948.
Link to Door County Advocate May 26, 1930:
Photo on top of page:
AMHERSTBURG 18 tied up at Milwaukee’s Jones Island dock in 1930 after being seized. Photo Credit: Great Lakes Marine Collection of the Milwaukee Public Library and Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.
Other photo:
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Jim Schwartz has been involved with the Friends of Plum & Pilot Islands for 11 years. For the past six years he has been a Board Member and the Volunteer Coordinator. In addition to his full time job he is also the Membership Services Coordinator for SailTime Door County which operates from Wave Pointe Marina in Sturgeon Bay. He holds a degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
