PROHIBITION: Two Stories

No. 1. It was a dark night 26 miles off New York and the 63 ton motorship Shawnee, bound from Bermuda to Halifax in ballast, plowed through the seas. The Canadian ensign flew at her masthead; all lights were showing. Suddenly out of the darkness streaked a little U. S. Coast Guard boat. Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang -deafeningly five 4-lb. shells were fired, the last from within ten yards of the Shawnee’s rail. One shell entered the port side astern, grazed the exhaust pipe and passed out to starboard just above the water line. If the exhaust pipe had been hit the ship would have gone up in flames. Another shot struck the wheelhouse rail. After the volley the Coast Guard boat hailed: “What ship is that?”

“Well, you should know,”answered the skipper of the Shawnee. The boat turned on her searchlight and signalled the Coast Guard cutter Gresham to approach. The Shawnee plowed on, pumping out the water that the waves poured in through the shell holes. For a whole day Coast Guard vessels dogged her course.

Storyteller: Captain John McLeod of the Shawnee, protesting to the Canadian Government.

No. 2. It was a dark night, near Ambrose Light Ship and Coast Guard boat No. 145 sighted with her searchlight a small boat which appeared to be a U. S. vessel running without lights. The name upon her stern was covered by a canvas. Toot, toot, toot, went the Coast Guard craft, signalling for the vessel to stop. No answer. Pop, pop, pop went three blank shots from the patrol boat. Still no answer. Bang, bang went two 4-lb. shells. The vessel still refused to stop or give her name but the searchlight picked up the lettering Shawnee. upon the bow, a name which the Coast Guard knew as that of a rumrunner built a year ago in Nova Scotia. If she was bound from Bermuda to Halifax, she was 400 miles off her course. Coast Guard craft followed her to sea.

Storyteller: Rear Admiral Frederick C. Billard, Coast Guard Commandant. Accounts varied as to whether the encounter took place 16 or 26 miles off New York. In either case international complications seemed likely-more serious perhaps than those resulting from the sinking of the Canadian rumrunner I’m Alone last spring (TIME, April 1). The I’m Alone was allegedly “hotly pursued” from within the 12-mile limit. The null was without doubt fired upon almost instanter and her whereabouts at the time will make a great difference.