Brooklyn's leading rum runner, Vannie Higgins, and 36 of his men were caught by Treasury agents off of Clifton, Staten Island, December 1, 1931, as they were running in through the Verrazano Narrows in a converted British minelayer. But they had missed their supply ship in the night fog, so the U.S. Attorney's office had no option but to let them go.

"BOAT ALLEGED TO HAVE TAKEN WINE IS SEIZED," Hamilton Spectator. December 4, 1933. Page 7. --- Said to Have Carried Liquor From Hamilton ---- And Deposited It Near Rochester City --- Impounded By R.C.M.P. at Port Hope ---- A new development in the wine transaction between the H. Robinson corporation and an American bootleg ring came to light over the week-end when Sergeant Frank Samson took two men to Port Hope and seized the Harry H., a 125-foot craft that is alleged by the police to have carried the shipment of wine from Hamilton to a point near Rochester in the latter part of October.

Mounted Police officers stated that they had information in their possession that the craft in question had made the trip from Hamilton to a point near Rochester, where the purchasers of the wine had received it. Late Saturday Constables Crawford and McDuff, from the Toronto R.C.M.P. barracks, were placed on the boat after it was officially impounded by the government.

The boat has been lying in the west harbour at Port Hope for several months, ever since the law was passed prohibiting the export of liquor, but longshoremen at Port Hope said the ship was absent from its berth for three days at the time the police claim it made the trip. At this time the waterfront men said it sailed light and came back. -light and they believe the boat made the trip first to Hamilton and then to the American shore before returning.

Former Sub-Chaser The ship is of sturdy build and was used as a sub-chaser in the Black Sea during the war and is capable of doing about 40 miles an hour. It could make the trip from - its home berth to Rochester in about an hour, the lake sailors stated. It was registered at Toronto and the crew never stayed in Port Hope, residents of that town said. Whenever the ship made a trip the crew was brought down from Toronto.