Page 86 - 2006 DT 12 Issues

November Prohibition, continued from p.1 from Bureau headquarters the first
known wire tap in Nevada. Special
D e s k S c h e d u l e The next morning at his room at the Agent Fred Meyers appeared to install
Gateway Hotel Kane acknowledged to a Dictaphone from Kelly’s office in
Wed/1 D. Kavula D. Powers Kelly that he “could only scratch my Liberty’s Last Stand on Stewart Street
Thurs/2 OPEN J. Barrett head at arm’s length.” Then came his to a receiver next door in Kane’s hotel
proposition: The Bureau would give room. The installation was scheduled
Fri/3 E. Schliepp OPEN Kelly cash to open a saloon. Cash would for after midnight, but by that time

Sat/4 W. Baruck W. Barbuck leave no trace that Uncle Sam was un- Meyers and Kane were too drunk to
climb over roofs so Kelly inherited the
Sun/5 OPEN OPEN derwriting a speakeasy. Kelly would task in a routine that Laurel and Hardy
get expenses and keep all profits. He
Mon/6 E. Rothfuss S. Stenzel would buy liquor from all purveyors might have conceived. But it worked.

Tues/7 OPEN OPEN and pay only by check. A sample of each The wholesalers babbled on unmindful
purchase would be saved for evidence. that their damning words were being
Wed/8 P. Oleson C. McLaughlin He would agree to testify against all the preserved on a little black cylinder.
Thurs/9 G. Fazio J. Barrett sellers in a federal court. The cherry in the Old Fashion came
Kelly indignantly refused to turn when U.S. Commissioner W. H. Hooper,
G. Wojciechowski Prohibition’s No. 1 enforcer in South-
Judas on his boozin’ friends. Wait, said
Fri/10 OPEN D. Powers Kane, I’m not finished. Cooperate and ern Nevada, strolled into the Liberty’s
Sat/11 P. VanDooremaal OPEN the Bureau will hire you as a special Last Stand for a gin fizz and hinted
to Kelly that his new Ford sedan was
agent at $5 a day in expenses and $2,300
Sun/12 OPEN C. McLaughlin a year salary. Suddenly Kelly saw costing him a bundle. Kelly ushered the
Mon/13 E. Rothfuss J. Geier damnation transformed and rushed to judge (Hooper insisted on being called
“judge”) into his office and, near a
Tues/14 E. Rothfuss J. Geier new-found salvation. hidden microphone, asked—How
On April 1, 1931, a garish sign an-
M. Pults nounced the opening of LIBERTY’S much? Oh, $50 a month would take
care of everything.
Wed/15 OPEN OPEN LAST STAND . . . SOFT DRINKS (?) Kane joyously took this as the cap-
AND CIGARS. Kane insisted on the
Thurs/16 G. Fazio J. Barrett ironic name and circus sign because, he stone of his sting. He ordered Kelly to
G. Wojciechowski said, it would grab newspaper editors’ at- place orders with his 30 largest suppliers
with delivery on May 18, 1931. Fifty-
tention. The Bureau wanted convictions,
Fri/17 B. Wolin OPEN one federal agents from Los Angeles and
but it also wanted national publicity. San Francisco, pretending to be sightse-
Sat/18 J. Kisosondi OPEN The operation succeeded beyond ers at Boulder Dam, would assemble
Sun/19 OPEN M./L. Utah Kane’s gin-fueled dreams. Liquor pur- to make the massive pinch as soon as
veyors from Indian Springs to Bootleg
Mon/20 E. Rothfuss S. Stenzel Canyon lined up to take Kelly’s serpent Kelly’s checks were accepted and booze
delivered. Kelly’s family had already
Tues/21 M. Slagle OPEN checks. They were a loquacious bunch, been squirreled away in California, and
Wed/22 P. Oleson OPEN too, spilling tidbits about the local take Kelly would join them immediately after
(the La Salle grossed $500 a day, minus the last arrest and, Kane advised, never
Thurs/23 -----Visitor Center Closed------ protection). Kelly and Kane got lessons return to Las Vegas.
Fri/24 OPEN E. Schliepp on the cost of doing business. Patrol- The entrapment went like clock-
men got free drinks but Police Chief work. By midday, Kelly, Kane and
Sat/25 OPEN OPEN Perry Nash expected cash plus a pint of Meyers embraced like brothers, con-

Sun/26 OPEN M./L. Utah the best. Police Commissioner Roscoe fident they had tamed an ugly rotten
Thomas came cheap: $50 a year. Kelly little town. So did many of the nation’s
Mon/27 S. Stenzel J. Geier
must expect periodic raids, but he’d be newspapers. The big bust was a one-day
Tues/28 M. Slagle J. Geier warned ahead of time. In court he was sensation. The bust deflated. While some
Wed/29 B. Wolin OPEN to give a John Smith name even if the whiskey peddlers got federal prison
judge was a pal. Feds would raid about terms, the biggest fish in the net received
Thurs/30 G. Fazio J. Barrett twice a year, but for $200 wouldn’t ax only heavy fines and within two weeks
G. Wojciechowski the inventory. were operating under the old rules.
So much information spewed from Police Chief Nash was removed from
Changes? Call Kate at 515-5353 the bootleggers that Kane requested office but not indicted. And the biggest
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