What day is it?

By Nila Harris

I’ve often wondered why Prohibition happened in United States history.

As an “outsider,” I believe that the events that occurred after the 18th Amendment was passed seemed to cause more harm than good. Our nation experienced tumultuous times following World War I.

And of course, hindsight is 20/20.

Prohibition began when the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which banned the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors, went into effect with the passage of the Volstead Act on January 17, 1920.

What was supposed to be a move to “improve” society set the stage for illegal activities to flourish. Organized crime, bootlegging (the illegal production and sale of liquor), gang violence, rampant bribery and a general distrust of the government that seemingly turned a blind eye, led to the repeal of Prohibition on Dec. 5, 1933.

National Bootleggers Day was founded Jan. 17, 2015, by a company called Infinium Spirits to celebrate the legendary bootleggers who went against the grain to make and procure alcohol illegally.

The 17th was chosen because it was the day Prohibition was implemented, gangster Al Capone’s birthday, and the day that the whiskey Templeton Rye was made.

This whiskey was first made in Templeton, Iowa, and helped supplement the farmers’ income during Prohibition.

It was also the whiskey of choice by Capone.

The term “bootlegger” started in the Midwest during the 1880s when cowboys would store flasks in their boots to illegally trade alcohol with Native Americans.

Soldiers tried this trick too — sneaking flasks in their boots when returning to their military camp.

One Pendleton County man (who prefers not to be named) told how his father ran a business, kept a boot with a flask in it, and would share a toast with friends who came into his establishment during the 1920s.

Rumrunners were those who smuggled alcohol through the water. They would smuggle the goods aboard ships, and bribe or post lookouts to evade authorities.

But they had to watch out for other rumrunners. The expression “there is no honor amongst thieves” applied to bootleggers too, and the shady individuals had to watch out for other criminals quick to steal their cache.

Prohibition was difficult to enforce because many seemed to be against its institution.

The bribery of enforcement agents (some receiving as much as $300,000 a month to look the other way), and violent retaliation by gangsters like Capone, Lucky Luciano and Bugsy Moran, fueled the illegal industry.

Bootleggers turned criminal activity into a thriving business and eventually became the spirit of legends. Stories of glamour, mystery, moonlit stills, hidden distilleries, and speak-easies (drinking parlors) were fueled by a general cynicism and distrust.

“Many cities proudly proclaimed that they were the nation’s wettest. In the early 1920s, Chicago had more than 7,000 speak-easies,” according to encyclopedia.com

“Physicians nationwide dispensed prescriptions for medicinal alcohol, while pharmacies applied for liquor licenses. Alcohol was available for a price and delivered with a wry smile.”

Pendleton County has its own bootlegger buried in Riverside Cemetery in Falmouth. An attorney named George Remus, known as King of the Bootleggers, managed to amass a $5 million fortune.

He operated out of Cincinnati and hoped to use his craft to circumvent the law. This backfired on Remus, and in 1925 he was sent to federal prison for violations of the Volstead Act.

While in prison, he confided in a cellmate about how his wife, Imogene, had control of his money. The cellmate was actually an undercover agent who quit his job and began an affair with Remus’ wife.

The two liquidated Remus’ assets, hid the money and plotted to have Remus killed when he got out of prison. The would-be assassin backed out of the plan and told Remus about it.

Imogene gave Remus $100 of his massive fortune and filed for divorce. On the way to finalize the divorce, the car that Imogene was in was run off the road by Remus. He promptly jumped out of the car and fatally shot his ex-wife.

Remus pleadrf insanity at his wife’s betrayal and was sentenced to an insane asylum. where he only served seven months.

Following his release, he spent a quiet, uneventful life in Covington until his death in 1952. Remus, and his second wife. Blanche, are buried in Falmouth.

To celebrate National Bootlegger’s Day on Jan. 17, you might want to listen to some Prohibition Era music like “West End Blues” by Louis Armstrong or “In the Jailhouse Now” by Jimmie Rodgers.

Enjoy some Templeton Rye Whiskey with a friend. Have a bootlegger party and dress like a gangster or a singer from the 1920s.

Watch a movie like “Lawless” with Tom Hardy and Shia LaBeouf. which tells the story of a trio of brothers threatened by authorities trying to angle in on a cut of their profits.

Another movie, “The Untouchables,” is based on true events, and features Kevin Costner as Elliot Ness and Robert DeNiro as Al Capone. Ness assembled a team to help him bring down the gangster who were aptly named The Untouchables because they couldn’t be bribed.

Or you might want to sit down and chat with Falmouth native Ben Wolfe. who has compiled a wealth of research on Pendleton County distilleries.