Rum Runners Meet Their Match in Detroit’s War on Booze

On this day in 1929, the city of Detroit was abuzz with activity as federal, state, county, and city enforcement agencies joined forces to take down the city’s thriving liquor trade. At the center of the investigation were two high-ranking Detroit police officers, Captain Joseph A. Burkeiser and Sergeant Edward Shaw, accused of collaborating with notorious rum runners. The police trial board was tasked with hearing the cases, but it was clear that the entire city was under scrutiny.