Lawless Twenties xx-xx-xx (12) The Flood of Bootleg Gold - 'Dutch' Eddie Harris - Harold's Old Time Radio

Summary6 min read

Podcast Summary: "Lawless Twenties (12): The Flood of Bootleg Gold – 'Dutch' Eddie Harris"

Podcast: Harold's Old Time Radio
Episode Date: November 2, 2025
Episode Title: The Lawless Twenties (12): The Flood of Bootleg Gold – "Dutch" Eddie Harris

Overview

This episode dramatizes the Prohibition era's rampant corruption and bootlegging, focusing on the true-to-life pursuit of the notorious rum runner "Dutch" Eddie Harris and the harbor police’s struggle against insiders betraying them for illicit profit. Through the character-driven narrative, listeners are immersed in high-stakes cat-and-mouse chases, moral quandaries, and the corrosive influence of criminal fortunes on public servants. The episode highlights the impact of "bootleg gold"—the vast sums from illegal liquor that tempted even those trusted to uphold the law.

Key Discussion Points & Story Beats

1. Setting the Scene: Harbor Police and Rum Runners [02:20]

The episode opens at the waterfront headquarters of a city’s harbor police. A reporter named Bob interviews Captain McEwen for stories from the roaring twenties.
The Captain recalls the speed and cunning of Dutch Eddie Harris, a bootlegger with a fleet of fast boats and inside information on police movements.
Captain McEwen hints at the untold story of how inside tips often thwarted their attempts to catch Dutch Eddie.

2. The Code: How the Bootleggers Stayed Ahead [04:40]

Police intercept coded messages (“too much moon”, “too much copper”) exchanged between Dutch Eddie’s operations and their land-based informants. These phrases signal whether or not the police are active on the water.
- Notable Quote:
  “If word had gone through that we were on the prowl… the message would have been: too much copper.” — Captain McEwen [05:11]

3. The First Bust and Fallout [06:30]

Despite precautions, Dutch Eddie’s fleet is tipped off and another near-miss occurs.
The harbor police encounter Dutch Eddie's boat; a chase ensues, and after shots are fired, they manage to sink the boat and prepare to rescue survivors.
In a private scene, the corrupt Lieutenant Murray is confronted by Eddie for the costly loss, exposing Murray’s role as the police informant. Eddie's anger centers on both the financial loss and the death of a crew member (Timmy Nolan’s brother).
- Notable Quote:
  “Take my word for it, copper, it would’ve been twice as dangerous for you not to come.” — Dutch Eddie [08:13]
- “I ain’t paying you good dough to leave me messages… when you got something that important, you tell me yourself.” — Dutch Eddie [09:20]

4. Double Crosses and Tension [10:54]

The harbor police get a rare tip that Dutch Eddie himself will be on one of the boats, presenting a golden opportunity.
Captain McEwen orders a discreet operation, instructing Murray not to breathe a word—a test of his loyalty Murray wrestles with, unsure if he should warn Dutch Eddie or let him get caught (and killed) to cover up his own deceit.

5. The Final Confrontation: Catastrophe on the Water [13:02]

During the raid, the police attempt to capture Dutch Eddie alive—orders are to avoid sinking the boat if possible.
Lieutenant Murray, panicked, orders a fatal shot, killing all on board, including Dutch Eddie. This loss eradicates the only lead to identify the mole within the police.
- Notable Quote:
  "You got excited and gave orders for a shell to be fired amidships to kill half the crew of that boat?" — Captain McEwen [17:41]
- "If Harris is dead, our chance of finding out who's been tipping him off has gone with him." — Captain McEwen [18:00]

6. Retribution: The Snare Tightens [19:30]

Murray is confronted by Timmy Nolan, who seeks revenge for his brother’s death. A tense conversation unfolds in which Murray tries to justify himself.
- Notable Quote:
  “You got me wrong, Nolan. I didn’t know we were after Eddie. I would’ve warned him…” — Murray [21:20]
- "You haven’t even got enough of what it takes to take your medicine without crying… It’ll be a pleasure doing time just thinking of you getting fried." — Timmy Nolan [22:30]
Captain McEwen arrives, revealing Murray has been the prime suspect all along and had been tested that night.

7. Moral Reflection: Why Did Murray Fall? [24:10]

Murray is arrested and, though not executed, receives a long prison sentence.
The Captain discusses the corrosive impact of illegal money, noting Murray was paid more for a tip-off than he’d earn in a year.
- Notable Quote:
  “They bought many a man's soul in those days. It later turned out that Eddie Harris paid Murray as much for a tip as he ordinarily made in a year. Under those circumstances, it's easy to see why a weak man would go wrong, isn't it, Bob?” — Captain McEwen [25:02]

8. Conclusion: Not All Were Corrupt [25:45]

Despite the story of Murray, the Captain affirms that the majority of the harbor police were honest men.
Bob, the reporter, is grateful for the story, inspired to use "The Flood of Bootleg Gold" as a title.

Memorable Quotes and Timestamps

“If word had gone through that we were on the prowl… the message would have been: too much copper.”
- Captain McEwen [05:11]
“Take my word for it, copper, it would’ve been twice as dangerous for you not to come.”
- Dutch Eddie [08:13]
“I ain’t paying you good dough to leave me messages… when you got something that important, you tell me yourself.”
- Dutch Eddie [09:20]
"You got excited and gave orders for a shell to be fired amidships to kill half the crew of that boat?"
- Captain McEwen [17:41]
"You haven’t even got enough of what it takes to take your medicine without crying… It’ll be a pleasure doing time just thinking of you getting fried."
- Timmy Nolan [22:30]
“They bought many a man's soul in those days... Under those circumstances, it's easy to see why a weak man would go wrong, isn't it, Bob?”
- Captain McEwen [25:02]

Key Segments & Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|----------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:20 | Introduction to the harbor police and rum runner backstory | | 04:40 | Explanation of coded messages and police tactics | | 06:30 | First chase, sinking of Dutch Eddie’s boat, fallout | | 08:13 | Corrupt cop Murray’s exchange with Dutch Eddie | | 10:54 | Plotting and tension over whether to tip off the criminals | | 13:02 | The climactic confrontation and loss of Dutch Eddie | | 19:30 | Timmy Nolan confronts Murray over betrayal and vengeance | | 24:10 | Murray’s arrest and moral reflection by Captain McEwen | | 25:45 | Affirmation of the honesty of most officers, episode wrap-up |

Overall Tone & Style

Maintaining an atmosphere of suspense and hard-edged moral ambiguity, the episode blends classic pulp dialog with the underlying tension of Prohibition-era police work. Dialog is gritty (“I ain’t paying you good dough to leave me messages…”) and characters are painted with the broad brushstrokes of old-time radio, using clipped, evocative speech and clear hero/villain divides, softened only by the occasional acknowledgment of human frailty and greed.

Takeaway

The episode remains a compelling dramatization of how the lawless wealth of Prohibition tested even the supposedly incorruptible, and how a few bad actors could cast a shadow over the many honest officers of the time. The story’s heart lies in its vivid depiction of temptation, betrayal, and the harsh justice of an era saturated in the illicit "bootleg gold" that flooded the twenties.

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Transcript1 lines

[00:02]
A
And Doug, here we have the Limu emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug. Limu. Is that guy with the binoculars watching us? Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you need@libertymutual.com Liberty. Liberty. Liberty. Liberty Savings. Very unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company and affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts. The lawless twenties. We bring you another on the regular weekly series of radio dramatizations of personalities and institutions that sprang out of the lawless twenties and combined to give that era its notoriety. The events depicted in this series are based upon actual files, but for obvious reasons, fictitious names and places have been substituted. We take you now to the waterfront headquarters of the harbor police of a large metropolitan city. Well, Bob, what can I tell you about the harbor police that'll make interesting reading. Well, there certainly must be half a dozen good yarns a day on an exciting beat like this. That used to be the case, Bob. You know those waters out yonder are where Dutch Eddie Harris and his mob operated. Say, were you in the harbor police during those days, Captain? I sure was. I was in command of one of the speediest little gunboats afloat. And even then, more often than not, it wasn't fast enough. Gee, the bootlegger sure must have had fast boats. Fast boats and good information, Bob. Only we didn't know that then. We just marked it down as bad luck every time one of Dutch Eddie's boats spotted us and made a run for it. Say, it sounds to me that you selected the story we were talking about, Captain. How about it? It's a fact, Bob. We didn't tumble to the fact that Dutch Eddie and his boys were being kept informed of our whereabouts until one night. Oh, now, wait a minute, wait a minute. I'm getting a little ahead of my story. You know who Dutch Eddie was, don't you? Yes, but only in a general way, I'm afraid. Eddie was one of the biggest rum runners in this area. He was operating on a big scale with a fleet of speedy boats. We'd been under orders to get him for months. The breaks never seemed to come our way until one night. Oh, Murray, tonight may be the night you took every precaution to keep our movements secret. Yes, sir. Even the wireless has been keyed off so that the rum runners can't cut in on our messages. Sparks, locate any messages going through anything that sounds like Dutch Eddie's land station? Well, no, the. The only thing he has Been picking up is something that sounds like too much moon. Too much moon. Good, good. Excuse me, sir, but does that mean something to you? I've been puzzling over it ever since Sparks reported it coming over. Well, it means that our movements haven't been reported to Eddie's land operator. Not yet anyhow. He's slipped up this time. You mean the one we've suspected of contacting the rum runners and getting. If word had gone through that we were on the prowl out here tonight, the message would have been too much copper. Too much copper. So that's how they look. Yes, what is it? Radio shack reporting, sir. Message from land station has been changed now. Reads too much copper. Too much copper. I guess I spoke a too soon. Thanks, Parks. Murray, order full speed ahead. You better take your post at the forward gun. As soon as we sight Harris's boat, put one across her bow. She fails to heave to sink her gun. Crews to stations. Prepare forward gun for action. Motor launch off starboard side. Running without lights. Pull a shot across the bow, Lieutenant Murray. Aye, aye, sir. One across the bow. Fire. They're making a run for it. Fire at will. Aye, aye, sir. Fire at will. Good work, men. A direct hit. The sinking for gun. Cease firing. Make ready to pick up survivors. Aye, aye, sir. Cut your motors. Make ready to pick up survivors. Who's that? It's me, Murray. Well, well, Lieutenant. So nice you could call. Never mind the sarcasm, Eddie. I got your message that you wanted to see me. You ought to know it's dangerous for me to come up here. I can't. Yeah, well, take my word for it, copper. It would have been twice as dangerous for you not to come. All right. What happened last night, well, that was just one of those things, Eddie. I didn't know until. I'm paying you to know. That little trip of yours cost me one of my best boats last night. Not to mention a couple of hundred cases of first class stuff. Well, we were sailing under sealed orders. I didn't find out that they had the tip about your boat until it was almost sailing time. Besides, I left a message. Look, Murray, I ain't paying you good dough to leave me messages. When you got something as important as that, you tell me yourself. You get it. Okay, Eddie, you say so. I just said so, didn't I? Timmy Nolan's kid brother didn't come up last night after the boat went down. Timmy's almost crazy. All he wants is I should tell him who is responsible for getting us our wires crossed. Now, wait a minute, Eddie. I Wasn't responsible. You keep that crazy killer away from me. Why, that guy, he'd cut your throat. Feature to the fishes. Sure. That's what I think, too. That's why we better not get our wires crossed again. Say sure, sure, Eddie, I. I get it. It won't happen again. Lieutenant Murray speaking. This is Captain McEwen. Murray, I want you to round up the crew and have them with the dock within an hour. But, Captain, they just came off duty. They're not due back on until tomorrow night. I know all that. Round them up. This is a special job, and I want to handle it myself. We just got word that Dutch Eddy's fleet is getting set to load up. And Eddie is riding one of the boats himself. Dutch Eddy on one of the boats? Why, that's. I know, I know. It's one of the best breaks we've had yet. I'll get the men together. Don't forget, I don't have a word of this to anyone. Right, Captain. See you at the pier. Get there as soon as you can. I better warn Dutch Eddie. He's walking right into a trap. Or should I? If he got killed tonight, nobody would ever know that I'd been selling him information. And Timmy Nolan would never know who would? Who was the cause of his brother getting killed in that last raid. Well, Marie, tonight may be the night. Dutch Eddie's out here on the pond someplace, and he doesn't know that we're after him. How about that land station of his captain? Have they been in contact with him yet? Sparks has picked up a couple of messages, but nothing to show that they're wise to our being out here. They're evidently getting ready to land somewhere on the north shore. Because their land station keeps jabbering north. No moon boat running without lights off. Starboard quarter. 300 yards, sir. Right. Order men of their stations. Murray. We're to take Dutch Eddy's boat without sinking, if possible. Hi, Isaac. Board gun crew. Prepare to fire a warning shot. Fire. They're making a run for it, sir. Shall we sink them? No. Run them down. You are the gray bolt. He tool and submit the search. This is harbor police. Come and get us. Put another shot across the bow, Lieutenant. Aye. I. Hard deck. Plan the hit. Ahoy. Stand by for boarding party. Okay, copper, you got us. Make ready a boarding partner. Lieutenant. Forward gun, fire. Lieutenant Murray. High order. Cease firing. Make ready to pick up survivors. Make ready to pick up survivors. Life preservers on the starboard side. Lieutenant Murray to the bridge. Aye, aye, sir. You heard my orders. I think I distinctly said that we were to take the boat without sinking. Well, I. I thought they were getting ready to rake us with the aft machine gun, sir. I. I got excited. You got excited and gave orders for a shell to be fired amidships to kill half the crew of that boat? Yes, sir, but. But nothing. That shell may have destroyed the very purpose of this trip. To get Dutch Eddie Harris alive. You mean he. I mean that if Harris is dead, our chance of finding out who's been tipping him off has gone with him. Then we may never know who it was. All hands on board are dead, sir. Now we never will find out who it was. Well, I thought you'd never get here, copper. Who? You. How did you get in here, away from that pocket sucker? I don't need much shoving around to squeeze this trigger and splash you all over the wall. What do you want? You don't know me, do you, chum? No. Never saw you before in my life. My name's Timmy Nolan. Huh? That means something to you? Ah, so you recognize the name, huh? Well, I heard of you. What do you want with me? I never did anything to you, you know, called killing my kid brother. Not doing nothing on top of that as much as put the finger on my best pal, Eddie Harris. Now, wait a minute, Nolan. You. You got me wrong. I never put the finger on Eddie. I didn't even know myself. You're a liar, Murray, and you know it. I'm not lying, Nolan. I've been on the level with you guys. I tipped Eddie off every time I knew we were on his trail. It was an accident about your part. What do you mean, accident? He's dead, ain't he? I gave Eddie the tip on that, Nolan. Honest I did. He just got the message too late. By the time he put it over the wireless to the boat, well, it was too late. And they tried to outrun us and missed. But he never would have took any stuff on board if he'd got the tip. You blasted him because you was afraid he'd blow the whistle. Oh, no, you got me wrong, Nolan. I didn't know we were after Eddie. I would have warned him. We were buddies. I was in his corner. You know that. All right, Nolan. That'll do it. Captain, thank goodness you got here where this hood was. You're under arrest, Murray. Took us a long time to catch up with you. And it took a lot to convince me. Wait a minute, Captain. I was just stalling. This little lion rat. You haven't even got enough of what it takes to Take your medicine without crying. You've been under suspicion for some time. Murray tonight clinched it. You almost fooled us when you failed to tip Harris off that we were after him. Then we got word that Nolan was out gunning for the man responsible for his brother's death. We decided to test you Then. Then Eddie Harris didn't? Nah. He never told me who was feeding him the tips. I was playing along with the tin badgers over there. Stool pigeon. Yeah, and I loved it. It'll be a pleasure doing time. Just thinking of you up there getting fried. Fried? Now, wait a minute, Captain. You. You can't. I can't, eh? Well, I'm gonna sure make a try at it. Take him away and book him a murder. Even a rum runner can be murdered, boy. And was Lt. Murray executed for Harris's murder? No, he wasn't. He did draw a long stretch in the penitentiary, though. Yeah, but what could have persuaded a man like that to sell out to gangsters and racketeers? They had so much money at their disposal, Bob, that they bought many a man's soul in those days. It later turned out that Eddie Harris was paying Murray as much for a tip as he ordinarily made in a year. Under those circumstances, it's easy to see why a weak man would go wrong, isn't it, Bob? So wonder there was an honest man left. Well, there were, Bob. The vast majority of the men wearing the uniform of the harbor police were as honest as the day is long. Murray, unfortunately, was one of the minority that sold out for the flood of gangster gold that flowed in the wake of the. The bootleg traffic. Say, you've even given me a swell title for my article, the Flood of Bootleg Gold. Thanks a lot, Captain. Drop by again, Bob. Maybe I can spin you some more tales about those days. Drop by anytime. And, Doug, here we have the Limu emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug Limu. Is that guy with the binoculars watching us? Cut the camera. They see us. Only pay for what you need@liberty mutual.com savings. Very underwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts. Time is precious, and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24. 7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care.