• Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Legal
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Alectro Labs

Alectro Labs

  • Science
    • Psychology
  • Tech
  • History
  • Everything Else
    • How to Adult
    • Interviews
  • Shop
You are here: Home / History / How a Sherlock Holmes Story Helped Bootleggers Throw Off the Police

How a Sherlock Holmes Story Helped Bootleggers Throw Off the Police

January 6, 2020

The year 1920 marked the ratification of the 18th amendment by Congress.  This act effectively prohibited the manufacture, transportation, and sale of intoxicating liquors (aka alcohol).  At this time in history, America was still celebrating the end of World War 1 (which had drawn to a close on November 11, 1918), and what does any good celebration need?  Well, liquor of course! Bootleggers like Al Capone saw an opportunity to capitalize on alcohol’s outlaw. However, with the looming threat of arrest and imprisonment, they needed to get clever to outsmart the police.  

Side view of shoe, Courtesy of Library of Congress

Enter Sherlock Holmes, a fictitious British detective who “lived” across the pond solving cases far before Prohibition even began.  In one of his cases, The Adventure of the Priory School, Sherlock Holmes solved what left even the best detectives scratching their heads.  One of the most puzzling facets of this case was the fact that there were cow hoof prints everywhere, but curiously not a cow in sight. After careful analysis, Sherlock cleverly deduced that the criminal had put special shoes shaped like cow’s hooves on his horse.  This was one of the key details that helped unravel the case and locate the Duke’s missing son. 

Bottom view of shoe, Courtesy of Library of Congress

Putting special shoes on a horse to throw off the police, pretty clever huh?  Well, a bootlegger thought so too. In a stroke of brilliance, one (or several) rumrunners fastened these shoes to wear in an attempt to throw off the police.  Unfortunately for them, cops soon figured out what these criminals were up to. Once word got out about these crazy shoes, it was back to the drawing board. However, the bootleggers still had a good run at putting the ‘moo’ in moonshine.


Sources/Where to Head to Learn More: 

In The 1920s, Wacky ‘Cow Shoes’ Helped Bootleggers And Moonshiners Avoid Cops
Cow shoes used by Moonshiners in the Prohibition days to disguise their footprints, 1924
These Silly Shoes Helped Bootleggers Evade Prohibition-Era Cops

in History

Reader Interactions

you may also like
How Blackjack Saved FedEx
Who would quarantine with their wife AND mistress? Ernest Hemingway.
That one time Julius Caesar was kidnapped by pirates….and made them demand a higher ransom
A Beanie Baby History: What Led to the Craze?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I’m Marisa

Hi my name is Marisa and my favorite things to do are look stuff up on the internet and listen to music. I created this website to share the interesting things that I find during these adventures on the world wide web. Considering that I spend 90% of my time on the internet, there’s a lot. So here’s Alectro Labs, the place where I cultivate the most interesting topics in History, Science, and Tech for your viewing pleasure.
read more

Top hits!

  • 10 Kooky Facts About the Addams Family
  • Interesting Parallels Between Dr. House and Sherlock Holmes
  • A Beanie Baby History: What Led to the Craze?

Featured

How Blackjack Saved FedEx

On Instagram

An American Airlines (DC-3) plane flying past a st An American Airlines (DC-3) plane flying past a stagecoach [1949]
Dirty walls?? Clean them with Play-Doh! Did you k Dirty walls?? Clean them with Play-Doh! 
Did you know that Play-Doh was originally manufactured as a putty with the purpose of easily cleaning coal residue off of walls? 
Click the link in our bio to find out more about Play-Doh's interesting origins!
Ever put NutraSweet or Equal in your coffee? The Ever put NutraSweet or Equal in your coffee?  The base compound of both of those sweeteners is Aspartame, which was discovered accidentally by a chemist back in 1965. 
Click the link in our bio to learn how licking your fingers in a chemistry lab doesn't always have horrible consequences! (Please wear gloves and practice good safety in chemistry labs, we beg of you!)
Scary good fun! Scary good fun!
The man, the myth, the meme! Learn more about thi The man, the myth, the meme! 
Learn more about this member of Marie Antoinette's court on our website, link in description!
On this Monday we wish we were lounging in a jacuz On this Monday we wish we were lounging in a jacuzzi instead of working!
2020 © Alectro Labs
theme by soleilflare