Author: BROOKS, Detective James J.
Title: Whiskey Drips. A series of interesting sketches illustrating the operations of the whiskey thieves in their evasion of the law ... to which is added, a circumstantial account of his attempted murder by the Philadelphia Whiskey Ring ... the only authenticated instance of hired assassins in the United States.
Description: Philadelphia, Evans [1873]. Octavo publisher's decorated brown cloth blocked in gilt and black (spine tips worn); 349,[3]pp and four wood engraved plates. Inner front hinge cracked but firm. ¶ First edition, it was reprinted or re-issued in 1876 with the duller title 'The Adventures of a United States Detective'. Quite uncommon, unlikely as it seems for this type of American book of this period. Usually there are plenty of shabby copies of such books around. Unlike many of these true stories Detective Brooks did exist, he was famous for his Whiskey Ring exploits. He became head of the American Secret Service and died in 1895 of heart trouble - apparently exacerbated by having a bullet imbedded in it for 16 years. Whether or not he wrote this, it is pacy and readable and as much of his investigations involved corruption within the service as illicit distilling.

Keywords: law crime alchohol c19th America social history thrillers