Arrested in Raid
Raiding in Lawrence County, Ohio, near Scioto County line Sunday, a squad of officers headed by John Jenkins, state agent, arrest a man giving the name of Dewey Shaffer on a charge of possessing liquor. Four gallons of moonshine were found, Jenkins says. Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio, 12 Jan. 1931
Hillside Cave Conceals Still
Greenup, Kentucky Jan. 30 – Sheriff Green Howard and Deputies Adkins and Boggs raided near Argillite, Kentucky, today and arrested Lonnie Hayes on a charge of manufacturing liquor.
The officers say they saw smoke coming from a cellar built in the side of a hill back of the Hayes home and investigated. Upon entering the cellar, by pushing one of the walls, it opened and led to a large cave-like room built on the hillside.
They say Hayes was in the room with a 20-gallon capacity still and nine gallons of finished moonshine. The officers claim the sill was warm, indicating the product had just been finished. They also confiscated two 40-gallon barrels of mash.
Hayes turned bond of $500 and his trial was set down for Feb. 7 in court here. Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio, 30 Jan. 1931
Still Found at Scene of Duel in Green Township
John Pierce, 30, Fights for Life in Hospital; Four in Jail
Gun Play a Surprise
County Deputies visited that Section Tuesday and Thought “All Quiet”
Confronted with several conflicting statements regarding details, county officers are busy trying to reconstruct the scene of a gun duel in Green township Wednesday afternoon which resulted in the wounding of two men and the arrest of four.
John Pierce, 30, is in grave condition in Portsmouth General hospital suffering from bullet wounds in the right lung and arm.
His neighbor, Ellis Brown, 63, is in the hospital ward of the county jail with a bullet wound in the right foot. An x-ray disclosed a bullet lodged in Pierce’s abdomen.
…The gunplay raised the casualties of the Green Township liquor war to two dead and two wounded in the last three months….
Brown, James, Merrill Pierce, and Hopkins Dyer are being held for investigation as a result of the double shooting. The gunplay took place on Jeanette’s creek between Gallia pike and the N&W railroad crossing about 150 yards east of the Green township school building. The scene is less than 300 yards north of Gallia pike.
County officers say the battle followed an argument over liquor…[this long story continues onto other pages-mjm] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio, 5 Feb. 1931, page 1
State Dry Agent Hangs Up New Record During January
State Prohibition Agent Elmer C. Farmer in charge of this district broke all records in January when he leads raids that netted 37 stills and 28 arrests. Of those arrested 12 were convicted and their fines totaled $2,100. Charges against 16 are pending.
Farmer said he destroyed 2,500 gallons of moonshine and 370 barrels of mash confiscated in the raids. Three big outfits, one of 1,000-gallon capacity and two 500-gallon stills were taken in Lawrence County.
Farmer says the raids were made in Scioto, Lawrence, Pike, Adams, Jackson, and Vinton counties. The farmer was assisted by the county officers of each county and Agents Petrea Davis and John Jenkins. Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio, 9 Feb 1931
Padlocks for Ironton Property
“Padlock” injunction suits were filed by the Government in US District Court against W. Irvin Shore, Ironton, for the closing of the premises at 207 Lawrence Street, Ironton, Ohio, and against May Davis and J. P. and Chester Scowden Ironton, for the closing of the premises at 314 Buckhorn Street, Ironton.
At both of these places, it is alleged by the Gov’t, liquor was possessed and sold in violation of the Volstead Act by Shore at the one place and by May Davis at the other. [1]
New Marshal Shot in Raid – Jack Dalton of Coal Grove Wounded as he Discovers Still
Special to The Times
Ironton, Ohio, Nov. 28-Shot during a liquor raid, Jack Dalton, 45, elected marshal of Coal Grove, Ohio, was wounded in the left arm and side Friday afternoon. Dalton is in an Ironton, Ohio, hospital and will recover. Dalton was accompanied by E. L. Smith, a Federal Agent when the shooting occurred.
They approached four men at a still in Boneyard Hollow, near Ironton, Ohio, when one of the men knelt and fired one shot from a rifle, they said. The bullet passed through Dalton’s left arm and entered his side. Smith chased the gun user, who escaped. Dalton arrested two men giving the name Herschel Delawder and Herman Littlejohn and ledged them to the Lawrence County jail, on a charge of manufacturing liquor. Dalton was elected marshal of Coal Grove on Nov. 3 and will assume his duties on Jan. 1. Smith fired several shots at the gun user but failed to halt the man.[2]
[1] The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio, 06 May 1931, Wed. • Page 15
[2] Portsmouth Times, 28 November. 1931, page 1
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