These stories were sent through the Associated Press (AP) and can be found in several state newspapers. They are incidents published about illegal liquor sales, crimes and sometimes lawsuits that followed. They are mostly around Proctorville and Chesapeake, in Lawrence County, Ohio.
The abbreviation of NP stands for Newspaper. Submitted by Sharon M. Kouns
1909
NP 16 Sept 1909 – Post office Safe Cracked – A few stamps and $275 in cash were secured by robbers who blew the safe of the post office at Proctorville 25 miles above Ironton and escaped undetected.
1916
NP 1 Sept 1916 – Lewis C. Kennedy, marshal of the village of Proctorville, Ohio, has been shot and killed by assassins, presumably persons who were members of a beer party broken up by officers. …
1921
NP 1 Aug 1921 – Five Men Shot After Whisky Trial – Battle of Proctorville Lasts About Thirty Minutes – … Five men were wounded in a gun battle following a whisky trial at Proctorville. Wounded were: Alta Pine, a farmer, shot five times and probably fatally wounded; John Smith, shot through the leg; Harry Pine, shot through the leg; Dillie Edwards, shot through the leg; and another man, unknown, shot through the body.
Harry Pine was tried on a whisky charge…The fight started between Harry Pine and Harry Jones. Alta Pine hit Winifred Hicks, brother of Constable Walter Hicks when he thought the younger Hicks would draw a gun. Hicks got a gun from his father. He shot Alta Pine five times. Dillie Edwards tried to take the gun from Hicks and was shot in the leg. …
1922
NP 20 Sept 1922 – An unknown person threw a bottle of moonshine whiskey through the window of the Mayor’s home at Proctorville and excited the ire of that official considerably. The bottle was broken.
1924
NP 5 Aug 1924 – Two Held After Blast. – Dynamiters Frustrated in Attack on Proctorville (Ohio) Home. – An attempt to blow up the home of George Shultz, of Proctorville, was frustrated when a barking dog aroused Mr. S. Three men fled from the rear of the dwelling…a charge of dynamite exploded near the building, tearing a large hole in the ground but doing no other damage.
Lewis and Alexander McGhee of Proctorville were held. This was the fifth attempt to blow up buildings near P’ville in the past two months. … The outrages result from a crusade against Lawrence County moonshiners and bootleggers. Mrs. Shultz alleges she was threatened Saturday when she reported that liquor runners were speeding their automobiles past her home. She is a sister of C. Fred Edwards, Huntington’s wealthy manufacturer. (Note– C. F. Edwards was a wealthy Mattress Magnate.- he died at his home, Journeys End in Chesapeake, in 1950)
1926
NP 10 April 1926 – Proctorville Man is Out Again, In Again – On being released under bond on an assault charge with intent to kill, Berkley Morris was rearrested on a charge of dynamiting the home of William Jones, town marshal. Police assign the marshal’s activities against bootleggers as the motive for the bombing. No one was injured.
NP 21 Apr 1926 – Proctorville Man Sentenced – Earl Lemley, 30 years old, Proctorville, Ohio, appeared before US District Judge Smith Hickenlooper and entered a guilty plea under a piece of a criminal information charging him with having possessed and transported whisky in violation of the Volstead Act. He was fined $100 and sentenced to serve 60 days in Miami County Jail on the transportation charge. His automobile was confiscated. … several complaints against Lemley from residents of Lawrence County, Ohio, and that Frank W. Rickey, Portsmouth, former Federal prohibition agent, had been sent to investigate. … Lemley is said to be the son of a Proctorville businessman.
NP 30 Jun 1926 – Ohio Town Has Another Blast – Poolroom Destroyed At Proctorville – Sixth Bombing in Past Year. – Village rocked by two explosions which destroyed L. D. Edwards poolroom adjoining the town hall. No one was hurt but Special Officer Ward Shaffer and Bert Smith, who lives across the street from the poolroom, were knocked down and stunned. This was the 6th bldg. to be dynamited in this community in a little more than a year. The outrages are believed to be due to a feud between moonshiners and officers.
NP 1 July 1926 – Dynamite Blast – Wrecks Ohioan’s Store – “Neutral in Wet-Dry Fight,” Proctorville Proprietor Declares. – The second dynamiting within the last five days took place at Proctorville. The pool and lunch room conducted by Dewey Edwards nearly was demolished by two blasts.
Edwards said he knew of no motive and had “always been neutral in the fight between dry law violators and enforcement officers.” The Edwards building adjoined the Mayor’s office of the village. The Ben Beckett hardware store was dynamited early last Saturday and almost demolished.
NP 29 Aug 1926 – Athlete Slain; Hold 6 Negroes – Another Violent Death Added to List in Proctorville (O.) – Lowell Edwards, a 19-year-old high school athlete was stabbed to death during an argument between village residents and negro members of an old plantation troupe which visited the annual Lawrence County fair. NP 1 Sept 1926 – Edward Johnson, 22, charged with the murder of Duel H. Edwards, 19. Johnston, together with six negroes will be tried for murder.
1927
NP 13 Jul 1927 – Two New Murder Charges in Fist Fight Death Case – Charges of 2nd-degree murder in the death of Theodore Roberts, 65, of Proctorville, death alleged the result from injuries suffered in a fist fight with Roy Ellis of Proctorville. Lige Snyder and William Hawthorne, both of Lawrence County, were alleged to have been with Ellis. Albert Roberts, a brother of the dead man, was beaten unconscious during the fight on a highway near Proctorville.
1928
NP 7 Apr 1928 – Federal Jury – Finds 69 Indictments – Majority of Cases Are For Liquor Law Violations. Eleven Sealed Charges Are Withheld – Newport (KY.) Residents Accused of Conspiracy. – …alleged conspiracies in and around Cincinnati and Ironton, Ohio to violate the Volstead Prohibition Act …US District Judge Smith Hickenlooper… The sealed are believed to be one or more against certain bank officials involving alleged violations of national banking laws. Conspiracy is charged in violation of the Volstead act: Carl J. Radley, 35 years old, Newport, Ky grocer; William Grau, 33, Newport; Charles Megerle, alias Charles Dietz; Denver C. Wells and Fred Wells, Newport.
They were accused of conspiring with William Clifford Devere, Newport, under a liquor conspiracy charge; Charles and Roy Crook and others, to possess a still and equipment, transport a still, and to manufacture, possess, transport, and sell “moonshine” whiskey in violation of the Volstead act.
James Pinkerman, residing near Ironton, Ohio, said to be the “King” of moonshine bootleggers in Lawrence county with his alleged employees, Harry Scott, John Matney, Richard Hunt, and John Shepherd, indicted charges of conspiracy to violate the Volstead act. John Smith, his wife, Mrs. Augusta Smith; his daughter, Mary Smith. Son, Stanton Smith. And nephew Glen Martin, Proctorville, Ohio, indicted under charges of conspiracy to violate the Volstead act.
The quintet is said to have been doing a large business, and it was not uncommon for 25 automobile loads of people to be at their home at one time. …(lists people from other areas) … William Morgan, Lawrence County, is accused of moonshining and having whisky in his possession. … W. I. Shore, proprietor of a café and hotel, 209 Lawrence Street, Ironton, Ohio, and Luke Mulligan, Eden Pierpont, Charles Kelly, and George McMahon, employees are accused of having conspired together to violate the Volstead act and conducting a common nuisance on the premises.
William Adkins, Lawrence county, Ohio, possession of liquor; … Charles Cortwright, Ironton, sale and possession; Walter Crabtree, Lawrence County, possession; … Earl Winkler, Second and Etna streets, Ironton, sale; Samuel Woodson, 4 Langdon court, sale, and possession; George McMahon and Charles Kelly, Lawrence County, sale.
1930
NP 23 Jan 1930 – Sentence Boy Burners – Ironton, O. – Jan. 22 – Two youths, Roy Ellete, 16, son of the mayor of Proctorville, Ohio, and Frank Edwards, 16, a senior honor student at the Proctorville HS, to be sentenced in probate court for burning the economics bldg. The Ellette youth said he and four others wanted to see the New Proctorville fire engine in action.
1931
NP 22 Jan. 1931 – Ironton, O – Charges of arson and bribery have been lodged against George Owens and Leon Ecloo, operators of a general store that was destroyed by fire at Proctorville recently.
1932
Ironton Tribune, 29 March 1932, Tuesday, Page 2. – County Officers Involved in Liquor Ring PROCTORVILLE AND WINDSOR TOWNSHIP OFFICERS ARRESTED BY U. S. PROHIBITION AGENTS Orville “Slab” Carson, Mel Neff and Ben Dunfee
Orville “Slab” Carson, marshal of the village of Proctorville; Melvin Neff, deputy marshal of the village, and Ben Dunfee constable of Windsor township entered pleas of not guilty when arraigned before United States Commissioner Fred A. Ross in this City last night on charges of conspiracy to violate liquor laws. The three officers are now in the Scioto county jail at Portsmouth, having failed to provide $10,000 bail.
The arrest of the three men was consummated Monday afternoon at 4 o’clock by Federal Agents Hines, Helwig, and Horner, who have been active in the enforcement of liquor laws in Lawrence county in recent months. They were accompanied by the United States Deputy Marshal R. Hughes. John A. Bowen, aged mayor of the village, who has been active in liquor law enforcement was not advised of the complicity of his officers in the affair since he is ill and members of his family feared the information would endanger his life.
In arresting the village and township officers, federal agents were acting on information obtained by other federal agents from Stanford
Smith, a widely known young man of Peterstown, near Proctorville. Smith, has been mentioned in numerous instances of law violations. Smith is a prisoner in Louisville, Ky., as a result of his arrest by government agents five weeks ago at Louisville while delivering a load of liquor.
It was at Louisville that Smith made statements that led to the arrest of the three upper-county officers yesterday. At the time of Smith’s arrest at Louisville, he was in the company of Elizabeth Kamer and James Wellman, Chesapeake, Ohio, residents. They, too, were arrested. According to authorities, they had been responsible for delivering a truckload of “booze” to a residence in Louisville.
However, the residence was that of a federal agent, and a government reception committee was on hand when he members of what was reported as a Chesapeake liquor ring arrived with their cargo. The purchase of the liquor from the Chesapeake ring was all a part of a plot worked by federal agents to entrap the alleged violators. The Department of Justice workers had joined the Chesapeake gang sometime before and had gathered evidence to bring about the arrests.
Following the arrest of Smith and his two co-workers at Louisville , agents effected the arrest of two other Chesapeake men, Carl Henson and Thomas Cunningham. The latter two were arraigned before U. S. Commissioner Ross on March 6. Both pleaded not guilty, and Henson posted a bond of $1,000 while Cunningham was committed to the Scioto county jail after waiving examinations. Henson’s hearing was set for April 11, 9 a. m.
Neff, Carson, and Dunfee will be given a hearing on April 11. Neff is charged with conspiring with Stanford Smith to transport 44 gallons of liquor. Carson is charged with selling five gallons of liquor and conspiracy to violate the prohibition laws. A similar charge of conspiracy is held against Dunfee. After the two Proctorville officers were arrested, four prisoners were held in the Proctorville jail on liquor charges made their escape. It was reported.
Ironton Tribune, 11 April 1932, Monday, Page 6. – Federal Grand Jury Indicts Neff, Carson Cincinnati, April 11. – (AP) – The marshal of Proctorville, Lawrence County, and his deputy were indicted by a federal grand jury today on charges of operating an organized liquor “racket.”
The men are Orville Carson, marshal, and Meldon A. Neff, a deputy. The indictments charge the sale and transportation of liquor and
conspiracy to defeat the national prohibition acts. Thirty-five witnesses from Proctorville were called before the grand jury. They testified that Carson and Neff solicited and accepted bribes from distillers, later arrested those men seized the liquor and sold it to a relative, who in turn sold it to others, which in turn were arrested and the liquor once more seized and re-sold.
Ironton Tribune, 16 April 1932, Saturday, Page 2. – CARSON AND NEFF PLEAD NOT GUILTY; BOND SET AT $10,000 Four Ironton, One County Resident Draw Sentences Local Liquor Case Up In Federal Court At Cincinnati
CINCINNATI, O., April 16.—More than 40 persons indicted by the recent federal grand jury was arraigned before Robert R. Nevin, United
States district judge, yesterday afternoon in the courtroom of the United States circuit court of appeals. Defendants named in a majority of the important indictments entered pleas of not guilty, and their cases will be tried before Judge Nevin and a petit jury on and after April 28, it was indicated by Judge Nevin.
Among those who entered not-guilty pleas were:
Orville Carson, marshal, and Meldon A. Neff, deputy marshal of the village of Proctorville, Ohio, who are indicted together and separately on charges of conspiracy to violate the Volstead act in connection with transportation and sales of whiskey they are said to have confiscated from bootleggers operating in their jurisdiction. Their bonds were fixed at $10,000 each for their appearance for trial on April 28.
A penitentiary sentence of one year and one day was imposed on Loomis L. Jones, Proctorville, Ohio, who pleaded guilty to charges of having possessed a still, manufacturing mash, possessed whiskey and conspiracy to violate the Volstead act. Albert Hampton and Fred Jenkins, Ironton, Ohio, indicted with LeRoy Johnson, Ironton, Ohio, undercharges of conspiracy to manufacture and possess whiskey, etc., were given one hour each in the custody of the marshal and under another indictment charging them with having conspired together to possess a still and mash they received six months each in jail.
Hampton, who has a wife and children and who has been out of employment for some time, told Judge Nevin he would rather go to jail for moon shining or bootlegging than for robbery. hnson did not appear for arraignment. Clarence Abner and James S. Ball, Ironton, Ohio, were given six months each in jail for violations of the prohibition law.
Carson and Neff, Proctorville officers, were arrested recently following a long federal investigation that was climaxed by the arrest of Stanford Smith at Louisville. He is now serving a sentence at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.
Ironton Tribune, 5 May 1932, Sunday, Page 8. – 26 Persons Named Co-Conspirators In Liquor Ring Lawrence County People Alleged To Be Implicated With Officers Proctorville Marshal and Deputy to Be Tried May 25
Orville “Slab” Carson, duly elected marshal of Proctorville and Meldon A. “Mel” Neff, deputy marshal of the village, will go on trial on May 25 in U. S. court at Dayton, O., charged with conspiracy to violate the liquor laws. They have retained Judge A. J. Layne of this city to conduct their defense.
Twenty-six Lawrence county residents have been named by the federal the grand jury as co-conspirators as follows:
- Stanford Smith, who leaded guilty and is now serving time at Leavenworth, Kas.,
- James A. Wellman,
- John Smith,
- Augusta Smith,
- Otho Smith,
- Jacob Sowards,
- Elizabeth Kamer,
- James Holderby,
- Don Duncan,
- Tom Cunningham,
- Elmer Hennington,
- Herman Holderman,
- Oscar Smith,
- Herman W. Bragg,
- Robert L. Arnold,
- Bernard Russell Kimble,
- Turley Gillette,
- Lafe B. Collins,
- Lee Collins,
- Oscar S. “Sim” Bowen,
- Kenneth Fuller,
- Stanley Clark,
- Leroy Smith,
- John Bowen,
- Mack McLoughlin,
- Lou Williams.
The 26 co-conspirators were not named in the indictment with Neff and Carson. The Chesapeake – Proctorville – Huntington liquor ring, which is reputed to have done business in a big way has gained wide publicity by reason of the alleged connections held by the officers for which they were indicted.
The matter first came to the attention of the public when Stanford Smith and aides were arrested in Louisville, Ky. while delivering a load of liquor into a trap set by federal officers. Unbeknown to the alleged big-league bootleggers, the truckload of stuff was delivered to a federal agent’s home.
The ring’s existence is reported to have been discovered by U. S. Department of Justice inspectors who worked their way into the confidence of certain of the gang and became members. Smith is reported to have made a confession that implicated quite a few Lawrence county residents. As a result of his confession, the two Proctorville officers and Ben Dunfee, Windsor township constable were arrested. Later action revealed the 26 persons named previously as co-conspirators with the officers in the illegal liquor traffic.
NP 6 Apr 1932 – Liquor Activities of Police Probed – Jury Investigates Alleged Bootlegging in Lawrence County. – following the recent arrests of several constables at Proctorville ..federal grand jury.
NP 12 Apr 1932 – Federal Jury Finds 32 Indictments – Conspiracy to Violate Dry Law charge Against Two Proctorville Marshal and Deputy to Have Conducted Unique Liquor Business – …Orson Carson, Marshal of Proctorville, Ohio and his deputy, Meldor A. Neff, Proctorville, under numerous charges of having violated the Volstead Act…
NP 29 Oct 1932 – Stores Looted; Arrests Made – Four Men Held in Lawrence County Jail Result of Robberies – looting of two general stores at Proctorville resulted in the arrest of four men …Charles Keatley, 21, Robert Faulkner, 23, Erselene Edwards, 31, all of Proctorville and Kimble Ward, 22, of Chesapeake … Several hundred dollars worths of merchandise stolen from Kitts and Fulks and Dewey Edwards general stores located in Proctorville.
1933
Cincinnati Enquirer 27 Jan 1933 – William Brammer, Constable, Rome Township, Lawrence County, and Wilbur W. Bias, former Marshal of Proctorville, Ohio, charged with having conspired with others to “protect” bootleggers and moonshiners in Lawrence County, Ohio, were sentenced to five months each in jail. Kimble Ward and Dustin Houston, alleged bootleggers, Proctorville, were sentenced to serve one hour each in the custody of the United States Marshal.
1940
NP 20 May 1940 – Three Men Accused of Arson Unable to Furnish Bonds – Oscar Martin (or Marlin), Jesse Shafer, and Robert Holderby, were arrested Saturday near Proctorville by Henry C. Rudd, assistant state fire marshal in Scioto county; were held to the Lawrence county grand jury under $1,000 bond each when arraigned on arson charges in Magistrate W. H. Pinkerman’s court at Proctorville. They entered a plea of not guilty. Unable to furnish bond, they were remanded to the Lawrence county jail. Their arrests followed the burning of a four-room frame cottage owned by Harry Ellis and formerly occupied by Holderby.
1942
NP 17 Oct 1942 – Ohio Farm Woman Is Murder Victim – Ironton, Ohio, – Sheriff Fred Sanders said today that Miss Pearlie Zoe Brammer, 63-year-old Proctorville, Ohio, landowner, was beaten and criminally assaulted before she was killed at her home. Miss B’s body was found on the Lawrence County, Ohio, farm she operated since her father’s death, Henry H. Brammer, in 1926. Her body was found in the barn 50 yards from the house. Sanders said the house had been ransacked. Some believed her to have kept large sums of money in the home. Her farm consisted of 98 acres.
NP 17 Oct 1942 – Body Found by Neighbors – Coroner W. W. Lynd announced that she had been beaten and criminally assaulted, and her home ransacked… body was found today by Mr. and Mrs. Shirley Clark, neighbors, who had arrived at the farm to share crop a potato plot. The body lay on a pile of fodder in front of the stalls where the victim’s cows, her chief means of livelihood, had come each morning and evening to be milked. An old-style sunbonnet lay nearby. Miss Brammer had been active in the work of the Little Pine Grove Methodist Church of Proctorville and was widely known in the community.
NP 21 Nov 1942 – Ohio Man is Indicted In Assault – Slaying – Norman Raines, 27, is being held for investigation. Sheriff Fred Sanders said in connection with the rape and murder of 63-year-old Zoe Brammer of Proctorville on Oct. 15. Raines, indicted by the last grand jury for chicken theft, pleaded guilty and was passed for sentence until two others, indicted jointly with him, are tried Nov. 25.
1946
NP 9 Feb 1946 – Charge Violation of Lindberg Law – Huntington, WV Feb. 9 – Three Lawrence County, Ohio youths today faced charges of violating the Lindbergh kidnap law in connection with the abduction of a Huntington housewife and her 18-year-old daughter. The trio was identified as Lehman Johnson of Proctorville and Jack Diamond and Bernard Carico, Chesapeake.
1948
Family Quarrel Said to Have Preceded Encounter At Red Hill
IT 19 July 1948 A fist fight that is believed to have been started during a family quarrel resulted in the death of Thomas John Cornell, 58, formerly of Proctorville of late a resident of Huntington, WV, and the arrest of Oliver White, 42 of Huntington, to face a homicide charge.
According to arresting officers, the fight occurred at Red Hill, about three miles north of Proctorville, at 5:45 Sunday evening. According to the officers, their investigation disclosed that during the exchange of blows, Cornell was knocked down, and his neck was broken, either in the fall or by being twisted in some manner, either by the contesting White or accidentally.
White made no attempt to flee and was taken into custody by the sheriff and his deputies. He is held without bond pending the filing of charges today. These charges will be filed in municipal court, and the arraignment will be made forthwith.
Dr. Wilson W. Lynd, the Lawrence county coroner, conducted an examination of the body of Cornell. The remains were removed to the Hall Funeral Home at Proctorville. Funeral arrangements will be announced later. Cornell’s first wife was a sister of White. The victim later married Stell Workman, now in a Huntington hospital. The fight is said to have started near the home of Cornell’s first wife, following an exchange of words.
Cornell is said to have suffered a broken neck and a crushed Adam’s apple. He is survived by his wife Stella, and these children by his first wife: Clifford, Charles, and Collis Cornell; Mrs. Gladys Horn, Mrs. Ida Cornell, and Mrs. Nancy Harmon, all of Proctorville. And one daughter Gladys Marie, age 2, of Huntington, by his present wife.
WHITE CHARGED WITH HOMICIDE; INQUEST THURSDAY
IT 20 July 1948
A homicide charge was filed against Oliver White, 42, of Huntington, yesterday afternoon in municipal court by Collis R. Cornell, son of Thomas John Cornell, 58, Huntington, who was killed Sunday night in a fight with White at Red Hill, north of Proctorville.
In the affidavit, it is charged that White “did purposely and maliciously kill T.J. Cornell, contrary to the statutes made and provided and against the peace and dignity of the State of Ohio.”
Dr. Wilson W. Lynd, the coroner, announced last night that he would hold an inquest Thursday morning at 10 o’clock at the common pleas courtroom. As yet, no date has been set for arraignment.
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