Raids Continue in Lewis County, Kentucky; Arrests Made
Vanceburg, Ky., April 24 – Today a raid on Briary Creek by Sheriff Lykins, Deputy Commodore Pollitt, and special agent W.C. Manning, resulted in the arrest of Millard Blevins and the capture of a most extraordinary outfit, consisting of a still made from a five gallon galvanized cream can and a Smith’s water cooler or bubble fountain thought to have been taken from a country school. Six 60-gallon barrels of mash and 200 pounds of cracked corn were taken. Blevins was held to the Grand Jury.
Hurrying on near to the Carter County, Kentucky line at Head of Grassy, the most complete apparatus for making whiskey that has ever been brought in here was taken. A 65-gallon capacity copper still, an 18-foot worm, a 20-gallon “thump keg,” nine 60-gallon barrels of mash, and three gallons of whiskey all contained in a most orderly manner in a still house, 10 x 20 feet with the door secured by a Yale lock.
From all appearances, Sheriff Lykins said that the outfit had apparently been operating continuously for at least three years. The alleged owners and operators, Joe and Walter Stephenson, were taken to Federal court at Catlettsburg.[1]
Still Found; Arrest Made
George Redinger, 55, entered a plea of not guilty in Municipal court Tuesday to a charge of possessing property designed for the manufacture of liquor, and his trial was continued until Friday afternoon at 1:00. He was released on a $300 bond.
Redinger was arrested this morning by State Prohibition Officers Farmer and Hutchinson following a raid near his home on Rosemount Road, where they found a 40-gallon copper still and two barrels of mash.[2]
Police News
Monroe Dalton 22, Monroe Toler 52, and W.H. Emmons, 36 who were arrested last week when police and state officers raided a barn on an old mill site on the Scioto riverbank below Sixth and Market streets, were before Judge Sprague on charges of possession. Dalton who claimed ownership of the liquor, 24 gallons of which was confiscated, was fined $600 and costs. Toler $100 and costs and Emmons $100 and costs.
Ernie DeLotelle arrested on a charge of selling whiskey was arranged and pleaded “not guilty”. The case was set for trial on Wednesday morning.
Elmer Caldwell, 30, Chester Caldwell, 24, and Jake Caldwell, arrested by the sheriff of Lawrence county on charges of possession, denied guilt and were released under $300 bonds, each until given a hearing.
William Sly, 46, accused of possession of seven half-pints of whiskey, pleaded “guilty” and was fined $200 and costs.[3]
Body is Found
Huntington, WV, April 28 – Frederick Schranom, 53, prosperous farmer of Athalia, Ohio was found dead on a wooded hillside near Lesage, WV early this morning by his two brothers after an all-night search. The body bore gunshot wounds.
Death was attributed to suicide by the acting coroner who gave the view that the man had been dead for two or three days.[4]
This Man All Set; “Did I Say No”
Alex Coburn, arrested by New Boston officers Saturday night when they visited his home and found a 15-gallon copper still, five gallons of moonshine, a keg of wine, and some homebrew, was fined $200 and costs on a charge of possessing property designed for the manufacture of whisky and $100 and costs on a passion charge.
Mrs. Coburn arrested with her husband on a possession charge will have her trial later. Mayor V.R. Bierley fined Coburn Monday night and he was arraigned to pay and was released.[5]
Two Alleged Stillers Nabbed
Greenup, Ky., May 22 – With Grand Jury in session and composed of several women, it was indeed a bad time to be trifling with “Mountain Dew” but that didn’t seem to worry James Isom, 40, of Ashland and Rufus Starit, 24, of a Sadsuck?, and they were so busy with their two hundred gallons still, thinking all officers would be busy at the courthouse that Wednesday morning they let Deputy Edward H. Thaley, Patrolman Ernest Davis and C.C. KaKamo with Deputy Rome Shephard trap them.
Only two gallons of the finished product were taken, and officers said it wasn’t “up to the standard” so now the owners of the said copper still are behind bars, waiting to be indicted and then tried before Judge Halbert before they will know their fate.[6]
Stills Uncovered; Arrests in Lewis County, Kentucky
Vanceburg, Ky., June 8 – Sheriff S.F. Lykins, Deputy Commodore Pollitt, and Prohibition Officer W.C. Manning returned early today from a several days raid on moonshiners in the county, which resulted in the arrest of John Gillam, of Head of Grassy, who had a 30-gallon copper still and outfit and 6 barrels of mash.
Hobart Osborne, of Tar Fork, with a brand new 75-gallon copper still and outfit of 9 barrels of mash, a lard can one-half full of whiskey, and 9 ½ gallons of whiskey in self-sealer jars.
This still was practically new and was still warm from a night’s operation when the posse was discovered in the early morning. At the head of Montgomery, Charlie Musick was arrested near the Greenup county, Kentucky line, and a 25-gallon still, six barrels of mash, and 1-2 gallons of whiskey were captured, officers report.[7]
Still Is Found
Huntington, WV., June 22 – A 22-gallon copper moonshine still, in full operation, was seized shortly after 10:00 yesterday morning by police, together with 100 gallons of corn mash at 941 Fourteenth street, East.[8]
Jackson, Ohio
Sam Logan is in the county jail awaiting the action of the Grand Jury on a charge of manufacturing intoxicating liquor. Logan is 53 years of age and a resident of Jefferson township. He was arrested Tuesday by Sheriff McCoy when he and his Deputy Ross Fisher and Marshall Elza Smith of Oak Hill discovered a 15-gallon copper still in operation in Logan’s home and the officers also accrued five gallons of the finished product.
Logan attempted to escape through a window but was not successful. Wednesday morning, he was given a preliminary hearing before Justice J.K. McClung and pleaded not guilty, but later, it is said, he changed his plea to guilty before Prosecuting Attorney Harry B. Reese. Logan is being held by the Grand Jury on a $1000 bond.[9]
Two Young Men Captured When Enforcement Officers Uncover Giant Still
Everett McKinney, 21, and Harry Powell, 17, are under arrest for possessing property designed for the manufacture of liquor, and other arrests may follow soon, State Prohibition Officer Hutchinson stated last night when he and other officers brought in the two men and what is believed to be the largest still ever built and operated in the state.
The arrests and the finding of the still were the result of a raid staged yesterday in Cooney Hollow, Green township, near Powellsville, and on the McKinsey farm, by Assistant State Prohibition Commissioner S. A. Probst and State Officers Hutchinson, Farmer, Seltzer, Curtis and Gibson: and Lawrence County Deputy Sheriffs McConnell, Henry, and Dalton.
It was estimated that the still would hold about 500 gallons. It carried with it a copper thumper and two coils for cooling, 35 barrels of mash were destroyed along with a crate of gallon jugs and other property used in the making and distributing of the liquor. Scraps of copper found near the still would indicate that it was built and set up on the spot, the officers said.
Officer Hutchinson stated that he and Farmer, Brown, and Dixon have been working to uncover this same still for several months and were looking for it when they ran into a smaller one and had a gun battle several days ago. The still taken yesterday was not more than three-quarters of a mile from the other still.
“Had we located this still the last time we were there, Hutchinson stated, we would probably have had a real-time getting it. I have information from good sources that the still was in operation at that time and I know that it was being operated by ten men and guarded by five.
Small forts, where the guards were stationed, were found in the vicinity of the still. At the time of the other raid, there were at least 65 barrels of mash on hand. Had it not been that we ran onto the smaller one we would probably have found this one then.”
By locating this still yesterday, one of the large sources of supply in the county has been stopped. This can easily be seen, judging from the capacity of the container. A few stills of this kind, running to full capacity could supply Scioto county with all the whiskey and moonshine used here, easily. The two men were lodged in the city prison.[10]
Ironton, Ohio Moonshine Still
Ironton, Ohio, Oct. 6. – A moonshine still of 1,000-gallon capacity, described by Deputy State Prohibition Commissioner Probst, of Columbus as the largest ever taken in the state of Ohio, was captured at Powellsville, Ohio near the Lawrence and Scioto county line, Thursday.
Approximately 3,000 gallons of mash, 250-gallon jugs, and a sack of new corks were uncovered in the raid, conducted by state officers and deputies from the Lawrence county Sheriff’s office.
Everett McKenzie of Powellsville and Harry Powell of Kentucky were arrested at the site in Scioto county, Ohio. Several women fled through the woods when the officers approached. They were captured after a two-mile chase.[11]
Former New Boston Man Sent to Pen for Manufacturing Liquor in Jackson County
Jackson, Oh., Oct. 16 Special to the Times – Samuel Logan, said to have been a resident of New Boston for about 25 years bound over to the Grand Jury for manufacturing moonshine on September 16 and indicted on October 11 was arraigned Judge Benner Jones in Common Pleas Court Thursday and on his plea of guilty was fined $500 and costs and sentenced to from one to five years in the state penitentiary.
According to the county officers Logan moved to Jefferson township this county several months ago, engaged in the manufacture of moonshine, and disposed of his product in the New Boston community. Sheriff Walter McCoy expects to take Logan to the Columbus institution Saturday.[12]
‘Nother Still and Two Men Taken in Liquor Raid Today
Rain makes little difference to the State prohibition officers who are working in this vicinity. A third still within the week was brought to the police station today, and two more arrests were made by the men.
In a raid near Powellsville today, State Prohibition Officers Propst, Hutchinson, Farmer, Seltzer, Curtiss, and Gibson and Lawrence County, Ohio officials, Dalton and McConnell, brought in a fifty-gallon copper still and two men who gave their names as Alec Johnson, 50, and William Johnson, 55.
The former is being charged with possessing liquor and property designed for the manufacture of liquor. They will be arranged in Municipal Court tomorrow.[13]
Still Confiscated; Arrest is Made
Cooney Hollow, near Powellsville, yielded another still Sunday afternoon when State Prohibition Officer Farmer and Hutchison and Constable Dan Cullum and two of his Deputies of New Boston made a raid there.
They arrested one man, who gave his name at the police station as J. C. Cole and confiscated a copper still of 300-gallon capacity, 30 gallons of moonshine, and 32 barrels of mash.
According to Officer Farmer, they came on the still while it was in operation. The outfit was located in a farmhouse, which Cole claims that he is renting. It was concealed beneath the kitchen floor.
Cole, Farmer claims, was in the house at the time and pretended he was asleep when the officers entered. Farmer stated that they watched the still run for a short time and that it was running two gallons of liquor every three minutes. Cole is being charged with possession and manufacturing liquor.[14]
Another Still is Uncovered
One by one Cooney Hollow near Powellsville gives up its illicit whiskey making. In a raid staged late Tuesday afternoon by State Prohibition officers Hutchison, Farmer, Lucas, Curtiss, Deputy Sheriff’s Henry and Daulton of Lawrence county, Ohio, and Patrolman Brown and Dixon of this city, a 150-gallon copper still, thirty-six barrels of mash and seventy gallons of corn liquor were taken from the now famous “Moonshine Hollow.”
Cooney Hollow is, or rather was, the largest moonshine center in the county. The raid Tuesday resulted in the confiscation of the seventh still in that vicinity. No arrests were made yesterday.[15]
Roberts Trail Next Tuesday
J. Roberts, on the West Side, pleaded not guilty in Municipal court Friday to a charge of possessing property designed for the manufacture of liquor. He was placed under a $300 bond for his appearance in court Tuesday.
Roberts was arrested following a raid on his home by State Prohibition Officer Farmer and Hutchison in which they allege they found a copper still of about 50-gallon capacity and eight barrels of mash.[16]
Stills Found in Tractors Montgomery, Ala., Dec. 16 – (AP) = Moonshiners in this vicinity do not lack originality as disclosed yesterday when prohibition officers seized two tractors that proved to be completely equipped distilleries. Each tractor was filled with copper still.
[1] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio Friday 24 April 1925, page 14
[2] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio Friday 28 April 1925, page 2
[3] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio Friday 28 April 1925, page 3
[4] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio Friday 28 April 1925, page 3
[5] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio Tuesday 12 May 1925, page 10
[6] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio Friday 22 May 1925, page 8
[7] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio Monday 8 June 1925, page 10
[8] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio Monday 22 June 1925, page 7
[9] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio Saturday 1 September 1925, page 7
[10] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio Friday, 16 October 1925, page 3
[11] The Times Recorder, Zanesville, Ohio 16 October 1925
[12] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio Friday, 16 October 1925, page 3
[13] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio Friday, 16 October 1925, page 21
[14] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio Monday, 23 November 1925, page 5
[15] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio Wednesday 2 December 1925, page 3
[16] Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio Friday, 11 December 1925, page 28
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