Moonshine Stories 1932

CRABTREE FACING MURDER CHARGES

Ironton, Ohio, Feb. 1 – Murder charges were expected to be lodged today against William Crabtree, 23, of Forestdale, Ohio., who allegedly confessed to slaying Forrest Dalton, 35, during a family quarrel at the Crabtree home yesterday afternoon.

Crabtree, who voluntarily surrendered to Sheriff E. W. Bennett, claimed in the alleged confession that he shot Dalton in self-defense.

The victim is survived by a wife and five children.  He is a cousin of Jack Dalton, marshal of Coal Grove, and a well-known prohibition crusader. News-Messenger, Fremont, Ohio 1 Feb. 1932 page 1

BLAME FEUD FOR DEATH

Ironton, Ohio, Feb. 1 – A family feud was blamed today for the fatal shooting of Forrest Dalton, 35, former deputy marshal of Coal Grove, near here.  He was shot, police said, when he attempted to enter the home of William Crabtree, 23, whose father was killed by Dalton two years ago. Akron Beacon Journal, 1 Feb. 1932, page 24

FEUD COSTS SECOND LIFE FORMER MARSHAL KILLED BY SON OF MAN HE SHOT DOWN FOUR YEARS AGO

Ironton Prisoner Released on Bond

George Delong of Ironton, Ohio, has been released from the Scioto county jail.  He furnishes a $4,000 bond, and his release was ordered by Judge Benton W. Hough, the entry having been received by J. F. Johnley, local United States commissioner from F. A. Ross, United States commissioner in Ironton.  Delong is charged with possessing and transporting liquor. Portsmouth Daily Times, 19 Feb 1932

Jail Village Police Force Hold 3 Marshals on Booze Charges – Proctorville, Ohio – The village of Proctorville was without its “police force” as a result of a raid by federal dry agents.  Marshal Orville Carson, his deputy, Melvin Ness, and Ben Dunsee, township constable, were in jail at Portsmouth in default of a $10,000 bond each, awaiting a hearing on liquor charges.

Shortly after the federal officers had taken the trio to Ironton for arraignment, four prisoners in the Proctorville jail broke a lock and escaped.  The three officials plead not guilty.  Carson was charged with selling five gallons of whiskey, Carson and Dunsee jointly with conspiracy to violate the dry law, and Ness similarly with conspiracy. The Daily Times, New Philadelphia, Ohio 29 March 1932, page one

TOWN COUNCIL NAMES WAR VET AS MARSHAL IRONTON, Ohio, March 30 (United Press) — The town council of Proctorville, Lawrence County, Ohio, has named Floyd Dillon, war veteran, as town marshal to fill the vacancy created when Marshal Orville Carson and Deputy Melvin Ness were arrested on .charges of violating liquor laws.

The two officers, along with Ben Dunsee, township Constable, were held in jail in default of a $10,000 bond fixed by United States Commissioner P. A. Ross. They will be given a hearing on April 11. Mayor John Bohan, a militant foe of liquor law violations, attributed the recent bombing of his home to the enmity of bootleggers. He has not been notified of the arrest of the town officers because of an illness that confined him to his home. Delphos Daily Herald, Delphos, Ohio 30 Mar 1932, page 1

WAR VET MADE TOWN MARSHAL
Succeeds Prisoner in Jail

Ironton, Ohio, March 30. – The town council of Proctorville, Lawrence County, had named Lloyd Dillon, a war veteran, as town marshal to fill the vacancy created when Marshal Orville Carson and Deputy Melvin Ness were arrested on charges of violating liquor laws.

The two officers along with Ben Dunfee, township constable, were held in jail in default of a $10,000 bond fixed by US commissioner F. A. Ross.  They will be given a hearing on April 11.

Mayor John Bohan, a militant foe of liquor law violators, attributed the recent bombing of his home to the enmity of bootleggers.  He has not been notified of the arrest of the town officers because of an illness that confined him to his home. Daily Times, New Philadelphia, OH 30 March 1932, page 1

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 6 Apr 1932

MARSHAL, DEPUTY INDICTED BY U. S.
Lawrence County Official Faces Federal Liquor Charges

By United Press – Cincinnati, April 12 – Marshal Orville Carson of Proctorville, Lawrence County, Ohio, and his deputy, Melvin Ness, was indicted late yesterday on a charge of conspiracy to violate the national prohibition laws and on ten other liquor charges by a federal grand jury here.

The two officers and Ben Dunsee, township constable, recently were put in jail at Portsmouth, Ohio, leaving the village temporarily without police protection.No indictment was returned against Dunsee here. News-Journal, Mansfield, Ohio 12 Apr 1932, page 7

26 Involved in Liquor Probe

Proctorville, Ohio, May 9 – Twenty-six persons today had been charged with co-conspiracy with Orville Carson, Proctorville Marshall, and Melvin Neff, deputy marshal, in the operation of the liquor dispensing organization. Carson and Neff will be tried in federal court at Dayton on May 25. The Daily Times, New Philadelphia, Ohio 9 May 1932, page 9

Sentence Village Officers

Changing their pleas from not guilty to guilty to an indictment charging conspiracy to violate the Volstead Act, Orville Carson, Marshal of the Village of Proctorville, Ohio, and Weldon A. Neff, Deputy Marshal, yesterday were sentenced by Robert R. Nevin, United States District Judge, Cincinnati, to serve one year and one day each in a Federal penitentiary.

In presenting the cases to Judge Nevin, Harry A. Abrams, Assistant United States District Attorney, stated the arrest by Federal prohibition agents a few weeks ago of Carson and Neff was the result of investigations of complaints of their bootlegging activities in and about Proctorville.

He said the investigation disclosed “shocking conditions” in that it was revealed that the two officers were in league with certain moonshiners, accepting money from them for protection and then way laying their customers, arresting them, and confiscating the liquor they had purchased from the moonshiners; holding “roadside” Court following the arrest and confiscation of the liquor, assessing fines against them and “pocketing” the cash; turning the confiscated liquor over to friends who, in turn, would dispose of it to customers who, later, ran afoul” the two officers and experienced the fate of their predecessors.

Mr. Abrams stated that evidence gathered by the Federal agents indicated that the two Marshals would repossess themselves of the same liquor three and four times, gathering toll upon each occasion. Carson is said formerly to have been a Deputy Sheriff, and upon his election to the Marshalship of Proctorville, he appointed Neff, who had been a Constable at South Point, Ohio, as his deputy. The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio 10 May 1932, page 8

Sheriff Stages Liquor Raids
Moonshine Apparatus Uncover by Officers in Lewis County, Kentucky

Vanceburg, Kentucky, May 21 – Sheriff G.E. Sullivan, assisted by Lewis County and Fleming County Deputies, conducted several raids, but to date, no arrests have been made. Raids on Indian Creek netted one complete 40-gallon copper still, and two barrels of mash, and a raid in the Laurel vicinity revealed two barrels of mash and other apparatus designed for moonshining. Mr. Sullivan stated that warrants not yet served had been issued for suspects. Portsmouth Daily Times, Portsmouth, Ohio, 24 May 1932, page 9

HELD IN LIQUOR CASE
Six Lawrence County Officials In Federal Court Today
SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE ENQUIRER

Ironton, Ohio, July 11 – Six officials or former officials of townships in the eastern part of Lawrence County, Ohio, were arrested tonight on charges of conspiracy against liquor laws. They were taken to Scioto County Jail and are to appear in Cincinnati tomorrow to answer secret indictments returned last week by the Federal Grand Jury.

The men are Ben Dunsee, Constable, Windsor Township; Frank Miller, former Justice of the Peace, Rome Township; Harry Leffingwell, Constable, Union Township; W. W. Bias, former Marshal, Proctorville; William Brammer, Constable, Rome Township, and Earl Bingham, Marshal, Chesapeake.
Orville Carson, former Marshal, and M. A. Neff, Deputy Marshal, both of Proctorville, are serving 15-month sentences at Chillicothe on liquor conspiracy charges. The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio 12 July 1932, page 4

All entered pleas of not guilty and were held in $10,000 bond each for trial next fall.

Miller is charged with having conspired with Orville Carson, former Marshal of Proctorville, Ohio, now serving a 15-month sentence in Federal Reformatory at Chillicothe, Ohio, and nine other men to violate the Volstead Act.  As overt acts, it is charged that Miller and Carson transported 24 gallons of whisky to one Lee Collins and that they received from Collins and from Edgar S. and Russell Bragg sums of money.

Bainum and Leffingwell are charged with conspiring with Meldon A. Neff, former Deputy Marshal of Proctorville, who also is serving a sentence in Chillicothe Reformatory.  Carson and seven others violated the Volstead Act.  Specifically, it is alleged the two defendants and Neff and Carson seized 27 gallons of whisky in a raid, which later was sold by Leffingwell, who gave Carson and Neff $10.

Bias and Brammer are charged with conspiring with Hiram Bias, Edgar, and Russell Bragg, and ten others to violate the Volstead Act and that they employed one Elmer Hennington to manufacture liquor; that they received “bribes” from the Braggs and that Bias sold whisky to one James Holderby.

Dunfee is accused of having conspired with Neff, Carson, and six other men to violate the prohibition act and that in furtherance of this conspiracy, the three men seized from Earl Gibbs and Donald Gosby 15 gallons of whisky; that Dunfee sold the 15 gallons unlawfully and that Dunfee and Carson sold five gallons of whiskey to one Oscar S. Bowen.

None of the men were able to provide a bond. All were committed to Hamilton County Jail. The Cincinnati Enquirer, Cincinnati, Ohio, 14 July 1932, page 20 

Former Deputy Taken to Jail – Chesapeake Man in Dragnet of Federal Dry Men; Four in Toils – Continuing their drive in Lawrence County, Tuesday, Federal Agents have in custody four persons giving the names of John R. Rife, 27, former Deputy Marshal of Chesapeake, J.L. Tinsley, 28, Earl Eastham, 17, and Dewey Riley, 17.

Rife is charged with conspiracy to violate the liquor law and possessing 27 gallons of liquor on Feb. 12.
He is being held under a $5000 bond, pending examination trial before U.S. Commissioner Fred Ross in Ironton.
Eastham and Riley are charged with manufacturing liquor, possessing a 16-gallon still, 50 barrels of mash, and one gallon of liquor. Tinsley is charged with the transportation of five gallons of liquor. The latter three are being held under $1000 bonds.

Robert Hughes, U. S. Deputy Marshal, and H. G. Himes, Federal Agent, removed the men to the Scioto County Jail.

Hughes removed Emerson Fouch to Sciot County Jail from Cincinnati Monday to serve a 30 days sentence on a liquor charge. Portsmouth Daily Times, 19 July 1932, page 6 

FORMER CONSTABLE HELD ON RUM CHARGE

Ironton, Ohio, July 20 – John R. Rife, former constable near Chesapeake, was in jail today, the fourth man arrested in connection with an alleged conspiracy to violate the prohibition laws in Eastern Lawrence County. The Journal News, Hamilton, OH 20 July 1932, page 1