Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-08-07
HIDING WHISKY IN CON-
NECTICUT.
Ingenious Contrivances of Illegal Id
quor Dealers---A Wonderful
Barrel.

QuOr Dealers---A Wonderful
Barrel.
The evasion of the cast-iron Con-
necticut license law, and the hunting
down of offenders by the prosecuting
agents, greedy for the S. bounty paid
in every proven case of Illegal liquor
selling, furnish many novel episodes.
To successfully evade the law the sa-
quor hidden so as to defy the keenest
search, both day and night, but he
must be constantly on guard against
spies in the employ of prosecuting Off
GERS. In spite of all difficulties, there
is hardly village in eastern Connecti-
cut in which there are not violators of
the law, who make good living be-
sides paying heavy after the agents
have hunted them down. The large
factory villages in which the no licence
system is in force are fruitful field
for illegal liquor selling. The employees
are crazy for alcoholic stimulents, and
any one who is able to furnish it to
them is sure of from $4,000 to $1,000
year. The business is sometimes done
by the proprietor of village restau-
rant, but oftener by a mill hand, free
and-easy fellow with a large circle of
acquaintances. In Occum, village q
village few miles north of Norwich, a
Jolly young Frenchman. Moses Lam
bert, was convicted in the Norwich city
court of sixteen distinct violations of
the liquor law in one year, and was
sentenced to pay fines and costs in
each case ranging from $50 to $120.
In all his cases he appealed to the su-
perior court, and nearly all of them
were marked off the docket of that
court by the district attorney, the usual
fate of cases brought by prosecuting
agents. Notwithstanding his draw
backs, Lambert makes money. He
smuggles his whisky into the village at
night
The hunt for illegal dealers is going
on continually. the raids being made
generally just before daybreak by
agents who have ridden in light bug
gies all night. Two men, the agent
and his deputy sheriff, ride together.
The suspected man is awakened by
Gathering at his back door. The de-
mand follows: .'Open your house. We
are liquor officers" He hastily COM
plies and the officers search the dwell
ing, by the light of lamp carried by
the owner, from cellar to garret. Not
a Granny escapes inspection. Closets
and pantries are invaded, wearing ap-
pareI is searched, feather and straw
beds are ripped open. floor boards are
taken up, tables are sounded for double
drawers, the hearthstone is pried up
and the chimney peered into. Next the
barn and horse stables, the hay loft
and the well are searched, and then
sink drains and stone walls are looked
after, the proprietor assisting in the
search and cracking jokes at the Off
GERS expense.
Often 3 cunning liquor seller will
hoodwink the agents for years before
the hiding place of his liquors is fer
reted out. 1t had been long suspected
that Eli ST. George, of Putnam, in
Windham county, was selling liquor
contrary to the law. His house was
visited by squads of men at all hours,
who apparently had no business with
him, but several searches instigated by
spies resulted fruitlessly. On last Sat-
urday Constable Davis and Herman
Carver entered St Georges place, and
after long search discovered a pipe
in the ceiling of his reception room.
By pulling up boards and tearing away
plastering they traced it to tank con-
tanning several gallons of whisky be-
tween the floors in an upper story. On
the same day these officers surprised
Anthony Murhy, in the same village.
Anthony welcomed them with smile
and said: Search all you want to, gen.
tlemen; you'll find no rum about my
place. There is nothing stronger than
cider here and that is in that barrel
over there"
He pointed carelessly to cider cask
in the corner of the room. The officers
looked the cask over carefully and
smelt of it.
s'Got a glass, Andy" said one of
them. Andy got the glass and the Of
fcer turned the spiggot. Out ran
stream of sour old cider. Next the
officer got hammer and knocked out.
the bung. He lowered his official nose
into the vent ''Cider, true's yer;
bornr' was his comment Then he no.
ced peg in the rear end of the barrel.
might as well try this, too, Andy"
he said. Mr.. Murphy's countenance'
fell. The peg was pulled out and the:
constable drew glassful of Old Crow
whisky.
Quite barrel" he said, getting off
his knees. Ibid you invent it, AndyP
Going to get patent?"
There were two apartments in the
cask.
A few weeks ago prosecuting officers,
after searching boarding house in the
early dawn at Versailles, and descend
ing to the broad kitchen, noticed that
the dining table was singularly corpu-
lent. They rolled it over two or three
times, there was a clashing of wicker
covered glass and gallon of whisky
trickled out on the floor.