The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-07-26
MOONSH|NERS ARE CAUGHT
TWO ILLICIT OKOLEHAO STILLS
DISCOVERED.
Were Clandestine Neighbors Of Judge
Wilcox-Five Men Arrested-The
Kind of Liquor They Made.

Deputy Sheriff Chillingworth carried
out a highly successful raid on Illicit
distillers yesterday afternoon discover
ing and demolishing two stills and cap
turing five prisoners besides a quantity
of okolehao and apparatus used in the
manufacture.
The Deputy to whom belongs the Gre
dit of the skillfully contrived capture
has been hard at work trying to fix
the whereabouts of the headquarters of
the liquor that was being to his know
ledge dispensed throughout the neigh
borhood of Kalihi, for over a month,
and acting on information brought in
by his watchers struck the trail yes
terday afternoon for Puuhale. The
stills were discovered under the very
nose of justice being situated, one in a
little shed, the other in a bower among
the lantana between the property of
Judge Wilcox and Allan Herbert on the
seaward side of King street, while the
water used in the making was tapped
from the Judges land.
Despite elaborate precautions against
surprise the moonshiners were discov-
cred in the very act and the evidence
completed, by the capture of a boy who
admitted having bought the bottle
found in his possession from the prison
ers.
The prisoners were conveyed to the
station and the stills and mash tubs
disabled by Chillingworth. a dray car
ried the evidence needed to secure con-
viction to the station after DR.. Shorey
of the Board of Health had inspected
the stills to gain information from
which to give evidence at the trial. The
results of the raid as gathered at police
headquarters are as follows: One cop
per still of latest improvements, one
wooden and copper still of older make,
several watts and troughs, some lengths
of copper tubing, four five gallon demi-
johns, two five gallon kegs and five
square face gallon bottles all filled with
the liquor.
Mendes and his assistant Carvalho
Kailuili and his assistant Soto and John
Richards caught with Illicit liquor in
possession were also victims of the
official drag net.
The penalty provided for the offence
is Imprisonment for three months to d
year with a fine of from 500 to 81 900
Carvalho, the assistant says that he
engaged in the business without eX
perience and with many misgivings
which were only quoted by Mendes
promising to see him through in the
case of any pilikia. Kailuili in the in
tervals of distilling, raises bananas and
owns up to making swipes, for which
he used the apparatus that he has since
converted into still. Okolehao manu-
facture is merely a branch of the swipe
business according to Kailuili.
Mendes on his own showing has made
Okolehao for over two years but mere
ly did it as a public benefactor, to
oblige few people that he knew per-
sonally.
Chillingworth is not only congratulate
ing his men and himself over the cap
ture put over the fact that the glory of
the clever arrest will go to the Terri
Ario1 Nd he NA1a Tafn Ie A.
cording to the account of one of the
moonshiners, Kailuili, the business is
not a lucrative one, the prisoner insist
ing that he went into it for the fun of
the thing. Possibly the spice of ille-
gality was the main attraction.
Joseph Mendes, who went about his
work in a more scientific manner, to
judge from his apparatus, seemed to
find more profit in the manufacture as
he was able to engage hired help in the
person of Carvalho, paying him the
munificent salary of five dollars week
and board and lodging for himself and
wife.
The effects of Okolehao. whether dis
titled from potato, pineapple or ii root
are exceedingly potent, the after results
lasting for two or three days.
Kailuili, the one who did it for plea
sure and who was later fortunate
enough to secure bail. diluted his pro-
uuCl WITH equal proportions OF water
and sold the result at 81 a bottle. 1t
takes ten days to prepare the mash and
the distillation occupies another three
days from which arduous labor Kailuili
secured five dollars worth of profit to
recoup himself and his assistant Soto,
for their two weeks toll. That is unless
Kailuili had another still or two cum
ningly hidden away in the lantana
maze.
Okolehao is distinguished by the ex-
perts from "swipes" as being the dis
titled product of the various elements
used in it's making, swipes being sim
ply the fermented result. The purely
native liquor is made from ii root and
there are doubtless many gallons dis
titled regularly in districts where the
ii plant is plentiful. The liquor captur-
ed by Chilingworth in yesterdays raid
however was made from potatoes and
sugar, with in one instance, the addl-
ton of a little bran, and its manufac.
ture is by no means distinctive of the
| Islands. The inhabitants of the West
| Coast of Ireland are fond of the concoc-
! ton and many parts of the world know
! it's taste and effect. Still another va
riety is made from pineapple.