The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1903-05-01
CITY MOONSHINERS.
Illicit DlstiIling Done in The Heart
of the Big Cities.

llllCii DiSlllllllg DOlle ili lle lledIl
of The Big Cities.
"The chief center OF the moon
shine whisky business today is not
In the mountains of Kentucky or
North Carolina, but right here In
New York City," said a high official
Of the Government revenue SER
vice, "The persons engaged in 1t
are largely Poles, who are the elev-
crest 'wildcatters' on earth, fre-
quently defying the skill OF our
most expert detectives.
"Moonshlners find better con-
cealment in this metropolis than
anywhere else, and hundreds Of
them are constantly at work in
EBrooklyn and Jersey City, as we'll
as in Manhattan. Most Of them
pursue their unlawful industry on
a small scale, but the lossto Uncle
Sam represented by their opera
tions is in the aggregate great.
They hide themselves in every i'm
aginable kind OF place, even in
large building, where hundreds OF
respectable people are their fellow
tenants, and the means they adopt
for Disgusting their practices are
extraordinarily ingenious.
"The liquor-making plant is ar
ranged, most commonly, on a.
method involving the utmost pos
sible concentration. Sugar is the
raw material used, because it can
be packed In small compass-a
pound Of its yielding as much al
cohol as twenty pounds Of corn
, and enough OF 1t to supply fairly
productive still may be carried in
to house without exciting notice.
The product, incidentally TO the
distilling process, is run up far be-
yond proof which is so per cent.
alcohol, so that it can be diluted
after passing into other hands.
"rhe receptacle most frequently
used for carrying the whiskey is a
telescope satchel, which contains a
rectacular can made to fit 1t exact
/ Is. There is no special reason for
snspecting a man who walks out
upon the street with such bag In
his hand; and, II he is Pole, 1t is
very difficult TO spot him. This
particular variety OF moonshiner
In not only smart, but exceedingly
cautious and patient; aud he will.
often 80 around a block six times,
turning repeatedly on his own
track, in order TO make sure that
he is not followed.
"How, then, do our detectives
manage to smell out the moon
sinners who infost New York and
its neighborhood? 1t is by imitat-
ing the patience OF the Pole. Some
times when our suspicious have
been aroused we track man for
six months or more before we get
him. The tricks we must learn
are innumerable and new ones are
constantly invented to puzzle us.
For example, an elderly person Of
benevolent aspect IS seen coming
out OF a house with a section OF
stoyepipe over his shoulder. 1t
look innocent, but II we know our
business we may suspect that the
stovepipe contains cylindrical can
full Of Illicit whiskey.
"With supply OF sugar, the
metropolitan wildcatler has only
TO add water and yeast, and his
mash is ready, His apparatus is
so.compact that he can put 1t on
the stove. When the process OF
distillatlon Is finished he taxes it
apart and hides the dismem bered
fragments in convenient places,
The liquor he conveys away from
the premises and sells ii to retail
dealers, or sometimes directly to
consumers, who buy the fiery poi
son at SO much per drink,
"When speak of smelling out
the moonshiners, | use the term
advisedly, inasmuch as the mos
/ successful method adopted by the
: Government detectives for locating
: Illicit stills in New Yorkand othel
cities is 10y the nose. The distillel
. may succeed in concoaling hil
plant and in selling his produc
safely, but he has not yet lounC
any way OF smotheriug the odor o
the mash, which is peculiar anc
I never to be mistaken. 1t used 10 ot
: said Of the famous revenue agent
p. b. Hawley, that he could scent {
Still ns n bloodhound follows {
warm trail through a swamp
Walking slowly along a street ht
would begin suddenly to snilI IT.,
+ air, moiston his finger with his
tongue and hold 1t up to see whicl
! way the wind was blowing. Ther
9 he would 90 in bel-'nc to tn,
unlawful dlstillery"
i A Little Early Rlsor