Omaha daily bee., 1917-05-10
Tip Given by Boy is Followed
and Thousands of Gallons of
Booze Found Planted out
in Douglas County.
BROUGHT TO CITY
Thousand Cases of Beer, Best
Quantities of Whiskey and
Much High Priced Wine
in the Collection.
TAKEN ON WARRANT

Eight big truck loads of liquor, con.
sisting of approximately 1000 cases
| of beer and vast quantities of whisky
high-priced wines, gin and other in
toxicating wet goods, were seized by
Sheriff Clark and his deputies, when
they swooped down upon Anton Lar
sons dairy farm. Sixtieth and Center
streets, outside the city limits, yester-
streets, outside the city limits We'd
nesday.
1t was the first big seizure under
the prohibition law. -
The value OF the contraband is esti-
mated al $4,000
ut gives some idea of the great
stores of LIQUOR / and everyone else
know are hidden in Omaha and Doug
las county" said Sheriff Clark.
Use It to Sprinkle Streets.
81 believe I'll carry out my promise
and sprinkle the streets of Omaha
with this BOOZE" he added. "There's
enough in this one seizure to fill sew
eral water wagons"
Sheriff Clark said that a 12-year-
old boy gave him the tip that resulted
in the wholesale exposure of hidden
liquor.
The sheriff went to Larson's place
early in the morning and, after con-
vincing himself that the boys tip was
well founded, he left Deputy Hove on
guard and hurried back to the court
house.
A search warrant was obtained
from the county attorneys Office, and,
armed with this, Sheriff Clark and
several deputies returned to the dairy
farm. Police Sergeant Russell ac-.
companied them as an unofficial" po-
lice observer.
Larson Not at Home.
Larson, owner of the farm, was not
at home. His wife, when told that
the sheriff was going to search the
place for the alleged caches of booze,
protested at first, but finally admitted
that there were great stores of liquor
on the premises.
"Only twelve cases of beer belong
to my husband" she said. "The rest
is being kept here for downtown
business man. / understand there's
$4,000 worth here"
She understood" right.
The sheriff's forces removed the
bolts from a thick door entering from
a COW shed into a newly erected
building in the rear This structure,
about thirty feet long, eighteen feet
wide, eight feet high and extending
about six feet below ground level,
was filled to the roof with cases of
beer and kegs of whisky. Twenty
cases of beer were in the COW shed
itself.
Tiers OF Bonded Booze.
In an adjoining shed, apart from
the newly-erected structure, also
heavily padlocked, were found tiers
upon tiers of cases of bonded
whiskies, jugs of booze of different
sizes and quantities of bottled wines,
gin, cordials and other expensive IL
quors.
1t was estimated that 400 gallons
of whisky and wines alone were con-
hscated.
The first two big motor trucks
from a van and storage company
made little impression on the small
mountain of cases of beer.
Perspiration poured off the faces of
the truckmen as they loaded the big
trucks under the direction of the
sheriff, who checked off each case,
keg or jug Of liquor as they were
taken out of the caches.
Real Hard Work.
Il never had to. work this hard
when | was driving for the brewery"
said one big husky.
+ 1t required several hours to load
the booze onto the trucks and haul it
to Omaha, where it will be stored in
the court house to await hearing of
the case against Larson.
Its a clear case under the new
prohibition law" commented Sheriff
Clark.
Having the booze on his place is
prima facie evidence that Larson had
it there for illegal purposes"
Chief Deputy Foster and Deputies
Hoye and Christensen were with
Sheriff Clark when the booze was
seized