Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1918-12-20
NEW WAY TO STOP
ILLICIT O|SI|ll|NG
SERVE NOTICE UPON THE "MEN
HIGHER UP" AND THEN TAKE
ALL COPPER KETTLES
SAY II IS PROVING EFFECTIVE
All Acquiesce and There 10 No
More Raiding and Shooting
In the Mountains.

Roanoke, Va.-Following policy
recently adopted, and which it Is be-
lieved will prove highly effective with
in the next few months, Revenue
Agent S. r. Brame OF Richmond and
a force OF Deputy Collectors OF In
ternal Revenue and special employees
operating In Patrick County have
brought to book 10 complete Illicit
distiiling outfits, spilled 1900 gallons
OF beer and made at least one arrest
after a long and exciting chase. Two
CT the plants were in operation.
Officers operating with the revenue
agents were Deputy Collectors H. G..
.Stulz. G. o. Monday. j. ID. Hylton.
c. w. Woleman. Special Gauger C. p.
Carter and Special Employees T. +.
Ross and H. B. Stebbins.
This was the first extensive opera
ton along the line jaid down in the
revenue agents newly adopted policy.
This plan will be pursued until all
Southwestern Virginia, where efforts
against Illicit liquor making have
cost the Government millions OF dol
lars and not few lives of officers
within the last several years.
Briefly told. the new plan, designed
to go to the very foundation OF Illicit
distilling. is nothing more than an
ultimatum so sharp, so well based
and so well presented that its &C.
ceptance thus far is proving general.
and it is believed by revenue officers
that it will continue to prove so until
all the heretofore troublesome terri
tory in the mountain country will
have been cleared of Illicit liquor
makers
There Is no raiding, no shooting.
and no particular hard feelings are en-.
gerdered between revenue officers
and offenders: there is just plain
statement of facts to the men higher
up" So plain that they appear quick
- to see the handwriting on the wall
and express a willingness to follow
the safe course and quit making
.i1ror or being responsible for SIS
making.
For years Federal officers have been
coming more and more to realize that
the anfortunates who yearly are
brought to court to suffer fines or i'm
prisoln.ent for Illicit distilling opera
hands. Under the new plan of cam
paign it is toward these directing IN.
f,uences that the officers are direct
ing their efforts. Quietly, without
trouble or friction, the revenue Of
ficers set about to locate all fountain
heads of Illicit Operations. Then they
put the whole matter up to head
quarters. Twill you quit, or must we
act drastically?" is the ultinatum de-
livered when the case is made and the
burden is on the defense. II usually
meets with ready acquiescence.
No outfits are delivered, but the
officers receive a quiet tip as to the
location of an outfit. They know
to a practical certainty that this
information is authentic. When the
visit is over there is nothing left.
Fermenters are burned, every particle
of minor equipment is effectually de-
stroyed. and the copper still, instead
OF being filled full of square punctures
and left in the woods. is brought In,
as well as all sheet copper that may
be found in hands not thoroughly
trustworthy in the view of the Of
ficers.' There. is nothing left with
which to start operations again, and
with the promises of former offenders
that they are done the officers believe
an end to their years of trouble is in
sight, especially since drastic steps
have been taken to prevent material
for new plant reaching lawbreaking
hands.