The Mena weekly star., 1918-05-23
BROUGHT ILLICIT WH|SkEY TO MENA
Sheriff Finger, Guided by Confessed Bootlegger, Finds Ample Evidence" at Home of JoEin Carroll, West of
 Grannis--Three Stores Robbed.

Sheriff Finger returned Thursday night from an official trip of severa days in which he has learned gooC deal of the workings of crimina ! element in Southeast Polk county, hal seen one bootlegger in the tolls brought in a quantity of Illicit whis. key, and met with some serious dis coufagements.
 t Sheriff Finger was out at Big Fork Wednesday, just after returning iron shis trip to Glenwood and Murfrees- boro with Bettis Aston, the bank rob Der suspect, and received a hurry cal from Grannis. Here he found that fShelton Miller. well known in Polk county criminal records, had been searched as he left train at DeQueer with the result that officer Henry Me Laughlin took from him six quarts of whiskey and placed him under ar rest. Sheriff Finger had Miller brought back to Polk county, from which he had taken the whiskey, and by him, Finger and other officers were guided to the home of John Carroll, west of Grannis, and near the Okla homa line, where Miller said he got the whiskey.
 At II o'clock Thursday Sheriff Fin ger went into Carroll's house with a search warrant, and found Carroll just raising up to get out of bed. In the house he found 2-quart glass jar al- ready full of whiskey, and out in a thicket nearby a 50-gallon barrel from which the whiskey had all been taken, and from which Miller stated he had received his supply. In Carols corn crib 30-gallon keg was located which contained about 16 gallons of whiskey.
 All was taken in charge, and Car roll placed under arrest, and with an auto load of officers, the prisoners and booze, and several others coming Afoot, the party headed for Grannis Here, on trial, before Justice of the Peace Sam McCurley, Carroll was found guilty and held under 5000 bond to the grand jury, and Sheriff Finger started with him for the jail at Mena, feeling he had made a start at breaking up illicit whiskey peddling in Polk county.
 At Wickes Carroll asked for a few minutes in which to see about making q bond, and quickly accomplished his purpose with Lee Cole and John Jop- lin as securities.
 Mir. Finger came on to Mena with the whiskey. which he has in charge
 Stores Robbed of Ammunition.
 While in the south end of the coun- ty Sheriff Finger spent some time in the investigation of the recent robbery of several stores.
 About ten lays ago the mercantile establishment of George Barnes at Vandervoort was entered in the night and 200 pounds of sugar, suppy of tobacco and other minor items were stolen
 Monday night, May 13, J. A. Lew ey's store at Wickes was robbed, the thieves taking about s30 worth of high power rife ammunition, a num- Der of pairs of shoes, some overalls and other things Two nights later fhe store of W. A. Sandefur at Van dervoort was entered and from this z25 worth of ammunition, 100 pounds of four, nam and several pairs of shoes were stolen.
 The indications are, Mir. Finger believes, that these robberies are com xnitted by parties who are operating Illicit stills just across the line in Oklahoma, and that the robbers and whiskey makers are either the desert CTS and slackers supposed to be in that vicinity or are men in sympathy with fhen