The star-progress., 1919-12-13
MOONSHTNING SEEMS
TO Be FLOURISHING
IN THE SOUTH
Association Opposed to Prohi-
bition Collecting Figures to
Show Drouth Not Strong
DRY LAW PUTS THE
SINNERS ON WIRE EDGE
Booze of Doubtful Quality and
High Percentage of AlcO-
hol Being Consumed

Washington, Nov. 29.-The era Of
home distillation and home brewing
of alcoholic beverages seems to,
have been introduced into the South,
according to reports reaching the
Association Opposed to Prohibition.
Heretofore the illicit liquor manufac-
turer in the South has been confined
wholly to the mountain regions, and
distilling has been conducted wholly
for commercial purposes.
The private home of a wealthy
manufacturer ofChattanooga recently
was raided by internal revenue agents
the association says, and stock of
liquor and home-brewed beer, the lat
ter containing more than five per
cent Of alcohol, was confiscated. He
cOntended that the liquor was for per-
sonal and medicinal use only; that the
beer was made by himself for home
consumption. He is under bond for
trial in the federal court. In a state
ment to the public, through the Chat
tanooga newspapers, the manufactu-
rer asserts that if the deputies will
raid every private home in Chatta-
nooga, they will find five per cent of
them supplied with liquor and twen-
ty-five per cent of them supplied with
machinery for making both beer and
liquor.
Corn Liquor on Sale
Corn liquor also has found its way
into the soft drink dispensaries, it is
said. The revenue agents have been
making a cleanup in Chattanooga of
these establishments, and in many
cases, it is said, found the white IL
quor in them. About one thousand
gallons Of moonshine were seized in
October alone, and complaints were
filed and arrests of fifty-three per-
sons followed on charges of illicit
selling.
An appeal was issued by the depu-
ties to the citizens of Chattanooga,
October 25, for confidential infor-
nation. The public was assured that
the laws of the United States protect
informants and that any information
transmitted to the deputies will be
held in confidence by the officers.
Chattanooga police officers have
made numerous raids recently for
violation of the prohibition laws. The
liquor room at the municipal build
ing contains a large amount of Ii
quor seized by the officers. 1t is in
regulation liquor bottles, milk bottles,
soft drink bottles, tin cans, fruit jars
and almost every other available con-
tainer. Some of this liquor has been
pronounced poisonous by the city
chemists.
Increase in Moonshining
Results from raids on the mooshine
industry are fully 100 per cent larg-
er than a year ago the anti-prohibi-
tiOn organization claims. The depu-
ties do not hesitate to say the indus
try of moonshining has increased 200
per cent since national prohibition
laws were enacted.
The report of the police depart
ment of Chattanooga for the year
ending October 81, shows a decrease
in arrests of 1854 for the year. The
decrease occurred during the first
half of the year. Beginning with the
latter weeks of July the arrests be-
gan increasing, and during the month
Of October high record was set, to-
tai arrests exceeding those of any
month of the year, and being IS
great as they have ever been.
For example, there were nine ar
rests in October for murder, against
four for the same month of 1918.
There were eight arrests for man
slaughter during October, 1919, max
ing the homicide record for that
month seventeen, against eight homi-
cides in October, 1918, an increase of
more than 100 per cent.
The last week in October Of the
present year made a high record for
crime in the community. At one sit
ting of the police court forty-three
arrests were reported for the proceed
ing twenty-four hours. Two of those
arrests were on the charge of muir
der; three for highway robbery; nine
for public drunkenness and eight for
storing liquor. For the same period