Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1919-09-10
WOMAN bEThAYS
BOOSE MAKER
Hardin County, Iowa, Still Most
carefciiy Concealed and Wei
Protected from Spying
Eyes
THE STILL WAS OFF
MAIN TRAVELLED ROAD
The Capacity Was Fifty Gallons and
Industrious Man Could Have
Supplied Half Countryside

| SUpphcu nan SOuntfySfue
Eldora, Ia.-Concealed by primi-
tive nature where the hand OF man
had never Eeen employed, the moon
shine still found in Hardin county
recently was well protected from
spying eyes as any ever constructed
in the mountain Businesses of the
south. No modern Sherlock Holmes,
no matter how keen his eye, no mat
ter how long his power of deduction,
would have been able to establish
communication with the place with
out a sure-footed guide WAC knew
its location.
In charge of the still was w. T.
Poynter, from the mountains of North
Carolina, and said to be wanted III
North Carolina. Paynter now, is in
Jail here under $1,000 bonds to await
the action of the federal grand jury
which meets in October He says that
if the government will be lenient
with him he will lead the officers to
nest of stills in Hardin and Mar
shall counties that will open their
eyes.
A woman-not a woman scorned,
but a woman trounced-is respon-
sible for Poynter being in Jail. She is
a German, grass widow and Poyn-
+or,e boucal-aapar Iact Tuacdav n oh Z
according to her story, POINTER re-
, turned home from the still under the
influence of the white Ticker" She
chided him for his condition and he
struck her. She bounced hammer off
his head and tnen q general fight
followed. The woman was terrifical-
ly mauled and her face looked as if
it had come in contact with some of
the barbed wire entanglements on the
west front. She escaped in the night
and walked more than mile thru
the forest to the home Of the nearest
neighbor. The next morning she went
to Eldora where she informed the
SoouIy O4AiStdiS lnlI IL tlcy "OuLo
lock up Poynter she would tell a
story that would open their eyes.
Finally it was agreed to arrest Poyn-
ter on a warrant charging assault
, and battery and when he was safe
behind the bars at Eldora the woman
. told her story.
he CD 10
off the main travelled road and prob
|, ably no other foot than Poynaer's
had ever been set on the ground.
The only way to reach the place was
, to follow a winding creek for more
than mile thru the widest and
: most desolate spot in Iowa. Thick
|. undeTbrush, briars, fallen trees, gul
/ leys, were encountered at every step
and more than one member of the
: party fell during the long tramp.
5 After more than an hour Of picking
3 lab0rious way, the party finally ar
e rived at a point where the woman
| said tae still was. 1t could not be
SGGll, VII every MANU- " dS utSUidliOH
9 and primitive nature. Finally the
3 woman pushed aside a bunch OF
Y bushes and the officers looked down
t into rayine. They clambered down
the rocky hillside and soon were
: looking into typical mountain
{ still with all the appurtenances for
r making the white kick"
) The capacity was fifty gallons and
: an industrious man could have sup
, piled half the countryside with suf-
. ficielt liquor to keep it ina kicking
{ humor for month.
Poynter says moonslliner from
, North Carolina, a deserter from the
army, sold him the still; that he has
, sold others in Hardin county; thai
: four moonshiners from North Caro-
J lima are engaged in business in Har-
din county and four others in Mar
, shall county. The federal officials be-
, Iieve that an attempt is being made
| to manufacture whiskey on a large
: scale in that section of the state and
will make an effort to run then
, down. POINTER says the other stills
, are as we'll concealed as hts and thai
. they only operate at night to pre-
a.. 81 f,ny n