New-York tribune., 1920-06-09
Liquor W orth
100000
In T arm Raid
Truck Trailed to House
; at Pearl River, N. Y,
and ex-Saloonkeeper Is
Seized by u. S. Agents
Eight More Arrests Soon
Entire Building and Ca
rage Filled With Wines,
Whiskies and Cordials

by Federal prohibition enforcement
agents yesterday in raid on a Sc
cluded farmhouse in the woods at Pearl
River, N. Y. Trailing truck loaded
with twenty barrels of whisky, which
left a Manhattan bonding house, the
agents came upon diiapidatcd form
house, which was found to be stuffed
from garret to cellar with wines,
whiskies and malts
Richard A. Gerbsch, formerly a
saloonkeeper in the Washington Mar
ket district, Manhattan, the sole oc-
cupant Of the farmhouse, was arrested
Eight other arrests are expected to-
day, including several gunner, who,
Federal agents say, have been CARRYING
on an extensive business in violation
Of prohibition.
S5o0,0oo Worth Sold
According to James j. Shevlin, super
visor of prohibition enforcement in
TINS district, at least 100000 worth of
liquor has been disposed of through
the farmhouse. The liouor found On n
the premises had been consigned from
Manhattan to Easton, Pa. under gov
ernment permit. Complaints had been
received from Easton that when the
hquor arrived there it was found, in
some instances, to be mostly water.
Because of the freight congestion
the liquor was shipped by motor truck.
The regular trucking company engaged
IN this line employed outs ide trucks to
help in the hauling. Mr. Shevln sew
eral days ago ordered half a dozen
agents to follow the new trucks. 1t
was discovered that instead of going
directly to Easton the drivers went to
Pearl River. There turning into a
farm road sheltered by trees, they
drove to the Gcrbsch farmhouse.
Eight out of every twenty barrels of
whisky were emptied of their contents
and retilled with water. The extracted
whisky was stored in hogsheads, bar
rels and bottles.
When the government agents ex-
pored the house they found two hogs
heads filled with old whisky. hundreds
CT bottles of wines, gins and cordials
In one room 700 pint TASKS of whisky
were found In an attic were 300 bot
ties OF claret. Out in an abandoned
garage were discovered one 2OO-galon
hogshead and twenty-eight oil cans
filed with liquor.
This method Of stealing liquor has
been going on for several months" said
Mr.. .Shevln.. "ln each case the liuuor
was legltimately taken from bonded
warehouse under a permit. We have
had innumerable complaints that
whisky on delivery has been found to
be more than three-quarters water
although it was tested and found to be
of full strength before it left New
York. Our conclusion was that the
liquor was extracted in transit. One
OF our mon traced the theft to the
Pearl River house and saw the empty
ing OF eight, out of twenty, barrels
Those implicated were the truckmen
and several men in New York. The
| liquor taken by our agents to-day is
only about one-ifth of that stolen
The rest undoubtedly has been sold to
saloons in New York.
Ninety Gallons Seized
Ninety gallons of alcohol were seized
Yesterday on the Boston Post Road
Charles Antonio, William Hcaly, Joseph
Mlnlchino and James Espeto were taken
before United States Commissioner S
H. Hitchcock and held in $3.50 bail
each, on charges of violating the trans
portation and possession clause Of the
Volstead act. The arrest was made bv
state police.
According to Henry D. Mildeberger
Assistant United States District At.
torney, Antonio chartered taxicab in
New Haven, Conn, for drive to New
York. William Healy was assigned as
chauffeur by the Jitney Service Co.
owner Of the taXicab, and the trip was
made to this city last Sunday evening
While hele Antonio loaded the taxi
with the liquor and took two friends
aboard, Minichino and Espeto, and
started back to New Haven.
Tho tai ro1ino ,,o,o
automobile thieves and every car was
stopped. Antonio's car was halted. but
the chauffeur disregarded the order
crowded on speed and, after knocking
down two troopers, was stopped The
state authorities will also file a COM
plant charging assault against the
four men,
Stricter enforcement of prohibition
as result of the Supreme Courts de-
clslon IN removing all doubt as to the
constitutionality of the law, did not
result IN any more arrests than usual
yesterday, according to Mr.. Shevlin
lie received report from Charles r
O'Connor, Federal Prohibition Director
TOR New York State. that applications
Tor permits to withdraw liquor from
warehouses decreased so per cent The
enforcement work was made easier
because of the closing down Of many
saloons which had kept open TO sell
SOFT drinks and near beer in the hope
that the Supreme Court decision would
be favorable to them.
William II. Anderson, State Super
intendent Of the Anti-Saloon LEAGUE
yesterday tclegraphed from Chicago
The supreme law of the land on the
1quor question has now been made sc
plaln that the wayfaring man. even
,hough he be a Tammany Governor Of
New York, can have no further excuse
Tor crring therein. The controversial
questions have been settled. New
York is still a part OF the Union and
the brewers and their political allies
IN New York must obey the Constit,,-
ton land the laws passed pursuant
thereto or suffer the consequences.
Wants Law Repealed
The people of New York will nou
demand, first. that the beer law be
immediately repealed, and second that
an honest enforcement law be passed
TO put New York in line with the Fed
eral government
Every candidate for Governor. or
Senate, or Assembly in New York this
fail must either declare himself square
~ on these points, or by his silence
confess continued allegiance to \
traffc which has now been branded "a
criminal and an outlaw beyond tho
possibility Of honest or intelligent
question:" y -
Steals S43, 900: Fined $500