The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-11-26
BOOZE IS COMING FREELY
SPOT WHERE THE LIQUOR
COMES OVER BORDER
Large Sums of Money Bein6
Made BY the Runners
Across Line

According to the statement of
Thomas H. Noodle, a staff reporter
for The st. Paul News, who is now
stationed at Minot, N. d., on a spe-
cial assignment 10 look into the al
legged liquor ring situated In that city
located in the big bend Of the Souris
river, that is 1.-THE spot where the
west tegins, the place where the
sun shines little longer and the
hand shakes grow warmer" And the
reporter might add the cookies of
the heart are warmed and thrilled
by the liquid that cheers. Minot is
styled the Magic City" which the
prohibition officers tSrm the high
spot in the most gigantic whiskey
smuggling enterprise in the world.
whiskey are flowing through this
Magic City to all parts Of the United
States. 1t is alleged that on an av-
erage- Of thirty high powered auto
mobiles pass through that city ev-
cry twenty four hours carrying car
goes OF Illicit liquor valued at from
IS, 900 to $4,000.
According to the story Of the
United States Commissioner at that
city, law enforcement has practically
broken down, and the good citizens
Of that community are frankly dis
cussing the necessity Of meeting the
booze runners on their own grounds
with sawed OFF shot guns, machine
guns or whatever the occasion may
call for placed in the hands Of Wig
ilente committee that will end the
carnival of liquor smuggling which
is melodramatic to the last degree.
J This liquor traffic Ia inspired by
profits that send men who were pool
hall tramps three months ago to
spend the winter in California blaz-
trg with diamonds and pockets bulg-
ing with bills and gold, and bank
books showing figures running into
six figures. Everyone is talking Of
nothing but this get rich quick sys-
TEN. 7 d,
Deputy United States Marshal Up.
ton according to the story had the
following to say in regard to the
situation at Minot:
GrsEteat Open Plot In United States.
II have looked the guns in the face
on the western front In France"
Mr. Upton told me, II have been in
London when the city was being
borbarded from the afr, and / have
lived on the far flung frontiers of
civilization all my life, but the sit
pauon we now have in this section
OF the Northwest and the RESPONSE
hilities Of my federal position CON.
stitute the biggest adventure OF my
life.
"The Illicit whisikey trade II the
moet open. arrogant, fragrant, highly-
organiEed and highly financed law
breaking undertaking the United
States has ever known
The usual price paid for the liquor
IL from $40 to $50 per case and It IL
sold for $3.50 to $1,000 per case in
il, Is alleged that the whhkey
agents from Opaha are 50 bold that
they even solicit sales from the
United States commissioners. The
sinugglers offer princely gifts OF gold
to the enforcement officers for pro-
alleged where an operative OF the
government was paid 800 per week
merely to tnGicete to the go -between
where certain heed official of the
enforcement squad was at intervals.
IN another case it is alleged that o
federal gent was offered $1,000 IL he
would, return TO the United States
narshal's office and say he had found
nothing. The agent refused to be
brtbed, and etter hndtnS l,l3S quarts
n q vault emptied the same into the
sewer, but 80 strong were the fumes
of ether in the liquor that William:
shall of Fairmont, N. D., was gassed
while emptying it and was confined
to his home for several days from
the effects. The man from whom
the whiskey was siezed paid fine
Of $500, and the whiskey lost was
valued at $4,000. Some Of the po-
lice are said to have quit their jobs
on the force to enter the exciting
business of whiskey running.