Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1920-01-09

csdar Rapids, Jan. e-Chelsea. Iowa
almost celebrated Now Years eve IN
,hs old fashioned way. Many OF rs
leading citizens had the inspiration a.
least fifteen others not quite 30 leading
had the liquor, and everything was SET
r,a, along came the authorities and
halted the scheme.
Yesterday four youngsters, TWO Oh
them not out of their teens were
raigned before U. 8. Commissioner ..
C. Stoddard. They were accused Vi
violation of the interstate commerce
laws by stealing fifteen oarre!s VI
bonded wines In transit from CaIiot,
MIA TO Massachusetts. They were HeAa
under 5000 and their trial set Lor
Feb. 8. Conviction Of the charge means
a penitentiary sentence.
The four are William Ray stotel-
ovrs. 81. Edgar NJ Stoteamyrs' ~
Homer Linn McNeu. 70. and Glenn A.
Mercer, q. Before Feb. 5, the total
number of defendants involved In the
same deal VIII be increased To 1lf'eeh
and viii. include some OF the mos
prominent young men IN Chelsea 'he
federal authorities announced.
The arrests were made WernescAy
when Z. g. Deputy Marshal Mlehael
Healy. assisted by NJ. r. Woodruti
and A. F. McCarty. special agents LOT
the Northwestern railroad, made
raid on the town Of Chelsea. Ihey
grabbed the four before they coulo
shake Chelsea dust from their poo.s'
The others could not be found. lhe
word that the federal authorities were
in town spread like wtldfirs.
The theft Of the booze was accom-
plished on the night Of Dec. %. and
Rad its conical features. the hearing
developed today, For sometime the
Chelsea sports had been wondetihs
where the beverages for a New
: Years celebration was coming from.
Then someone showed UP with the UP
that a Northwestern freight car sloe-
tracked at Chelsea was loaded 10 the
doors. A raid on the car was planned
for that night. The party was well or
Ranized. a horse and wagon as well as
automobile were chartered to cart the
booze to safety, the federal authorities
say.
But plans were upset. Train orders
arrived for the Immediate start OF the
car with it's wine carg for the east A
hiRb powered locomotive hitched to
mail string Of cars was preparing 70
get under way. Word went out that
New Years day was certain to be dulf
Il action didn't develop Immediately.
Everyone q the tea party" who got
the word hurried to the station. The
federal agents say they broke the seal
and climbed in the car as the train got
! in motion. Barrels began to fly out the
door at short intervals. All the time
the train was picking up speed. 1t
wasn't long before It was making for
ty-five miles an hour. Fifty-gallon bar
rels Of wine hit the right Of way and
bounced twenty feet. Fifteen OF them
left their resting place IN the box car
and went crashing to the ground. Nine
OF them bursted. Six Of them were ap-
parently In as good shape as when
they were loaded for cross-coUntry
shipment.
II you go to Chelsea any day soon
tho Northwestern agents will show
you where the gang that did the
u, uQiO6Ucu ticy
simply swept the right Of way as
clean as any broom could have. But
strange to say, not a one Of them was
seriously injured. only badly shaken
up. At the hearing, 1t WIS limited that
the government has IN custody a suit
of clothes one Of the party wore. It is
reported 20 be nothing more than a
bundle - threads.
Later that night the ''tsa party coli
lected the six barrels and hauled them
70 4 point IN Chelsea where 1t was 81
vided When the authorities got on the
Job they found the Northwestern right
of way saturated with enough st!nnu-
iants to Jag the town. In the search
that followed they recovered two bar
reis still unopened and six milk cans
full Of wine that had been apportioned.
They say It was recovered from the
cellars 81 Chelsea homes.
When news circulated that the fed
eral agents intended to take a hand
there was 4 hurried exodus Of tea
party" members. The four in court to-
day didn't seem much concerned. They
1oked and took the situation lightly.
They had 10 be induced TO accept the
services OF q lawyer. Ali expressed
confidence they could Obtain bond. but
none had been liberated at noon.