The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-11-18
ARKANSAS GRAND
Jury SCENTS BIG
WHISKY COMBINE
Finding Of Gigantic Stills StirS
Hot Springs Body to Action.
Merchants and Citizens
Scored.
Especial to The News seimitar.)

NSfSS'o' ~ tHG NG"S OCltTlAdFsJ
HOT SPRINGS, Ark, Nov. IS
The finding of two gigantic stills,
said TO be ;hc largest ever set up in
the South since the prohibition law
went into effect and the location of
paraphernalia 10 be used for the third
llliclt plant, to say nothing Of small
er 'moonshine" outnts that have
been picked up has caused tho pres
ent grand jury to make a searching
inquiry into this feature Of law
violation, with the result that there
has been delivered 10 Circuit Judge
Scott Wood. by Gilbert Hogaboom
foreman of The grand jury, a special
report, the like Of which has no
equal in cases of that nature in the
history Of the county.
or the three big outfits located by
sheriff Smith and federal prohibition
OFFICIALS, two of them cost it was
estimated, $500 each. They were
provided with gasoline burners, the
k'ttle resting on brick foundation
ilNe teet square, and were Operat ed
IN the daytime. They had a ca
pacity oil 800 gallons, and were capa =
oie OF running off gallon of noun
lam dew every eight minutes. The
nels.
Empty sacks that had previously
contained sugar testified to the use
OF over 10000 pounds of that product
The report Of the grand Jury in
part follows:
we nave been able to secure owl
uehce TO warrant a few indictments
LOT making whisky aud several for
seiilhE, out regret to say that unless
something is done, the whisky evil
Is going to grow to such PROPORTIONS
mat the entire citizenship is going
10 suffer. We find that already in
several townships, a citizen who
does not use whisky nor deal in 1t
IN any way is an undesirable cfti-
zen IN those townships and several
reputable citizens, although they
nave given no information against
lnoSe dealing in. whisky, have been
INQUIRED TO ieava the neighborhood
because they have expressed opin-
ions disappearing of the Illicit sale
and manufacture of whisky. such
condition has caused law abiding
country people to refrain from Civ
ing any information through fear of
Dodlly injury or the destruction of
their homes. -
we have found that witnesses are
ioath 10 give evidence against boot
. leggers and will give all sorts OF
evadine answers rather than give
information that win assist in break
Ing up the system.
We regret to saw that certain
merchants who in the past have
borne regulations for truth and We
racity and who have stood for law
enforcement are selling large uuanti-
ties Of sugar and although they adj
NIT that they suspect that the sugar
may he used for making whisky.
thew were unable to recall the name
OF the purchaser. The same thing IL
true In reference to the selling Of
kegs. We find that wholesale gro
ceries keep a record of all sugar
sales hut with the retailer all large
sales were cash transactions and no
record of purchasers.
The system has reached into the
Wv TO. this extent partly through
sympathy, with the law violators
partly through dislike of being
brought into court proceedings part
~ through fear of making enemies.
but mostly for the love OF the al
mighty dollar"