Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1921-08-05
SIXTEEN BARRELS
OF H00TCH NABbED
BY ayers and AIDS
Two trucks were needed to haul booze taken
in raid by Sheriff Curt Ayers and Deputy Sheriff
Charles Camp bell from house three miles north

L house three miles north
of La Sale yesterday af-
ternoon. Sixteen 60-gal-
lon barrels Of moonshine
and "Daso red," a still, two barrels
Of raison mash and other booze maxi
ing outfit were seized during the raid.
The owners OF the plant Frank Piraino,
aged about 45 and Domenico Minneci,
aged about 30, were placed under ar
rest and brought to Ottawa where
they were locked up in the county
jail, charged with a violation Of the
search and seizure laws.
The owners are said by the authori.
ties to have been carrying ON a whole
sale moonshine business, AS a Ford
truck owned by them. has bnan seen
on the road practically all Of the time.
Their outfit for making and storing
the booze was fitted up in de luxe
style.
/ Cellar Full Of Contraband.
The two men with their families re-
side in a double house. by the /. V. &c
NJ. railroad tracks on the road north
of La Sale. The authorities arrived
at the house about O'Clock yesterday
afternoon, and found a ball game in
progress in a pasture back OF the
house.
They summoned PirainO and Min
neci, but the two men stOutly denied
that they had any moonshine on the
premises. In the basement under the
house, the officers found long cement
room, fitted with racks on either side,
in which about SO barrels were stored.
Sixteen Of the barrels were found
either filed or partially filed with Ii.
quor Tunnels, faucets, measures and
an electric light which could be
carried to all parts Of the room, told
the story Of too perfect equipment
for amateurs. When the men saw
that their booze had been unearthed,
they started telling the officers, that
they made it simply for their own use.
Search For Plant.
No trace OF still could be found
in the house, so the search widened to
/
Ayers and Campbell started a search
of the surrounding fields and pastures.
In cOrn1eld, they found almost hid
den from view, a pile OF corn fodder
and old lumber they investigated and
found an entrance which LED beneath
the boards to a dusouJ, which had
been neatly camoudaged
A three burner stove, with tank
for gasoline and air, an air pump with
which to fill the tank, a homemade
still, and a quantity OF raiSin and fig
mash, were inside Outside the search
ing party found an underground gasO-
line tank, with a pipe running to the
dug-out a new Well, which also had
a water pipe running directly to the
dug-out
Truck Farmers"
Two trucks were summoned by the
officers, and the loot which had been
in the raid was piled on them The
first truck contained nine barrels OF
liquor and the second seven barrels
besides the still, mash, measures and
other apparatus,
Piraino and MinneCi were taken in
charge by the officers and brought to
the county Jail here. Both men are
married and have families of children.
The Ford truck owned by them. and
a Ford automobile has been purchased
within the past year, and many i'm.
have been added to their
home, They have been running small
gardens around their homes, and sup