The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-08-05
This Led to Raids BY the
) Authorities
BOOZE LARDER FOUND
Liquor In the Making Was
Quickly Destroyed; No
One Arrested

olltIS anu A1doh ody lOE ohCLth AL
ton Osten, Saturday afternoon. The
sheriff with Chief of Police Phil Lund-
mark, Deputy Sheriff Eli Klugherz,
County Attorney c. E. Phillips, Court
Reporter Alfred Knaub, Judge w. l..
Comstock of the district court, Judge
Hiram S. Golf of the Mankato munich
pal court, and q Free Press reporter,
visited two moonshine distilleries, bat
the proprietors failed to remain and
entertain the visitors. The raids re-
suited in the capture of two stills at
Woods Ford, on the Blue Earth river
about eight miles south OF Mankato
| and two in corntield at Madison
Lake, together with 800 gallons OF
mash fit for distillation, which was
destroyed. In addition to the stills
there was an abundance Of equipment
such as oil stoves, pals, pans, crooks
| ETC., also seized.
Had the carp up at Woods Ford on
| the Blue Earth river not acted as fool
ishly as their human superiors do
when they get too much booze aboard,
| perhaps the $50 gallons Of mash cap
tured at the ford would today be brew
| ing and the mists rising from the same
| be rapidly turning into, mountain
dew in one of the most secluded spots
| in Blue Earth county instead OF moist.
ehing the parched earth.
Carp Acted Queerly
Woods Ford located in wild, deep
canyon on the Blue Earth river about
eight miles south of this city, has been
famous fishing spot since the days OF
the Indians. Black bass have sported
through the rapids in truly fish fash
ion, pike have been landed by the hun.
| dred and Of late carp have been lured
| to the place. AL of these fish have
been well behaved until lately, when
they began to act queerly. A disciple
Of Isaac Walton living near Mankato
latter catching several fish at Woods
Ford, which were found to be full Of
cracked corn and raisins, began to
scratch his head and wonder. 1t was
not until one day about four months
ago that this sportsman, while wadiny
the river at the ford was actually at
tackled by a large carp, with belly as
| prominent as Milwaukee alderman'S.
He managed to stun the carp with a
large stone, and it was then that he
thought that it was time to seek legal
the offices Of Judge Hiram Con in
this city, and an examination Of its
"innards'' showed that the fish was
| full of cracked corn ana raisins. Still
closer examination Of the carp showed
that its eyes were blood shot, and 1t
showed every sign Of having on q
protracted spree. A United Secret
service man was gotten down here
| from st. Paul, and Judge Con and
| led the federal man to the Ford. Miles
of the wild. rugged hills In that vicin-
! ity were searched by the party, but on
| that occasion both the fish and the
people were acting like church dea-
cons.
Farmer Minus Corn
1t was not until one day last week
that the real cause of the savage at
tack of the carp was explained. A
came aware Of the fact that ne was mi ;
nus about 100 bushels OF corn. Hap.
lpening to see faint trail leading from
the corn crib toward the river he fol-
lowed 1t. A tell, tale kernel Of corn
;; here and there guided him on, until
he fairly bumped into two complete
stills with all of the fxings, which had
the appearance Of having been In
operation for q long time past. There
at the foot of a clump Of young naples
iand in the midst Of thicket of dia-
mond willows were two oil stoves up
on which were two complete stills
Fashioned out of copper wash boilers.
and setting on the ground close by was
an extra boiler, in case Of emergency.
In barrels and kegs there was 100
gallons of corn mash bubbling and
spewing in good shape. In sack near
the foot Of the naples was half sack
of cracked yellow dent corn, empty
sugar sacks were strewn about the
ground, lemon wrappers were there n
abundance. Crooks, strainers, pans
and all of the equipment necessary for
the manufacture Of moonshine was
there. The man, 1t Is understood hid
close by and was soon rewarded by
seeing two men come to the plant.
For that reason he has strong suspi-
cion who the corn thieves are and
what they wanted the corn for. Word
was sent Sheriff Osten. and the raid
was made as stated.
i Stills Were Destroyed
I After the stills stoves and sample
of the mash had been loaded into
as to what disposition would be made
of the mash Judge Golf Of the Man
kato municipal court after ocnferring
with County Attorney G. e. Phillips,
decided that the pesky stuff should be
spilled on the ground and the con
tanners demolished. Judge w. l..
Comstock Of the district court affirm
; ed the decision Of the lower court,
and Sheriff Anton Osten soon appear
ed coming through the thick under
brush Atlas like, not with the world
on his shoulder, but good share OF
1t in the shape Of huge stone. The
sheriff handed the rock to Judge Golf,
the Hercules of the party, and told
him to put his own court order into
execution; County Attorney Phillips
interposed demurrer, which was cor.
CURED in by some OF the men present
. I'm, fcid Ia lAOaI nr0foaefnn whn