Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-26
PROH| AGENTS SEEK
ATLANT|ANW WANTED
FOR SELLING STILLS

Federal prohibition agents and
postoffice inspectors were combing
the city Monday for ]. H. McGinty,
proprietor of the Atlanta Supply
company, of 1915 Edgewood ave-
nue., who is wanted on charges of
violating dry laws and using the
mails to further sales of distilling
equipment throughout the United
States.
Agents said McGinty has disap-
peared suddenly. They could not
find him at his place of business or
at his handsome residence at 81 East
Lake drive
John F. Kramer, commissioner of
prohibition, ordered D. J. CAN'T, SUI
pervising prohibition agent for the
southeast, to make an investiga ton
of McGinty's concern several weeks
ago. He reported to Director CAN'T
that the department in Washington
had information that THE Atlanta
Supply company is shipping distill-
ing supplies everywhere from Next
co to Canada" and that it was adj
Vertising extensively in the news
papers of the country.
Posing as "mule-trader" from
Little Rock, Ark, Prohibition Agent
Harry SAPPHIRE says he visited the
sales room of the company on March
IA and purchased a copper still. tes-
ter, worm, coil, cap and other para
phernalia. The business, the agent
says, then was located at So Auburn
avenue, but removed several DAVIS
later to the present loca ton on Edge-
wood avenue.
Advertise in Papers
SAPPHIRE said McGinty waited IN
MIN and accepted S44.90 in payment
for the outfit.
lie TOOK me back to the safe and
gave me drink of corn whisky,
which he said he made in his home in
one OF the copper stills he had on
SAFE said the agent. II asked him
to rush my still, and gave him the
address of a federal official in Little
Rock-D. A. Caldwell He promised
10 snip the goods Immediately"
!, oapnlre declared McGinty showed
MIN booklets on "AlcohoI' and Glow
to Make Whisky" and other litera-
ture He said McGinty also asked
MIN TO be his Arkansas Representative
ana secure orders for stills in that
territory - lila
According to the agents, ADVERTISE
ments in various newspapers solicit
ed orders for stills to distill water
IN homes" Agent SAPPHIRE declared
McG1nty told him this was subter-
!uge-a mere roper to get my bust
mess before the public"
The officers said a large stock of
seamless copper stills was on hand
IN the store when it was raided Sat
urday. Hundreds of orders for stills.
accompanied in numerous instances
py postof1lce money ordersr, and a
mass OF letters making inquiries in
answer TO newspaper advertisements,
were found, they declared.
Headed by Agent SAPPHIRE, a squad
81 federal agents went to McGinty's
nome late Saturday and, it is alleged,
they uncovered a copper still similar
to the kind for sale in his store,
together with a quantity of newly
Bought in Brooklyn
Director Gantt's office in the fed
eral building Monday morning look
ed like brewery and distillery
combined. 1t was crowded with
whisky, distilling equipment and lit
erature CONCERNING the manufacture
said came from McGinty's home and
place of business.
1t is charged by the authorities
thai the company used the mails in
making small shipments. The larg-
er orders, they charged, were ship
ped by express.
Thousands of letters, soliciting or
ders and containing illustrated de-
scriptions OF the stills offered Afor
sale. were, it is said, found in Nhe
raids on McGinty's home and store
and were in possession of postal in
spectors Monday.
Director CAN'T said the distilling
equipment which the Atlanta Sup
ply company was retailing was
bought from Brooklyn, N. Y, firm
The local company's advertisements
and circulars offered seamless cop
per pots of three, five, ten or TWEEN
ty-gallon capacity, in addition to
various other paraphernalia generally
needed in the manufacture of whisky.
Attorney William Schley Howard,
who has been employed to represent
McGinty, held a conference Monday
with director Can't concerning the
case He declared his client is out
Of town on business, but will return
within day Or two.
'These charges do Mr. McGinty a
great Injustice" declared Attorney
Howard. "Ambout the raid on his
hOme-he mad very small amount
of 'home-brew' for his own use
And about the other charges. they
are absured. Copper pots like the
ones the company had for sale are
certainly not used exclusively for
the manufacture of liquor. Nowhere
in the advertisements and circulars
was anything said about stills, and
there was no attempt to conceal the
company's sale of these goods. Mr..
McGinty will appear for trial when
his case is called, and I am confi-
dent he will be able to show his in
nocence Of these charges"