The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1921-08-15
DESCRIBESH0W
LARGEST STILL
WAS CAPTURED
Lane Moloney, Prohibition Chief,
Tells Details of Golden
Valley Case
BIGGEST HE EVER FOUND
Officer Declares Still Largest
Unregistered Still Captured
in United States

Tucked away among the buttes OF
the Bad Lands Of western North Da-
kota, rs miles from railroad, federal
officers have found and destroyed the
largest illicit still ever captured in
the United States, according to Lane
Moloney, North Dakota chief for the
prohibition forces. Mr. Moloney, in
Bismarck told details of the seizure
The still-of 345 gallon capacity
was operated by kentuckian, as
sisted by French Canadian. All the
equipment of distillery, including a
gauge to test the alcoholic content "t
the liquor, was found, according t"
Mr.. Moloney.
81 claim this is not only the largest
still seized in the Northwest since ma
tional prohibition became effective
but also the largest unregistered still
ever seized by government agents in
the United States or its possessions
said Mr. MolOney, land I believe the
records of the internal revenue de-
partment will bear me out in the
statement
One of the largest stills seized here
tofore was found in George, Is miles
from the city Of Atlanta according to
the dry chief. This was of about
$50 gallon capacity and was seized by
Mr.. MolOney and other agents.
Wanted to Pay Mortgage.
The ferreting out Of the hiding
place Of the still by the federal agents
cut short the hope of Lee Williams OF
paying off mortgage on his 800
acre ranch in the northwestern corner
of Golden Valley county, half mile
from the Montana line. according to
the story he is said to have told
Moloney. ...
Williams, 80, came to North Dakota
from Kentucky 18 years ago and az.
auired the ranch. He has 100 head
of cattle and 100 horses, but had been
unable to lift mortgage from his
place.
Last fall he conceived his scheme
of making liquor on large scale, and
when he decided to build new house
on the edge of coulee on his lonely
ranch he made plans to put in the big
still, the agent said. When the found
alton of the house was completed the
still was installed-it was so large
It could not have been put in after the
house was finished. On two sides OF
the basement, built into the wall, were
four yats, each of 300 gallon capacity.
The best copper coils made were used
and other necessary appliances were
of good quality. The big still was
operated from A. M. until midnight
when working at full capacity, ana
this necessitated Williams and his
French Canadian assistant working in
shifts. However, when they did not
desire to operate the big still they
had another double-strength copper
still of 100 gallon capacity.
Worked Two Shifts.
Federal officers refuse to give de-
tails on the amount Of liquor which
might be manufactured in the big still
in q day, but as an indication OF the
extensive scale on which the manu-
featuring was carried on permitted it
to be known that they learned Will
liams had bought carload OF corn
for use in liquor making, had 1t ship
ped to Beach and hauled it overland
Is miles to his ranch. They found
the yats full at the time of the seizure
containing 1900 gallons of mash. They
contiscated eleven 50-gallon barrels
full of moonshine whisky and also
found a few gallons in keg which
was used in catching fluid as it es-
caped from the STILL which was in
nj
An incident of the operation was
told the officers by Williams. during
a cloudburst in the Bad Lands, when
the coulee filled up with rushing water
from the hills, two 5O-gallon barrels
of whisky cached in the path OF the
waters, were being carried aWaW. IN
attempting to recover them win d
horse the horse was drowned anu
Williams had narrow escape from
drowning. 90,
When the officers began to demollsll
the still they found they could not
take it out of the house intact. They
chopped it into sections, and remover
the connections.
williams is a married man, but his
wife was away visiting at the time OF
the raid. He was taken before United
States Commissioner Halliday at Beach
and released on bond of $4,000 pend
ing the serving Of warrant for his
arrest by the United States marshal.
The French Canadian was released on
hond of $1,000. Williams did not tell
the officers of having had any previous
experience in notwithstanding in
Kentucky but the officers say he was
yerv familiar with the process OF man.
ufacturing liquor.
Other Captures.
Moloney said that in his prohlbl'
ton enforcement work in the North
west he had found one or two cases
where many stills were operated bu'
the combined capacity was not al
large. He said that he raided a Fin
lander in the swamps on the upper
Crow Wing river in Minnesota VINO
operated 1S stills. out that all OF them
did not have one-third the capaclt.
of Williams big still. he said tina
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