Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-02-15
GIANT D|ST|LLERY
/ DESTROYED IN RAID
4 ON PRIVATE HOME
M. G, Griffith Claims Full
Responsibility for OPERA
ton of Plant - Gregory
Murphey Claims Innocence

Within a stones throw of Peach
\ tree road, in the fashionable resi-
dence subdivision of Peachtree Hills,
county policemen, under the leader
ship of Assistant Solicitor General
E e. A Stephens, Saturday afternoon
raided and destroyed one of the Ia1g
est and most complete whisky dis
s. tilleries ever discovered in Fulton
county.
The "stilI" was in full operation
when the raid was made. NJ. q. Grit
filth, who said he lived in the house
where the still was located, and who
& was found hiding bene ath the house;
y. Gregory Murpney, who occupies
bungalow next door, and who the
county police assert is the guiding
genius of the outfit; w. L. Garvin,
who lives in the downstairs part OF
the house which sheltered the still,
but who claimed to know nothing
whatever of its operations, and u.
Nedwood, negro. were taken into
Il custody and lodged in the Fulton
county tower.
The county police also took in
custody Leila Brown and Georgia
Jones, negroes, and lodged them in
the Tower. Both were employed as
servants. Mr.. Stephens Saturday
night fixed the bonds of Mr.. Muir
phey and Mr.. Griffith at $4,000 and
the others at $4,000 each. He said
that a charge of distilling liquor
would be entered against each of
~ dc f..
urday night
simultaneously with the raid on
the still in the Peachtree Hills COM
1s1unity other county officers raid
ed the real estate offices of Mr.. Muir
pkey, at % Exchange place, one door
from the main entrance to the ATTAIN
ia theater, where a Quantity of corn
vii sky, several bottles, fruit jars
and hot water bottles, which the po-
lice declare were used 10 bring Whls-
Ky into Atlanta from the still, were
confiscated and I. Sam Edmondson,
A D. Moore and Arthur w. Brandon,
who were in the offices at the time,
were arrested and taken to police
headquarters, where they are being
held under a blanket charge OF dis
orderly conduct Their bonds were
fixed at $4,000 each.
According to Solicitor General
John A Boykin, who has been at
work on the case for some tine, the
offices on Exchange place were the
headquarters for the outfit, and
from which the whisky was taken
and distributed.
Mr.. urphey's Statement
Mr.. Murphey made the following
statemen' Saturday night:
Regarding my arrest Saturday
afternoun in connection with the
hiquor raids conducted by county po-
licemen, 1 wish to deny most emphat-
Really that I was in any way inter-
lasted in the dlstillery which was
found in the house next door 20 my
Residence / had no knowledge
Whatever of the whisky which was
found i'll the room at my home.
was as MI CHI surprised as the OFF,
GERS when the whisky was discover
ed there. I rented this room about
a week ago to two men who gave
their lTes as E. H. Hall and Il. L.
johnson. These men will be pro-
duced at the trial when they un..
sloubteoly will claim ownership OF
the whisky which was found IN their
room.
Beyond occupying desk space in
the office on Exchange place, hdd
no connection with this place: Sew
place to others. 1 had no, knowlzz
edge of the liquor found there. !
have lever in my life made or sold
whisky. 1 am absolutely innocent
of the charges which have been
the raids were conducted I was at
my home sick in bed. [ welcome
grand jury Investigation into the
whole affair. I am confident when
the true facts are developed L Will
he exonerated fully.
Gigantic Plant
The still" was located in the up
stairs of a two-story frame house on
Peachtree Hills Place avenue, about
three hundred yards from Peachtree
road. The entire upstairs was deVot-
I'D to the manufacture of whisky. La
bells, hundreds of empty half-gallon
fruit jars; glass tunnels, quantities
of parafine sealing wax and all man
ner of equipment necessary for max
ing whisky were found and confis-
Gated by the county police.
The :'still," county police declared
was capable of distilling five gallons
of pure whisky per hour when 1t was
n full operation. Chief Mathieson
Of the county police, said that it was
he largest and most perfectly equip
ped illicit distillery that he had ever
Faded in Fulton county.
In room adjoining that in which
he whisky was actually man man ,
kured, more than two hundred ant
fifty gallons of corn whisky, sealed
n Navigation fruit jars and labelled
with the date on which the liquor
kvas made, were taken.
In Mr. Murphey's house next door
1FAIIT nTvnl
One hundred gallons of whisky was
discovered in back room. 1t was
n Navigation fruit jars, all Labeled
with the dates of manufacture, the
same as that found in the house ad,
joining. Mr.. Murphy disclaimed any
knowledge of the presence of this
whisky in his house. saying that hi
had rented the room where the
whisky was found to Z. II. Hall ant
RR T. Johnson, both of whom, ht
Bald, were out of town. He said thai
he would produce them whenever i
was necessary.
In addition to the actual whisky
confiscated, forty-five barrels, eaci
with capacity of As to so gallons
filled with beer ready Nfor distillation
were found and emptied. County pc
ice said that more than $500 gallons
of beer were destroyed in this man
ner.
In another upstairs room thu
raiders found a huge quantity O.
! sugar, estimated at more than on
thousand pounds, and many sacks o
malt, which were used in the fer
mentation process. In each of thu
rooms were found barrels containing
beer, which was fermenting. In thu
basement of the house two NOR
barrels, each containing twenty-five
gallons of beer. were discovers
and destroyed.
Solicitor Boykin said saturda!
afternoon when the raid was com
pleted that with the destruction o
the still. and the arrests Of the sew
eral people, one of the best organ
died gang of whisky manufacturer
and iobbers in Atlanta had beef