Omaha daily bee., 1921-08-21
Girl Perjures
Self on Stand to
Defend Father
Proprietor of "Moonshine
Cave" on South Side Faces
Charges in Juvenile
Court.

In vain effort to defend heI
ialher from bootlegging evidence
closing in on him. l4-year-olc
motherless Emma VoleEic perjuret
herself right and left in juvenile
court Saturday.
Her father, Joseph Nolenic, form.
or city fireman. was arrested Friday
night in one OF the biggest moon
shire raids ever made by Omaha
rolicc. Hes good TO us; he never
did anything wrong!' she cried,
Nolenic was caught IL the act OF
tending two giant stills in a freshly
Guc cave in the rear of .he Volenic
home, 222l South Sixth street. With
him was Joe Laushnan, 2426 South
Fifth street
Cave in Cliff.
Washing. hung on line to dry,
ramouhaged the door, and smoke
vas pouring from an aperture at the
rear in approved Kentucky fashion.
The cave was constructed in
cliff in the rear of the Violence
home 1t is 100 feet long, feet
high and s feet wide.
1t is supported at the sides by pill
lars, with boards across the top, for
greater safety.
Detective Sergeant Murphy and
Detectives Treglia and Buford, creep
ing up on the plant, found their view
OF the cave door obstructed by a
family washing, hung OH line in
front of the entrance in such man
ner as to conceal it from the street.
When the raiding party rushed the
entrance it found both Nolenic and
Laushman bending over stills in the
middle of the cave. Both machines
were bubbling merrily. to the accom-
paniment of steady drip, drip of
illicit liquor.
The officers conhscated 1,400 gal
Ions OF corn mash.
Denies Complaints. .
The little girl, brought into court
Saturday by complaints that moon
shine" surroundings were unfit for
the Volenic children, made a whole
sale denial of each complaint.
She denied that her father oper-
ated still; that she took orders
over the telephone for liquor; that
her father entertained at booze
parties until 4 a. M, or mistreated
her and his other three children.
Her testimony was in direct con-
tradiction to that offered by her
older sister. Lillian, "; her grand
Mrs. Mary Dworak; two
uncles and an aunt
The father was then called to the
stand
Admits Making Booze.
He admitted that he manufactured
I>eoze for his own use. but denied
the sale, Oh which charge he was
arrested Friday night and is to have
hearing Monday. !
Hc declared he was through
with the practice and promised to
provide better home surroundings for
his motherless children.
The eldest daughter, with the two
youngest children, 7 and 3 years old, |
IN her arms, made pitiful plea to,
Judge Sears to bar a woman from
her home.
"She bosses me in my own house.
wept the young girl.
Judge Sears~laid strict injunctions
On Volenic to clear his house OF
characters. or his four
children would be taken away from
him.
Defends "Other Woman"
Volenic defended the woman who
sat in the courtroom. stole fig
Ire in black, while all the family's
attacks were directed at her.
She washes clothes for the chill
lren and helps them with the house
work." he declared.
But the judge was, firm in his
stand to bar her.
In Volenic's yard was found an
which police say was
,sed to transport the finished prod
lct. Laushman is said to have been
he sales manager of the firm. while
yo]cnic served in the capacity OF
production expert in the plant.
Booked on South Side.
Both, men were taken to South
Side police station, where they
we're booked on charges of illegal
possession and manufacture OF
lquor.
Nolenic formerly was a fireman
n the station at Tenth and Pacific
.rcets. He resigned from the de-
'artment July l, 1920, records at the
ity hall show, after serving two
ears and nine months.
No record of Laushman's employ
nent by the city was found.