The Glenwood post., 1921-09-03

The sheriff's office has on exhibit
ton the largest and most complete
still ever secured in Western Colorado,
captured in the wilds in the northern
part of this county, through the clever
work of Undersheriff George Winters.
The owner of the illicit device is be-
hind the bars at the county jail.
Chasing bootleggers is lively and
fascinating game, and the sheriff's
office has surely had a plenty of that
sort of sport during the past few
weeks. For more than month past
Sheriff Jessup has known that booze
factory was being operated somewhere
in the northwestern corner of Garfield
county, or perhaps over the line in
Rio Blanco county. Some time ago
search was made of that section, but
without results.
About two weeks ago Undersherift
Winters while in Rifle detained and
searched a man whom he suspected o
peddling booze, but nothing was found
on the man to incriminate him and
justify his imprisonment.
Recently while on scouting trip
toward the section which was supposed
to harbor the moonshiners, Winters en-
tered a little country store and saw
the man he had searched at Rifle ap-
proach the merchant and purchase t.
the yeast the latter had in stock This
was good tip to Winters who was
not recognized by the purchaser, and
the officer, who was accompanied by
Marshal Marker of Rifle, then phoned
to Sheriff Sam Wear of Rio. Blanco
county, and the trio of officers fol-
lowed in the direction taken by the
suspect, following down Piceance creek
and then over on Fourteen Mile creek,
climbing rugged mountains and wading
through dense thickets Of willows into
the most inaccessible places magma
Bile, until their search was finally re-
warded by coming upon camp occu-
pied by a man and woman and tw,
children.
In accordance with Winters predhc-
tiOns, the man was none other than
the fellow he had previously searched
in Rifle and whom he had seen buying
the yeast at the country store.
Among the articles secured and con-
fiscated was large copper still of so.
gallon capacity, the largest and most
complete moonshine parapherualia ever
seized in this portion OF the state. 1t
is claimed that to have this machine
duplicated would cost $50, and this
and the gasoline stove on which the
brew was cooked were loaded on a
Ford truck which the man claimed
and which bore a Dakota license, and
all were brought to Glenwood, and the
man, who gave his name as William
johnson, although the truck license
was issued to Il. W. Jackson, was
placed in the county Jail and Tuesday
afternoon in teh county court he plead
guilty to manufacturing liquor il@-
gally and was fined $500 and costs by
Judge Bell, who refrained from pro
nouncing jail sentence, probably be
cause Of the fellows apparent frank
ness in confessing and because
fellows wife and children are left
alone in the wilderness and might soon
require county support.
johnson came through with a ellen
and plausible story, whether altogeth-
er truthful or not. When approached
by Winters he said, eyes sir, l am
the man you are booking for. l have
been making whisky and here is my
outfit, but have just sold out my
stock and haven't drop Of liquor
left" Then he said to Winters:
"When you searched me in Rifle that
time you had the right man, all right,
but you didn get me soon enough.