Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-10

beer.
Walter H. Jensen and Fred John
son, owners of the brewery plant ant
the superintendent G. F. Seebel, upor
whom was served the search warrant
will be placed under arrest today OF
charges of manufacturing %intoxicat-
ing LIQUORS, it was announced Friday
night by Van Vert, who is chief Of the
state law enforcement department. He
also announced that warrants Would
be issued for the arrest of proprle'
tors of more than a score of soft
drink parlors who, it is alleged, have
been selling beer manufactured by the
Montana Brewing company.
Jensen Goes to Brewery
1t was a few minutes before
o'clock in the evening when Van Vert
and L. A. Foote, assistant attorney
general, obtained the signature OF
Judge J. b. Leslie to the warrant en-
fitting them to search the brewery
When the raiding party. which includ-
ed Joseph Pope, superintendent Of the
state anti-saloon league, arrived at the
brewery, several minutes it was found
that Mr.. Jensen was not at the plant.
phone by Van Vert and instructed to
come to the brewery, which he did.
Under the guidance of Mr.. Jensen
the officers were taken to the bottllng
plant. where bottled goods, packed for
shipment. and more on the racks. were
found and inspected. Five bottles of
the product were taken by Van Vert
and given to DIR. Thomas Walker.
pathologist, for analysis. DR.. Walker
announced that the liquor tested 4 per
cent alcohol. Mr.. Van Vert said that
the seized beer tested the same as
that which he knew had been sold in
soft drink parlors in northern Montana
towns. Beer sold in Great Falls par
lors, he said was revealed under
analysis to contain between = 1-3 and
B per cent alcohol.
II have had some of your product
analyzed." said Mr.. Van Vert to Jen-
sen, 'and it has tested more than one
half of one per cent. had thought
after the conversation i had with you
several weeks ago in the Star hotel
in which ] informed you that it could
not be arranged that you would not
continue the business any longer
II have nothing to say" Mr.. Jensen
replied.
Mr.. Jensen admitted to Van Vert, in
the presence of Assistant Attorney
General Foote and Mr.. Pope, that his
company had been marketing its pro-
duct to dealers in the majority of
towns along the Great Northern rail-
way. When he was questioned about
how many patrons he had in Great
Falls. Mr.. Jensen said he had not
counted them and he could not give the
approximate number.
Before Mr.. Jensen was summoned to
appear, the raiding officers were on
Quoted through the manufacturing part
of the plant by the superintendent. A
reveal any suspicious looking liquor.
The search was not extended to the
bottling plant until after the arrival of
Mr.. Jensen, who possessed the key.
Later, the officials inspected the
motor vehicles kept by the company
and Van Vert identified a truck as the
one which, an hour before the seizure
of the brewery, had conveyed a case of
beer to him. This alleged sale of 36
pints of beer formed the principal evil
dence contained in the complaint for
search warrant. Van Vert said in a
sworn statement that he had paid SO
for the case Of beer. Judge Leslie de-
clined to sign a search warrant on the
first complaint presented him by the
officers.
Deputies sworn in by Van Vert fol-
lowing the seizure Of the brewery stood
guard over the plant during the night.
Members Of the Cascade County Law
Enforcement league were pressed into
service and gave aid in watching the
plant.
Seizure Was Climax
1t was learned Thursday that fed
eral officers under the direction of out
side prohibition headquarters had Wis
tied several soft drink parlors Thurs
day and obtained samples of the beer
served to the patrons. 1t is understood
that several proprietors were arrested
and later released after the agents had
obtained statements as to the place
where their liquor had been purchased.
The superintendent of the brewery ad-
mitted to Van Vert that several fed
eral agents had taken samples of bot
tied goods at the plant several days
ago.
The seizure of the brewery was the
climax of an investigation that has
been made, during the last two months.
by Van Vert, the Anti Saloon league
and the attorney generals office. Mr..
Pope made this statement regarding the
Investigations
I'm the early part Of March, Attor-
ney General Rankin and myself con-
Quoted a series of law enforcement
mass meetings in eastern and northern
Montana. During this itinerary, re-
ports we're received in every town WIS.,
fted along the line Of the Great North
ern railway that real old fashioned beer
with a genuine kick--was being
shipped from Great Falls and sold in
the bootlegging Joints Of the several
Under Rankin's instructions
almost Immediately after his return
to Helena, Mr.. Rankin and myself had
q conference with Mr.. Van Vert, who
up a very foul situation in
Missoula. Whereupon Mr.. Rankin in
structed Mr.. Van Vert to investigate
the situation in Great Falls.
The Cascade County Law Enforce
ment league, the organization Of which
fostered by the Great Falls Minis
terial association, cooperating with
he Anti Saloon league, also has been
.aking>~an active and effective interest