The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1922-04-29
MAN JAILED FOR
THREATENING TO
BLOW UP BRIDGE
Pennington Man Had Sixty
-Four Sticks Of Dynamite
When Arrested.

Sixty-four sticks Of dynamite
found in the home OF Mike Ger
utta at Pennington, after he had
made threats to blow up the
Dakota railroad bridge, which Is
one OF the longest in Marion
county, have created quite a stir
among the officers Of the county.
Gerutta is being held a prisoner
In the county jail in default of
furnishing a $4,000 bond.
Magistrate ]. T. Deylese OF Far
mington caused Gerutta's arrest
yesterday afternoon, after he had
learned of his threats to blow up
the bridge. Magistrate Deviese
furnished Constable Koon with
search and seizure warrant for the
Gerutta home and authorized him
to select four special officers to
aid him in making the raid. c. E.
and Orvil Yerkey and Thomas and
George Taylor accompanied Con-
stable Koon to the home where
the officers found the slxty-fodf
sticks Of dynamite. sixteen gallons
of ralsen pash and some noon
shine whisky.
Gerutta was taken before Mag
istrate DeYiese and given a prelim-
mary hearing and held for the
action of the Criminal Court grand
Jury. In default of the $4,000
bond. he was brought to this city
and placed in the county jail.
Magistrate Devlese got his In
formation concerning Geturra
from Jack Hudak. prospective
father-in-law Of the accused, who
was on trial in his court yesterday
morning on a charge Of having a
still in his possession in violation
Of the State Prohibition Law.
When placed on the stand dur
ing the hearhIg. Hudak told the
court that the still found In his
house when raided by Constable
Koon and special officers was the
property Of Gerutta, who had been
hiding the still there for some
time. The officers then asked him
why Gerutta had been keeping
the still In his house, and he said
that Gerutta had intended. to
marry his daughter; in fact had
secured a marriage license on
April 10 to marry Mary Hudak,
his 16-year-old daughter. However
when Gerutta brought the still to
the house for safe keeping and
later made threats to blow up the
big bridge, he refused to allow his
daughter to marry him, he said.
Hudak said he told his daughter
that she would get into trouble II
she married a man like Gerutta.
With this information, Magis-
trate Deviese stopped the Hudak
hearing and sent out for Gerutta.
When the officers brought him in
in after raidIng his home. he ad.
mttted that he owned the still, and
this, IN connection with the fact
that he had mash In his home, was
sufficient evidence to hold him for
violation Of the State Prohibi-
tion Law. His bond for this
offense was $1,000. He was then
held on the charge Of threatening
to blow up the bridge. His bond
on this charge was also placed at
$1,000.
Officers are making a further
investigation OF the threat to blow
up the bridge, and the charge will
be thoroughly investigated before
the Criminal Court grand jury
starts It's sessions May ..
Magistrate Deviese gives the
officers and members OF the
miners union credit for aiding
him in rounding up all the boot
leggers and moonshiners in that
section. He says that he gets most
all OF his information concerning
the activities OF the lawless ele-
ment in and around Pennington
through the officers and the mem
bers OF the miners local, who
want to keep down trouble at
this time.