The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-03-27
SEIZE BIGGEST
STILL IN CITY
Police Find 250-Gallon
Device and Arrest
Two Negroes.
SMASH DOWN DOOR
Officers Say Prisoners Have
Admitted Turning Out
so Gallons Daily.
SMASH DOWN DOOR

A miniature distillery. supplying
the District with more than fifty
gallons of corn liquor daily. was
discovered yesterday by Eighth
precinct police in the seizure of a
50-gallon still-the largest ever
taken in the District-in a garage
at 3S BlaEden alley northwest
Two negroes were arrested. A
ninety gallon still also was seized.
Strong odors of corn mash led
to the search by police, under
Acting Lieut. Sullivan. As a pa
troll carrying squad of police
visited the house at this address
early yesterday morning, a large
automobile drew swiftly away from
the residence. outdistancinE the
patrol in a half-hOur chase through
the city. On their return to the
residence, the premises were
searched for more than an hour be
fore the trail to the garage ives
picked up and the two giant stills
were unearthed.
Smash Front Door.
Those arrested were James Ma
son Washington. IS years old, 426
Blanches court northwest and
Lille Bell stephens. employed
along Woodlcy road. Police say
Washington told them he had been
turning out fifty gallons of. corn
liquor daily.
At the house. police were forced
to smash down the front door to
gain admittance. Both negroes
were caught there but police at
first were unable to locate the still.
They declare that the rafters on the
second floor of the house were
badly rotted and that strong
scent of corn mash could be de-
tected. Following an hour of in
vestigation, six oil stoves and two
large coils were found buried in
the rear yard. Shortly after police
obtained information concerning
the moving of large quantities of
copper cans and traiIed the lot to
the garage.
Container Thirteen Feet Wide.
Loading the still on the patrol
in sections. the officers were forced
to remove the window sash at the
side of the precinct station to get
the large container in the build
ing. 1t now rests in the cell
room of the precinct station.
The .container of the large still
is thirteen feet wide and three feet
high. 1t is made of copper, From
the center is attached a funnel
shaped piece of copper at the end
of which Is a rubber tube three
inches in diameter. The tube eN-
tends to what is known as the
cooler. 1t is a huge galvanized
iron can standing nearly four feet
high and equipped with cold water
pipes. At the bottom of the cooler
is a spigot from which the finished
product is run off.
In the seizure of the still, police
believe they have cut of the main
source of liquor supply for the
Georgetown section.
Grocery store Raided.
The raiding party consisted of
acting Lieut.. Sullivan, Internal
Revenue Officers Rose and Hines,
Precinct Detectives Poole and Mup-
ply and Policemen Browning and
Mobiles.
Earlier in the morning the same
officers seized liquor in a raid on
the grocery store of Jacob Non, 72o
Barry street northwest. following
the purchase of a pint of corn
liquor by Precinct Detective Muir
ply.
Nom was arrested. charged with
illegal selling and possession of in
toxicating liquor. He was re-
leased on bond. Police seized los
bottles of extract, seventy-five bot
ties of ginger. four quarts of corn
liquor and twenty-eight bottles of
cognac.