The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1922-02-24
AGENT FINDS
SUPPRESSION OF SOFT BARS
WITH HARD DRINKS
A FIGHTING JOB

The following from Mondays St.
Louis Star will be of special interest
to many Times readers, as the Pro-
hibition agent referred to, Gus 0. Ma
tons, is well known in Pennington
and vicinity, where he spent num-
Der of his boyhood years, and where
his parents, Mr.. and Mrs. G. 0, Ma
tons, still reside:
Prohibition agents are becoming de-
cidedly unpopular, it seems. PrOpri-
etors of soft drink bars where hard
drinks are served have come to look
upon the agents with the same pleas
IRE that boy anticipates a trip to
the barn with his father to hear his
parent say, "this pains me more than
it does you" War of sort has been
declared and evidence of the first
conflict can be found at the Deacon
ness Hospital, or in the office of Gus
o. Nations, chief prohibition enforce
ment agent.
In the hospital is Henry Kraemen,
who was shot in the leg Saturday
night while defending his bar at 1884
Manchester avenue against the in
vading horde of prohibition agents.
The evidence in Nations office
consists of what boys are wont to call
a "hickie." Said hickie, a knot about
the size of a goose egg, is adjoining
Nations head, to the total exclusion OF
hat or cap. And Nations-they are
calling him Carrie" in moonshine
circles-is seriously contemplating
the purchase of armor for his crusad-
ers.
Three Raids Made.
There were three raids Saturday
night and each was eventful.
The first was at 215 North Twelfth
street. Agent King went into the
saloon of William j. Harmon of that
address and according to his state
ment purchased a half pint of the stuff
that bites. AS he departed the tele.
phone ranc and Harmon answered
Something seemed to excite him, fol
he acted most impolitely and locked
the door in the face of King and Ma
lions, and all that Nations wanted
was to pinch him.
Nations promptly kicked in the
door and the arrest was made.
! Episode No. 2 was in Kraemen''
place on Manchester avenue. Agents
King and Gualdoni went behind the
bar while Nations remained in front
Things began happening. kraemer''
son Junior, grabbed bottled some
thing from the bar and fled. Ma
tions pursued and caught him at thu
door. Kraemer Senior grabbed Ma
tons. Several customers, attracted
by the rare sport of hammering
prohibition agent, assisted.
Blows were struck and countered
Nations struck and was struck. Thel
a bottle, brick or billie, impellet
by strong right arm, descended up
on Nations head and he took tn
/ count. But only for a moment. Ma
tions reached for his revolver, deter
mined to shoot Kraemer. Someon
in the saloon became obsessed witt
the idea that it might be well to shoe
Nations and, accordingly, fired a
him. But the ball missed Nation
and shattered Kraemer's leg, reliev
ing the agent of what moment be
fore he deemed an unpleasant duty.
Armistice Declared
1 1here was UTlel dIHlloUlCe, "IiLi
the casualties were cared for, the
an enterprising young man, who ey
identity has little respect for Mr.. Vol
stead and the law of his making
thrust an ugly looking pistol unde
| Agent Bakers nose and began dis
cussing what would happen if he ger
tly pressed the trigger.
| Baker, who regarded the end OF tn
pistol with the same awe that a toul
| list has when gazing into the entranc
! of Mammoth Cave. grimaced, and M
/ tions and Gualdoni wondered whethe
| it would be best to disarm the stranf
err or just shoot him. Gualdoni d'