New Britain herald., 1922-10-07
|DRY RAIDERS FIND
 UNDERGROUND DEN
Booze Worth Fortune Uncovered
 in New York

New York Oct, z. - Led by Col
 William Hayward, United States at-
 torney and John D. Appleby, zone
 prohibition chief, 10 agents dug last
 evening through walls two feet thick I into secret compartments in the base
 ment of the building occupied by the
 Standard Carpet company, 3l9-321
 East 44th street and seized cham pagne, whiskey and alcohol valued at s500,0o0 to $1,0o0,o0o. A preliminary inventory of the seiz- ed goods showed l50 barrels and 2,000 cases of whiskey, 10 barrels of bottled champagne and 500 five-gallon cans of alcohol.
 Part of the liquor seized. according to the prohibition agent was identified as being some of that taken from the Republic warehouse in West 34th street on false custom house permits last May.
 The presence of Col. Hayward at last nights raid was taken to be of particular significance.
 The United States prosecutor rode to Washington on the same train Wednesday, with Ralph A. Day, fed eral prohibition director for New York state. After interviews between Mir. Day and Commissioners Haynes and Blair in Washington, the resigna- ton of MT. Day was announced. MT. Day and Col. Hayward rode back to New York on the same train. MT. Day has stated that the coincidence of the two going to Washington on the same train had no significance.
 4,9OO Cases Missing
 The diversion of 4,900 cases of whiskey from the Republic ware house last May Is now under investi- gation by a federal grand jury. The manner of last nights raid indicated that some person had betrayed the whereabouts of part of the loot.
 Hayward and Appleby, at the head of the. squad of prohibition agents swooped down on the East 44th street building in trucks. They measured the floor space on the first floor and in the cellar and found a discrep ancy. Then a wire cable was discov- cred running along the floor of the cellar, disappearing under brick wall in the rear.
 Enter Secret Chamber
 Pickaxes and crowbars were brought into play and a secret room was found. A hole big enough for man to enter was made and Appleby and Hayward, carrying flashlights led theI agents into the secret chamber.
 Barrels cases and cans were dis closed in the weird lighting of the flashlights. After exploring the room for half hour, more floor measure l nents were made.
 There was still floor space on the l first floor to be accounted for. second wall was pierced and a sec ond secret chamber found. measur- ing twelve by fifty feet. In one corner was a stairway leading toward the ceiling without a visible means | of exit.
 Directly over the cellar is a garage, | belonging to the Standard Carpet l Company, In the garage table was found with a heavy dynamo on it. The table hid the cracks of a trap door leading to the stairway. There was a crane for removing the dynamo from the table when the door was used.
 Col. Haywood said after the raid that the Standard Carpet Company was only a camouf1age for bootleg ying from the two secret chambers. The place was discovered by tracing ] check of Mamie Kessler, who is aeld in connection with the Republic Warehouse robbery. It was found Q have gone to a branch of the car pet company in Connecticut. dis play of carpets was kept MT. Hay ward said, to allow the use of large carpet trucks for the transportation If liquor.