The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1922-04-07
MIR. FULLY WILSONLETTHE
BEST CATCH GET AWAY
With Three Men In Jail Threatening To Expose
Big Moonshine Organization He Let's Them
Go On Small Cash Bonds

R. A. Kohloss, Federal Prohi-
bition Commissioner of North
Carolina came to Elizabeth City
this week and departed All angry
man. Upon information which
he CLEANED from the news col
umns of THE INDEPENDENT
two weeks ago Mr.. Kohloss
came in person to Elizabeth City
hoping to get to the bottom of
one of the most important illicit
whiskey operations yet uncov-
cred by his men in this section.
But when Mr.. Kohloss got to
Elizabeth City he found that y.
S. Commissioner Tully Wilson
had released the very birds he
wanted and probably thereby
circumvented a rounding up of
wealthy gang of moonshiners.
Several weeks ago revenue officers
found the most elaborate distillery ever
seen in this state, about to be erected
in the basement of an old house on
Church Island. The outfit is said to
have been worth over $4,000. Three
men engaged in the erection of the
still were arrested and brought to
Elizabeth City to await the investiga-
ton of a Federal grand jury. The men
gave their names as Walter Jones,
Chas. Mcdonald and William Wilson,
all of Norfolk. Va. They claimed to be
simply mechanics in need of work who.
had sold their labor to wealthy men in
Norfolk TO erect the still on Churches
Island. The men talked freely in Jail
and threatened to expose the men high
er up who were backing this illicit ven
ture, if the men higher up didn't fur
nish bail.
Walter Jones, the oldest of the party
was released by U. S. Commissioner
Wilson under a cash bond of $500,
which was 5000 less than his bond had
been fixed at a preliminary hearing fol-
lowing the arrest. The money for
Jones' bond came from Norfolk, Va.
and that very fact should have. aroused
the suspicion of an alert official. But
the only thing that seemed to arouse
Commissioner Wilson was the sight of
$500 cash money.
This newspaper published the fact of
Jones' release under n $500 bond and
also published the information that Nc
Donald and Wilson, the two men left
in Jail. were threatening to turn states
evidence if the owners of the still did
not put up bonds for them too. This
was what brought Commissioner Koh-
loss all the way from Salisbury to Eliz-
abeth City. Mr.. Kohloss was shrewd
enough to appreciate the possibility of
holding Mcdonald and Wilson to secure
the evidence necessary to land the Nir-
ginianS who are financing moonshine
operations in North Carolina. But
when Mr.. Kohloss got to Elizabeth City
Monday morning he found that Com
missioner Wilson had also let McDon-
aid and Wilson go, each under bonds of
$3.50. Kohloss groaned audibly and
swore inwardly.
Commissioner Kohloss hurried from
Elizabeth City to Norfolk Monday af-
tcrnoon after having wired the Prohi-
bition Commissioner of Virginia to meet
him in the Virginia City. He hopes to
yet locate Jones, Mcdonald and Wilson
and have them rc-arrested and returned
to Elizabeth City. He is convinced
that the government may have lost a
big find in the release of the three
men.
But Commissioner Wilson thought he
had done a big weeks work when he
hauled in $500 in cash for bonds.
The attorney for the men under bond
is W. L. Cohoon ard the bond money
was maid thru him