The Mankato free press., 1923-11-02
WFGGF ON TRIAL
BOOZE THE ISSUE
Federal Court Jurors Are
Listening To Stories
MUSIC HAS CHARM
SO Last Night Judge and Others
Heard the Minneapolis
Orc hestra

Music has its charms for the
court, and even court officers as
wei. This was evidenced by the
fact that Judge Wilbur F. Booth OF
the United States court now In ses-
sion in Mankato adjourned the
night session Of that court last
int In granting the request Of a
number Of aICorAeys and others at
tending the United States court,
who desired to listen to the concert
rendered by the Minneapolis Sym
phony orchestra.
It had been the intention Of the
court to go right through with the
trial of the case Of the United States
against Michael and Frank Wegge
OF LIE. Sueur county on trial for the
alleged possession and sale OF
moonshine whiskey.
This case went to trial yesterday
afternoon at two o'clock with J. j.
Morarity of Shakopee appearing as
attorney for the defendants and
George A. Kelsey, assistant United
States attorney for the prosecution.
The taking Of evidence in the case
| consumed the entire afternoon.
The complaint alleges that on
July 21, 1923, a federal agent went
| to the farm Of Michael and Frank
Wegge in LIE Sueur county and
there purchased a quart of liquor
and that on August 8, federal pro-
hibiton agents armed with a search
warrant went to that farm and
searched the premises and found
certain quantities of home brew
beer mash, some Of the home brew
beer, and a pint bottle partly filed
xxyifh oil Af xxrif oh
seized.
Federal Agent Testified
Albert H. Tetzell. a federal pro-
'io4lion agent, was the first wit
ness called for the government. Mr..
Tetzell testified that on the evening
Of July 81, 1923 he hired a man to
take him from LIE Sueur to the
Wegge. farm. When he arrived there
Michael Weege came up to the au
mobile from the direction of the
barn. He says that as soon as Mike
.'egge came near enough he asked
m If he had anything good to drin'
On the place, and Mike said: wait,
l will call the boy" A moment la
ter Frank Wegge, son of Michael
Wegge, came out Of the house took
a bottle Of whiskey out Of his
pocket and he and TetZell, Mike
| Wegge, and the man who had driven
| him out from LIE Sueur had a drink
whiskey. Later he purchased a quart
! Of moonshine from the Wegges and
paid them 50. so for it. During the
dickering for the purchase, con-
versation arose as to the best meth
DDS Of making whiskey. Mr.. Tetzell
said that Frank Wegge said that it
all depended on how clean the mash
was kept. He said that one of his
neighbors had a plant hidden be-
meath a stall in a barn where a
I horse was quartered. " Something
was said in regard to not caring for
moonshine that was made from
mash placed beneath a horse stall
where it could be so easily contain
mated.
Another Agent On Stand
R. s. Reno, another federal agent,
when called to the stand said that
went to the We~ge farm on the af.
noon Of August 8 and armed
with the Lfu,ler search warrant
searched the Wegge premises. He
personally found sack containing
number Of pint bottles which
smelled Of moonshine. Other officers
had handed him samples of home
brew beer, and beer mash and a pint
bottle partly filed with moonshine
whiskey, which was later turned
over to the government chemist at
Minneapolis.
Federal Agent Martin Simon tes-
titled that he was in the raid on the
Wegge place in company with Chief
Reno. He was the one who search
ed the residence and found the half
pint bottle Of moonshine whiskey in
the pantry off the kitchen. In the
cellar he also found one fifteen and
another five gallon crock filed with
fermentation together with some of
the home brew beer in bottles.
Samples of this was taken as evil
dence.
Federal Agent Ole P. Peterson did
not need to tell the court or those
in the court room that either he or
his ancestors originated in the
Land Of the Midnight Sum- for
he talks like United States Senator
Magnus Johnson. But like Magnus
he makes himself understood. Ole
says that to him was assigned the
duty Of searching the premises out
side the buildings on the Wegge
farm. In garden patch he found
some sacks Of bottles all of which
smelled of moonshine whiskey.
Al J. Skoberg was one of the
federal officers who made the raid
on the Wegge farm. He testified as
to the finding Of the beer mash and
other discriminating evidence.
Carl ]. West, government chem
ist, when shown the samples of
mash and beer and whiskey testi-
fed that he had tested for alcoholic
content.
Forty-Three Per Cent
The quart of moonshine whiskey
alleged to have been purchased from
Frank .Wegge he said contained
forty three per cent alcohol by VOL
umn and was eighty-six proof. The
beer mash contained 2.04 per cent
alcohol, and the beer, mash 1856
per cent alcohol The whiskey in the
pint bottle, forty four percent by
volume Of alcohol or eighty eight
proof. -
Asked by United States Attorney
George Kelsey whether the quart o."
whiskey and the pint bottle Of that
liquor were intoxicating, the chem.
ist smiled and said, II should say
So" =
AT the conclusion of the evidence
OF Mr.. West, and the admission of
the samples OF whiskey and beer as
exhibits, the government rested its
case.
The first witness called to the
stand by the defense was Frank
Wegge, one of the defendants In the
case. He testified that he lives on
MIS- fathers farm one mile from st.