The Cordova daily times., 1923-02-13
Note Sent to Legislator Who Favored Probe of
 Law Enforcement
IRREGULARITIES CHARGED
Officers Charged With Being Convicted of
 Rum Running

HELENA, Mont, Feb. 13.--A spec tacular battle in the Legislature and complete shake-up in the State prohibition enforcement department finish fight" between wet" and 'dry' forces, precipitated by the re- ceipt of a threatening letter, signed "K. K. K." by Representative Lobel. The letter, threatened to tar, feather and ride him out of town,' was received by Representative Lobel following his introduction in the Lower House of a motion to inves- tigate the State "dry" officers and their methods of enforcing the law.
 Lobel charged irregularities and declared that some of the enforce ment officers had been convicted themselves of violating the liquor laws.
 Romantic Business
 Rum running" and "whiskey man. ufacture" in Montana have long been source of romantic tales, and John H. Metcalf, Acting Federal Prohibit tion Director of the State, has de- clared that the workmanship and materials used on most of the stills" captured indicate that "whiskey fac t~, h,y r.1y 1nI I,o, CrudeTy constructed distiIlerics are in the minority, he said, most of the stills being made of copper, with evidence that the makers were cop per smiths.
 Hunting stills in the mountains of western Montana is an extensive "business" in itself. An officer scouts for stream which appears favorable for moonshine operations The officer follows the stream in search of footprints and trails. often finding a clue that leads to a large still artully concealed. But the odor of mash is hard to neutraliZe.
 Already one prominent official, o. H. P Shelley, former Federal Pro- hibition Director of the State and Republican national committeeman from Montana, is under indictment charged with bribery in connection with his duties as a "dry" officer
 cd, ,I ment is the story of the seizure of an automobile belonging to William Counttryman, former saloon keeper, of Miles City, Montana, and now en- ployed by the State as a prohibition enforcement officer under Attorney General w. D. Rankin.
 Polls Officers
 Countryman twice foiled officers on the same day in Missoula County. He was not then "dry" officer
 Federal and State officers were tipped" that Countryman was com ing through with cargo of Can adian whiskey. He was intercepted in the Flathead Indian Reservation, but through a ruse managed to es- cape the officers, speeding on into Missoula toward Butte His trail was again picked up by Deputy sheriff Livingston on a bridge near Bonner, Montana. To make certain there NxN, hn Of irir ston engaged farmer to draw his wagon across a bridge over which Countryman would have to Lass. When the rum runner arrived he was placed under arrest.
 The deputy then proceeded to search Countrymans automobile, and the farmer, believing the prisoner was securely in custody, drove his wagon off the bridge and started home. Immediately Countryman "stepped' on the accelerator, the of ficer sustaining severe cuts and bruises as he was tossed from the automobile
 Captured Again
 Later in the day Sheriff Cole and a posse of deputies once more cap tured Countryman far up in can yon of the Blackfoot Hills, busily engaged, they said, in caching his his cargo of liquor.
 oV,'e chivn ic- cated and taken to Missoula, and the prisoner pleaded guilty to a charged of illegal transportation of liquor, paying a fine of $150. The following day. according to officers, a man called at the garage in which the sheriff had left Country