The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-20

Virginia farmer, man of ample means and many acres, whose station in life was considerably above that of most moonshinerS in town or country.
 Prohibition agents had traced bot ties used at this still to the home of a man in a nearby town and with that clue set out to see the farmer. Down a narrow wagon road leading from his front gate they found a dugout, the entrance to which, barely large enough to admit man was screened by brush and the branches of trees.
 Through this hole the agents en- tered an underground compartment approximately 90 feet long, l5 feet wide and feet high. All the moon sinners usual paraphernalia was in evidence. The agents counted thlr- teen stills, each of 50-gallon capacity; upwords of 50 fermenting barrels. eight five gallon glass bottles, and numerous implements in common use at such establishments. The dugout also contained about p gallons Of moonshine whisky, still warm. The stills were neatly arranged, side by side, against the earth bank, leaving ample space for passage and work. single worm, more than 100 rect in length suffced for distilling the joint effort of the thirteen stills, and steam boiler of 200 horse power served to operate all.
 The place was unoccupied at the time and one of the agents was sent back to town to obtain a search war antr while the others continued their examination. They traced the smoke stack of the boiler in the. dugout several hundred feet to the hollow stump of tree. A passer-by, noting the smoke, naturally would assume that the stump had been set on ire and was smoldering.
 The farmer had covered the dugout with heavy boards, which were sup ported by timbers such as are used in coal mines. After boarding the place over. he had covered the boards with earth ii the level of the surrounding field Except for a mound where had been dumped the large quantity of field was level. One could walk across the earth scattered on top of the boards without detecting the dug out.
 Two Woodland stills.
 While waiting for the return of the agent sent back to town, the other agents went short disance down another roadway on the same prem ises and in bit of woodland found two more stills. located on the sur face of the ground. These stills were of 800 gallon capacity each, and were operated by a steam boiler. No one else was on the scene
 Not far from these mammoth stills the agents found another moonshin- ing establishment with one still of O0-gallon capacity and a steam boiler At the three stills they found $500 gallons of mash, There were about roc gallons more in the dugout, mak- ing the total find approximately 7,50O gallons.
 Upon the return of their companion with a search warrant the agents ar rested the farmer, searching his clothing and house, and found other damaging evidence of his illegal ac- tivities. Several alleged accomplices were arrested and all were held under bond to answr charges of conspiracy as weel as violation of the enforce ment law.
 Stills are found in all sorts of out of-the- way places, Recently in the city of Omaha prohibition agents found a still in a sub cellar reached by a 65-foot tunnel. The opening was concealed in a barn on the prem ises The ceiling of the sub-cellar was the floor of the basement of the dwelling, and was contracted of rein fcrced concrete five inches thick and without opening or vent The sub cellar and tunnel were cemented.
 In Colorado still was found in cave whose entrance was concealed by heavy brush. Buried under the brush in shallow graves there were the bodies of many animals. hppa. ently the moonshiners had counted upon the stench of decomposing flesh to counteract the heavy fumes or mash anw whisky.
 An old church building in lows was descreated by moonshiners, who con structed a $50,000 plant beneath it's roof. One man built a showy bunRa- low in a fashionable suburb of large Ohio city to house his still. In several cities stills have been found in the city or county jail. At stitl rear Meridian, Miss, the mash was found and covered by a trapdoor over which manure was spread
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