Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1923-02-08
AGENTS NOW SEEK men
Who OWNED BIG STILL
NEAR RARi7AN TOWNSHIP
Believe Prominent Perth Am
boy Man to be Connected
With Huge DistiIlery

Search Is now being made for the
owner or owners of the huge whiskey
distillery plant, uncovered early yes
terday morning in a raid made upo:a
a barn in an isolated part of Middle
sex county between Raritan town
ship and Piscataway by Federal
Prohibition Agent John C. Cooper, of
North Plainfield, and Chief Corne-
lius Mccarthy, Of the South Plain
field police. One man Is held, at
least two others have escaped from
the barn when Chief Mccarthy and
Cooper raided the building. The
man caught at the distillery gave the
name of Harry Levine of Connecti-
cut.
Chief Mccarthy and Agent Cooper
had been searching for weeks to de-
termine the source of large amount
OF whiskey which it was known was
being manufactured in Middlesex
county. The two men finally located
the barn, a few hundred yards off
the New Durham road, which they
felt sure housed tn distillery.
The raid was carried out under the
cover of night and an elaborate out
lay, said to have cost about $4,000,
was discovered consisting of two
1920 gallon stills, one 900 gallon
still and eight 1000 gallon ferment-
ing watts. About 20" gallons of alco-
hol also were seizeo as YVES two-ton
truck bearing the license number N.
Y. 1,097,641. The apparatus was not
touched but the alcohol and whiskey
were removed from the place in
trucks secured from the Newark
Office and taken to Newark.
A list containing large number
sot names, thought to have been
Y ootleggers supplied by the distillery,
was found in the barn and the dry
agents are expected to make addi-
tional arrests shortly. 1t could not
be learned whether or not any Perth
Amboy parties were connected with
Brunswick are to the effect that fur
ther developments will involve at
least one Perth Amboy man.
1t is the belief of the authorities
that the owners of the distillery
we're Brooklyn men and that mcst
Of the output, estimated at 400 gall
lors a day, was shipped to New
York or Brooklyn for distribution.
According to Chief Mccarthy, two
trucks loaded with booze, carrying
possibly 400 gallons, left the distil-
le:S a short time before the rad
was made. The authorities were
unable to locate the trucks.
TIE whiskey was not bottled at
The dlstillery, but merely nlaced IN
cans and taken. it is believed. to
another plant where it was bottled
ard labeled and then sold by the
case The location of this bottling
plant has not been discovered as
yet, but the dry agents are of the
belief that it is in this vicinity.
According to information secured
from Chief Mccarthy. two trucks
loaded with booze are believed to
have left the distillery every second
day for parts unknown. Levine. who
is being held awaiting investigation,
said he received 500 a week and
board. He is reported to have told
the authorities the name of his en-
ployer, Brooklyn man.
The farm upon which the distil-
lery was located is reported to have
been purchased about six months
ago by man who said he wanted
to make cider in the large barn To-
Gated on the property.
Chief Mccarthy announced early
This afternoon that investigation has
shown the owner of the farm on
which the raided barn was located
is John YaskutZsky. of 43 North
Ninth street, Brooklyn, who bougnI
3he place when it was known as the
Cooney Milk Dairy. The properly
Includes two acres, the large barn
IN which the distillery was located,
being the main building.