The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1924-02-21
St. CLOUD MAN SHOT
IN RAID SATURDAY
MOONSHINE FOUND IN PLACE
OF BROTHER OF COUNTY
COMMISSIONER
FEDERAL MAN INJURED
STEARNS COUNTY OFFICERS
u. WILL INVESTIGATE STATE
MENTS OF WITNESS


Lahr's lunch room and soft drink
parIor at St. Cloud, Saturday night,
the proprietor was shot twice, both
times in the right shoulder and re-
ceived several cuts about his head
and body. Ole P. Olson of Minneso-
ta's Federal Prohibition forces, re-
ceived a bullet wound in his head.
The Federal agents claim that Lair
fired when Olson attempted to break
the combination on large safe which
it is alleged Lair had refused to
open, and which on later investigation
contained twelve pints of moonshlne.
Both of the injured men were taken
to St. Raphael's hospital, st. Cloud.
Olson's injuries in his forehead were
slight and he was able to leave the
hospital Monday, but Lair at last re-
ports, was still in the hospital, guard.
ed by federal officers.
Lair is well known in St. Cloud
having been in business there for rs
years. He is a brther of P. N.
Lair, chairman of the board of coun-
ty commissioners.
When the party Of federal agents
was leaving town late Saturday night
they stopped at filling station for
gasoline. A party of young men
threatened to avenge the shooting
of Lair by running the agents out of
town, according to the story told by
the federal men. Scuffle followed,
and two of the civilians were arrested
and locked in the city Jail charged
with interference with officers. The
police refused to reveal their names
Monday.
Olson told the following story of
what happened Saturday night:
eve came to st. Cloud Saturday
night to investigate some liquor vio-
lations and make raids. There were
eight agents in the party, and Rueben
Remote, Claude Warfield and myself
went into Lahr's place. l told him
we were federal agents and ordered
about 10 customers in the place to
leave. That left Lair, August Steffes,
a cook, and Aloysius Pufahl, waiter,
in the place.
81 laid a warrant for the place on
the counter and told Lair who was:
I identified myself with badge and
commission from the government.
All this time the other two agents
were in front of the store talking to
the cook and the waiter. l told Lair
l wanted to look in the safe and or
dered him to open it. He sat in a
chair and tinkered with the combina-
ton and then turned around and said
he didn't think I had authority to
open the safe.
81 told him I had authority and
that he had better open it, but he
stood up and refused. Then l
searched him to see if he was armed,
but he had no gun. took hammer
and started to knock the combination
knob from the safe, and Lair walked
over to a cigar counter. / think it
was then that he got the gun. A few
minutes after turned around just in
time to see him pointing a gun, and
he fired two shots at me. One hit
me in the head and l fell, but as l
did I pulled my gun and fired at Lair.
Warfield and Remote then ran back
and overpowered him and took away
the gun.
"Then we were taken to the hos
pital, and after that Warfield and
Remote went back and found IL pints
of moonshine in the safe. /"
There have been many charges
and counter-changes by the Federal
Department, by the police officers of
st. Cloud, and by Stearns county
peace officers. County Attorney
James j. Quigley and County Com
missioner Lair, brother of the in
jured man, stated that full investi-
cation of the case will be made.
According to st. Cloud papers a
mysterious Mr.. "X' has been dug
up who claims to have been standing
in the doorway at the time the place
was raided, who says that Lair was
shot before he fired on Olson. The
Federal agents claim that Olson shot
Lair after Lair had shot him. The
stories are very conflicting. Lair
will likely be compelled to face the
Federal Court on the charge Of hav-
ing moonshine in his place of bust
ness.
Two men, employed in his place,
have been arrested and were lodged
in the Hennepin county Jail. There
were a number of men in Lahr's place
at the time the raid was made, but
they did not make any attempt to
take any part in the proceedings
when the raid was started.