The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-10-30
Big B0OTLEGCING PLANT
NEAR SWANTON BURNED
Revenue Officers Make three Ar
rests-Find High-class Lit
erature In Shack.

Two stills, over 2400 gallons of
mash and fifteen gallons of liquor
were seized and destroyed near Swan
ton on Tuesday by General Prohibi-
ton Officer William R. Harvey and
Deputy Raymond Bittinger, of Cum
berland, assisted by Sheriff Guy Yut-
zy and his deputies. The officers re-
turned to Cumberland last night tax
ing with them three prisoners whom
they had arrested in the raids made
by them.
The Cumberland officers came to
Garrett county late Monday evening,
and after spending the night in the
woods went to the Holbrook farm,six-
teen miles southeast of Oakland and
north of Swanton on Meadow Noun
tain. They reached an old log cabin
in thickly wooded part of the farm
about nine o'clock Tuesday morning,
and in answer to their summons the
door was opened by Fred. Sewers, of
Oakland. Sewers was asked if he had
any liquor for sale and he denied that
there was any about the premises.
Harvey forced Sewers to admit him
to the house and after Handwriting
him searched the place. Two big 500
gallon wooden watts were found on the
first floor of the house and two others
on the second floor. All four of the
watts were filled to the top with mash.
The officers also found about $50 one
gallon and fve-galion cans, similar to
those used for carrying whiskey in
the house A 10O-gallon still was also
found hidden in the brush about two
hundred feet from the house.
The still was heated by gasoline
burners and 50-gallon barrel of gas
oline was found in the house.
The house contained four rooms, in
each of which was big wooden vat.
The officers sawed holes in the watts
and allowed the mash to run out.
They then broke the watts up and after
hauling them from the building set
fire to them.
Water was conducted to the house
through a pipeline over two hundred
feet long.
Sewers is alleged to have told the
officers that he found the cabin late
Friday evening and went inside to
rest up; then became afraid to leave
the place. When the officers reached
the house Tuesday Sewers was read
ing sherlock Holmes" volume. A
new set of Shakespeare works was
also found in the cabin. There was a
good supply of tobacco and food Or,
hand, the officers said.
The officers placed Sewers under
arrest and brought him to Oakland
where he was held until yesterday at
ternoon when he was taken to Cum
berland for hearing.
The two officers are also alleged to
have found two barrels of mash and
a thirty gallon still near the home of
Peter Bickford on Meadow Mountain
Tuesday. When the mash was found
on his premises, Bickford is alleged
to have stated that it was "pig feed"
The home of Noah Bittinger, also
on Meadow Mountain, was raided by
the two officers where it is said they
found seven barrels of mash back of
a barn on the place. A five-gallon
key of whiskey was said to have been
found under Bittinger's house and a
ten-gallon key under his brothers
house nearby. Bittinger, according to
the officers, declared that both kegs
of liquor belonged to him.
Both Bittinger and Bickford were
placed under arrest and brought to
Oakland where they were lodged in
Jail until yesterday evening, when,
together with Sewers, they were TAX
en- to Cumberland for hearings. Ar
irving in Cumberland the men were
handcuffed together and taken to po-
lice headquarters where they will be
held until their cases are disposed of
by Commissioner Anderson today.
Harvey and Bittinger raideda num-
Der of other homes in the county yes
terday but were unable to find any
evidence of bottlegging operations.
Cal MenhOrn Arrested Friday.
Cal Menhorn, who has been operat-
ing a boot black standi in little build
ing on Railroad street for several
years past, was taken into custody on
Friday last by Deputy Sheriff Frank
Blake on warrant issued by Justice
West charging him with having sold
moonshine liquor to a youth named
Johnson. Menhorn was given a pre-
hminary hearing by the Justice fol-
lowing his arrest and was released on
$500 bond for his appearance at the
December term of the Circuit Court
for this county. Yesterday Menhorn
left the State and along about nine
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