The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-07-15
STILLSFOUND UNDER
Pig PENS, HEN COOPS
SEVERAL PLACES IN SOUTHERN
STEARNS COUNTY RAIDED
BY GOVERNMENT AGENTS
SAY IT Is ONLY A START
TIPSY ANIMALS TIP OFF REEVE,
NUERS TO THE LOCATION
OF BOOZE

OF bOOZE
Six men are in Jail, warrants are
out for six others and federal prohi-
bltlon agents have story of
mysterious fires that broke out four
successive times just as they had fin
lshed destroying distillery equipment
on flying visit to Stearns county,
says Friday evenings Minneapolis
Journal.
The flying squadron, led by Major
b. b. Wilcox, prohibition administrat-
or, arrested six men, seized $3.50 gal
Ions OF mash and ATS gallons Of moon
shine, watched -four buildings burn
down after they caught fire in some
mysterious manner just as the raiders
were leaving, and then came back tt
the Twin Cities and swore out war.
rants for six others.
And this is only the beginning of
our drive in Stearns county," Major
Wilcox declared Friday.
A story of stills housed in a fur.
nished cement dugout under a pig.
pen, another in cave under a chick
en- coop, and of two spacious distil
lerles sunk in the mud of swamps be-.
side the banks of the Lake Watab and
the Holding river, was told by Major
Wilcox.
And another story of mysterious
fire demon that "hounded the foot
steps" of the flying squadron and
destroyed four shacks that housed
stills was repeated by the major.
I'VE descended on an innocent
looking pigpen northeast of st.
Joseph" Major Wilcox said. "Every.
thing looked calm, except the pigs
several OF whom were reeling about in
their pen. That attracted our atten.
ton. An investigation showed that
they were munching mash. Then we
heard a gurgling noise that seemed to
come from underground. And, sure
enough, when we kicked around bit
We discovered a cement stairway un.
aessa trap door that led us down into
p large and nicely decorated under
ground ,dugout, made entirely of &c,
tment.
at looked so much like some of the
officers dugouts used in the war that
l unconsciously felt for bombs.
In the dugout, which was about 20
by 30 feet in size, we found a ITS
gallon still operating, 700 gallons of
mash, IL gallons of moonshine, pres
sure machines, heating apparatus and
all the modern conveniences, No one
was there at the time, but we swore
out warrants for four men, and ex-
pect to arrest them Immediately. 4"
From the underground manufacture
ing plant the flying squadron travelled
70 a farm hve miles south of Avon
on tne shores OF Lake Watab.
Sitting underneath a tree, we
FOUND man liesurely smoking a
Pipe," Major Wilcox said. "When we
drove up he jumped up and asked us.
wen, gentlemen whatIl you have?'
we took two 100 gallon stills.
about $500 gallons of mash, 40 GAL
Ions OF moonshine and some pressure
apparatus.
In the crotch of a tree, the agents
found water tank, into which water
CINE.
From there we went to another
farm east of Avon. At first the place
looked deserted, but we secuted
around in a swamp near the house,
and, sure enought, there we found
man near a baby still, snuggled
down in a coy swamp, surrounded by
l,55O gallons of mash and rs gallons
OF moonshine. Somehow the shed
caught on fire just as we left.
Our prisoner looked too relieved
however when we started to take him
away, SO we nosed around some more,
kicked a few pigs, and finally heard
some crazy sounding crows from
nearby chicken coop. Underneath the
chicken coop we found a dugout
where two 100 gallon stills were bub-
bling away, and there was 1,400 gal
Ions of mash and 80 gallons of LIQUOR.
AS usual, the mistake was in letting
farm animals eat marsh-the tipsy
chickens betrayed him."
third man was arrested there.
over in another shed we found
about 225 gallons Of mash ageing.
In some mysterious manner the chick
en- coop and the shed caught on fire
just as we were leaving
"Deploying as skirmishers," the
major said, eve went back to Lake
Watab and found a fourth man /op-
Grating rs gallon still. We also
found LOO gallons of mash and 80
gallons of moonshine. A warrant for
a second man was issued.
Again the fire demon was hound
ing our footsteps, and the shack
caught fire just after he had destroy
ed his equipment.
Two men were arrested, and 100
gallon still, 200 gallons of mash and
pressure machinery on a farm near
Holdingford. Again buildings in
which the still and mash were housed
"caught fire just as we were leaving, ;"
Major Wilcox said.
About so rods from the farm, one
of the agents located a 200 gallon
still, 100 gallons Of moonshine and
1000 gallons of mash.