Evening star., 1926-03-28
IDTSTTLLINC FOUND BUSY TRADE,
UNFOLDING CHARGE WILSON MADE
Plenty of Stills in Maryland, But One Is Caught by
Budnitz's Band; ''Cawn" as Plentiful as Talk,
Star Sleuth Finds While Taking Walk.

in st. Marys County. lie ~ kHo"H
as slim" Since Slim first set up
his boiler and coils some years back
the Sims OF st. Marys County have
increased into the hundreds, it was
added.
Here come two Of 'em now" his
inforrna nts remarked as the group
stood on the main street Down the
road two automobiles were approach
ing. headed in the direction of Wash
ington,
Before he had finished his remarks
two more cars appeared, closely fol
lowed by two others--all speeding up
tho grade at Morganzs at healthy
pace All six were declared TO be
rum cars, and before long word came
that one of them had skidded down
the road and narrowly missed plung-
ing over an enbanlment.
"Rum-runnlng isn't anything un-
usual down this way" the reporter
was told by a Morg d man, who ought
to know. "rhey go through here
every day, and none Of EN- ever seem
to get caught. They all come from
somewhere down the county"
Heads Down County.
Somewhere down the county. aroord-
ingIy. the news hound determined 10
go BY nightfall he had arrived
thereabouts, and finding himself in
Leonardtown, halted for the nonce TO
learn what there was to learn.
Leonardtown, seat of st. Marys
County, is southern Maryland's me
tropoiis II had been reported that
recent raids la this and adjoining
counties had just about dried up the
landscape. Seriously, he ventuTed b
remark along those lines to the town
shoemaker, who can tell by the mud
! on D. clients shoe whether he has
been working in his garden or in the
moOnshine hills.
The shoemaker had been shining
the scribe's dust-Covered shoes and
noting to himself that the latter hsd
| been in half a dozen counties of late.
At the remark he dropped his brush
| and doubled himself up in a guffaw.
"Dry?' he chuckled, on regaining
| his composure. Where do you hail
| from. mister. Say. If this county is
! dry, Noa his food was an April shower.
! You can get all the liquor you want
down here, and by the quart, gallon
/ or barrel. too"
| The ShOemaker'S story was CorrObo-
rated by numerous other residents.
! Stroling toward the hotel the report
/ er came across a seedylooking gentle
| man with primeval facial folia ge The
/ latter halted.
Say, stranger" he began. may l
/ have a little confidential talk with
! you?"
/ St. Msrys County's principal con
! fidential" topic was we'll known. The
reporter readily gave him permission
! TO divulge any facts pertinent TO the
| subject.
Get Down to Business
I've been drunk for the last two
days" said the stranger. and | feel
monstrous bad. ] think another little
drink would brace me up, and what
| | was going to say was, can you let
me have dime to get a drink"
"A dime to get a drink? Where in
! hiazes can a man get liquor for q
dime"
"Oh. that amt cheap down here :
he replied. Now and then / can gel
drink for a nickel. if ! meet the
right man"
During the stay in Leonardtown The
! reporter canvssSed public opinion
| with regard TO the state OF the
drought said to have been precipitateG
in southern Maryland by the prohibi
tion forces. On I'll sides he was told
| that this drought was conspicuous by
its absence. The citizenry of the
| town. when he arrived, were exict edl '
discussing the big raid made a few
, days before near Plank Ridge. on the
outskirts of the town. where revenue
officers found a large cache of We
goods in a building brazenly close L
the State road
Washington people are always IL
a hurry to get liquor" one member
NJ - fof I'D %, III
TO going very far of the road for it
II they drove their machines into tht
woods very often they would arouse
| suspicion. So the moonShinerS have
to bring II out to where they can loaC
it easily
What The Stars emissary wanted
most was to see one of these stills
not known to the authorities He
finally gained the confidence Of 9
townsman who volunteered to show
him one. He was taken to it. all
right. but he found it TO be a dead
one. Operations had been suspended
for some time, although the still was
in condition for resurrection at any
time its owner felt so inclined
Spring Sales On.
He learned all about the present
state of the bootleg market during
his rambles. A new Spring schedule
for moonshine products recently has
gone into effect, 1t seems. Prices
on both rye and corn have been re.
duced because of the large surplus
on tho hands of some of the larger
operators.
The reporter could not obtain def
mite information on the actual num-
ber of stills in operati ton in either the
Leonardtown or La Plata section.
He visited the latter on his way back
to the city. All that his informants S
would tell him was that there are
plenty Of them, that's all"
Destruction of stills and confsca-
ton of iiaucr by prohibition agents.
he was told, had only scratched the
surface" of the moonshine and boot
i lnr- i..d i., harm No r1.la nd