The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1929-01-18
GIANT STILL FOUND
In NC CONE COUNTY
Ownership Claimed By Youth of Y
Years. Still Valued at $4,000. Sew
eral Persons Captured In COnnec
ton with Discovery.

Wolf Point, Jan. 1.-THE largest
still ever taken in eastern Montana
was captured when Deputy Prohibition
Administrator John M. Hagan of Far
go, N. D., Wellington Wright, federal
enforcement officer of Grand Forks,
N. D., and force under Supt. Charles
Eggers and special police took a
plant, said to be one of the Creighton
distilleries, about 10 miles southwest
of Frazer.
Valued at $4,000
The plant consists of four 150-gal-
lon stills and equipment and supplies
found are said to be worth more than
$4,000. Twenty-seven thousand gal
Ions of mash, sufficient to make 5000
gallons of moonshine ready for sale,
Chevrolet coupe, several truckloads
of sugar and ground corn meal were
taken.
Three men were arrested and charg-
ed with illegal operation of a distil-
lery. They are Clarence Dempsey of
Redmond, Ore, %, who claims own
ership of the still; L. A. Ruben of
Williston, N. D., and Ted Wilson of
Mondak.
Arraigned before o. T. Stennes,
United States commissioner here, all
three waived hearing and were placed
under $4,000 bond each to appear in
federal court at Great Falls.
Leo Conlin and Ed Ellingson OF
Bainville, charged with illegal posses.
sion and transportation of intoxicat-
ng liquor, also waived hearing here
and were placed under $500 bonds
each.
Bonds have not been furnished anC
the five men are in Jail here.
In the raiding party were DeputS
Prohibition Administrator Hagan
Wellington Wright, Charles Eggers
superintendent of the Fort Peel
agency, and his deputies, Charlie:
Thompson, Leo Green, George kim OF
Poplar, and Martin Mitchell and Todc
Stanley of Wolf Point.
The enforcement officers had beer
trying to locate the source of supply
and were recently informed that {
still was located near Frazer. Upo1
securing authority TO do so, Deputy
Administrator Hagan sent Wellington
Wright here from Grand Forks t.
make an investigation, which he dit
with the cooperation of Mr.. Eggers
They received a tip that a still wa
about to be removed and the Nortl
Dakota officials decided to make tn
raid Immediately, without giving tn
information to the Montana prohibi
ton administrators.
The plant was found in a rougI
section of country on Hungry creek
McCone county, 10 miles southwest O
Frazer, and though a well used true
road led to the place it was well hid
den from view.
After capturing the still, guard
were placed there and two men, Civ
ing their names as Ed Ellingson an
Leo Conln of Bainville, were arrest
ed as they were driving up to tn
still. Liquor was found in the ca
and on the person of one of the mel
according to Officer Hagan.
Mr.. Hagan says they have sufficier
evidence to connect up the capture
still with the Creighton brother
chain.
Will Appear Later
Three other men, who were foun
at the still, were ordered to appes
before Commissioner Stennes Jan. 1.
they claimed to be at the still to hal
away mash for feed. They are Oscs
Gribble of Frazer, Sc, married ma
with four children; Frank Bartsch an
George Bartsch of Frazer, both singh
Gribble was at the still with true
and Frank Bartsch had team and
, wagon.
Dempsel, who claimed ownership
the $4,000 still, is % years old, an
4 said he had been operating the plal
! for month and a half. He is u
married.
4 L. A. Ruben of Williston, AT,
Z married and has two children; II
Wilson of Mondak is SO and served
: the 14th infantry during the Wor
;, war. Deputy Administrator Hag,
was in charge of the raid north
4 Mandan, N. D., in October, when
n large amount of alcohol was seized.
is alleged that the bulk of the moo
# shine supplied to eastern Montana al
# western North Dakota comes from t
Creighton stills.