The Indianapolis times., 1930-06-10
HUGE Indiana
LIQUOR PLOT
TO Be Barred
46 Defendants Go on Trial
in Big Rum Ring Case
at Terre Haute.
PACK U. S. COURTROOM
Quiz Begun After Murders
Resulted in Capture of
Large Still.
Bu Times Special

BB Times Special
TERRE HAUTE, Ind, June TO-
Operations OF the alleged Wabash
Valley booze ring, which is said to
have extended to all parts of the
middle west, were to be barred in the
federal court trial Of forty-six per-
sons, charged with conspiracy to
violate the prohibition law, under
way here today.
Government attorneys said they
are prepared to jerk the veil from
the alleged conspiracy and show
how alleged rum runners, merchants,
Officials and gunrnen of Vigo and
Vermillion counties built up In
dianas biggest alleged booze ring.
Special bailiffs, police and guards
battled with the crowd that was at
the trial today More than $50 wit
neSses from Indiana and surround
ing states have been called to testify
in the case. 1t is expected the trial
will take a week.
Murders Start Probe
The indictments were returned
after months of investigation into
activities of alleged rum runners and
liquor vendors in the Wabash Valley
district.
Federal agents began their probe
after two murders, one in Clinton
and another in Terre Haute.
The trial led the probers into the
hills of southern Indiana, into
Offices of business men in Clinton
and this city, and into bootlegging
joints in various parts of the state.
Confiscates Still
The first strike of the probe came
last December when federal agents
arrested ten men, including a PROM
inent Clinton merchant, for the al
legged operation of an enormous still
at Montezuma.
George Jeffrey, district attorney,
in his opening statement, charged
Ray F'oncannon. former Vigo county
sheriff; John AnSen, former Repub-
lean county chairman, and Roy
Wright, former federal prohibition
agent, with active connections with
the alleged booze ring.
He charged Ansen made collec-
tionS and that Foncannon received
$500 monthly from still operations.
He included; Wright in the charge
that the men accepted protection
money from several illicit operators.
Jake Traun1, said to have been a
member of a gang active in the still
racket, and Danny Wagner, alleged
gunmen, changed their pleas to
guilty in tie conspiracy case. They
will be sentenced later. iN
Bare Protection System
The liquor, it is charged, was
made in several stills in Vigo and
Vermillion counties, and was turned
over TO rum runners who delivered
it into all parts of Indiana, Illinois,
Missouri, Kentucky and Ohio.
An intricate system of protection
for dealers and rum runners is al
legged to have been worked out by
the defendants. Clinton was said
to have been the pay-of head
quarters for the gangs operations
and ieutenants are alleged to have
made headquarters here.
Others on Trial
Among those to be tried are:
Mario Bonicarsi, Clinton sugar
wholesaler; Jack Bell, Terre Haute,
and st. Louis gangster; Victor
Borucchi, aid of Bonacarsi'S; Theo-
dore and William Choleva, Joseph
Poraski. Angelo Stefani, Carl Snod-
grass and John B. Sturm, all of
Clinton, who were arrested when the
enormous still at Montezuma was
confiScated last December; John
Barrole and Fred Ketter, both of ST..
Louis; Homer Wright, alleged Chi
cago and st. Louis gunman; Arthur
zamberlatti of Clinton, former fed
eral prisoner; Frank Magione and
Albert Moore, all of Clinton, and
Ivan Money of Terre Haute.