The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-04-04
II STILLS ARE
DESTROYED BY
U. S. RAIDERS
Agents Ready to PounCe on
Twenty More Places
at Clinton.
SEVEN TRUCKS USED
Owners Melted Profit of
$4,000 Each Day,
Officials Say.
SEVEN TRUCKS USED

Continued battering by special
dry agents and prohibition enforce
ment officers has dealt a death
blow to one of central Indianas
major, yet comparatively little
known, industries, federal officials
divulged today
1t was business representing an
investment Of almost 81 100000, re-
curing seven trucks to bring sup
plies to the plants located in Gin
ton Ind, and to take away the
manufactured product and netted
the owners, it is estimated profit
Of approximately $4,000 a day.
This highly profitable business was
the alcohol manufacturing racket and
Clinton, its headquarters, is the
acknowledged alcohol manufacturing
center of the middle west,
Beginning Oct 2 and ending
April / a series of raids by federal
agents resulted in the destruction
Of twenty-seven alcohol stills rang
ing in daily output from 200 to 500
gallons and more than a score OF
liquor stills.
20 More Marked for AK
At least twenty more large alco-
hol stills have been located in Gin
ton, federal agents say, and are
marked for the ak.
Starting with the smashing of
thirteen alcohol manufacturing
plants in Clinton on Oct and 3,
sporadic raids we're made by the
special agents which netted four
teen other stills, the two last being
destroyed on March &c and April l.
All were located in Clinton.
Floors were cut away in private
dwellings, and the large copper stills
reared their heighth through two
and three stories from the base
ment floor.
The still destroyed on West Miller
street in Clinton on March 20 cost
at least $4,000 to erect and was the
largest of the lot, special agents
said
Got 5O,139 Gallons of Mash
It was capable of producing five
gallons of alcohol every ten min
utes. Raiders obtained 50,139 gall
Ions OF mash which was stored in
six watts Largest Of these were 1915
by IA feet and feet deep; 30 by
- by 6, and by by 6.
The still was fifteen feet high
and reached from the basement to
the roof. A 25-horse power steam
boiler was used in manufacturing
the alcohol
Raiders also found on the prem
ises fifteen barrels Of molasses used
in making the mash and one-half
ton of coke used for stocking the
boiler The mash pump was run
by electricity and the boiler was of
thick high-grade copper.
A 140-foot tunnel running from
the house to the alleyway, was lined
with tile and was two feet in
diameter.
Two Nabbed in Raid
When the special agents ap-
preached the house the still at
tendant slammed the door and
made his getaway through the
tunnel.
Information gathered by the
agents revealed that seven trucks
delivered supplies to the Clinton
stills each day and left with loads
of alcohol.
The April l raid Melted 200
gallon daily capacity still and man
and woman were arrested. They
are Albino DalPonte and Augusta
Carose, who are being held for the
next federal grand jury.
Value of the alcohol manufactured
in the twenty-seven giant stills i;
difficult to estimate, but it is
known that a five-gallon can sold at
the still for SIS and in Indianapolis
for $22.50
The daily output of the large still
totaled approximately $4,000, it was
declared