IN THE COUNTY JAIL. Several Hundred Bottles of Confiscated Beer and Whisky. “The quiet of a hot June afternoon in Rockville was disturbed, Friday, when the news gained circulation that two automobile loads of contraband beer was being unloaded at the jail. Men flocked from all quarters to see the unusual sight. On arriving at the jail there was the beer all right, hundreds of bottles. This had been carefully packed in the machines like cord wood. The back seats had been removed and the bottles stacked to the top of the back of the seat while the space between the seats was similarly occupied. It is estimated 10 or 12 cases of beer and two cases and a jug of whisky were in the two machines. It came about this way: Citizens of Liberty township in the vicinity of Howard had observed the same men drive by on several days in succession with their machines suspiciously loaded and suspected that they were engaged in transporting beer for use in dry Indiana. This was reported to Prosecutor Dowd and Sheriff Thompson. Thursday afternoon word was telephoned that the cars had been observed again and the sheriff tried to head them off at West Union. This effort failed as the men probably past before the officials reached the place. Friday it was decided to go to Liberty township earlier in the day, and wait for the suspected men. This plan was successful, and in front of the home of Mike Grimes, the sheriff, accompanied by Deputy Peare and the prosecutor, met the cars. Throwing his machine across the road the sheriff ordered the drives to stop and on searching their Fords and learning the nature of their loads placed the men under arrest. Deputy Peare was sent back to Rockville with one of the cars and the men and returned with Marshall Calvert the two bringing in the other car while the sheriff waited in the hope of capturing another reported to be coming. The men driving the cars and placed under arrest are Albert McMurtry of Terre Haute and John Fabiny of Seeleyville. They had been going to Westville, Ill., getting the stuff and taking it back to their home towns for sale. They called C. A. Patton of Terre Haute, said to be a professional bondsman, after retaining H. A. Henderson as attorney. Patton came up and gave bond for $200 in each of two charges filed by the prosecutor against each man, a total of $800. The charges are unlawful possession of liquors for purposes of sale and having in possession more than the law permits for personal use which is one gallon of whisky and 12 quarts of beer. It was noted that the beer bottles instead of having a large label as has been customary, bear a diminutive label on the neck of the bottle with the words ‘Pabst Beer, Milwaukee.’ This label can be easily removed and the bottle when placed with bottles of "near beer" cannot be detected. Since the stuff was unpacked the job of transferring it from the machines to the jail took considerable time. A large clothes basket was used and while two men were carrying a load of this one handle broke loose precipitating the bottles upon the stone steps. Several bottles were broken and because the beer had been off of ice for several hours it was in an effervescing state and those who saw the accident said beer rose in a fountain ten feet high. The penalty prescribed under the dry law for any violation of its provisions is upon conviction a fine of not less than $50 nor more than $200 and imprisonment in the county jail not less than 10 nor more than 90 days. It is said the Vermillion county authorities have of late adopted the policy of permitting loads of beer to pass thru the county, taking the name of the owners and filing them with the Federal authorities pending a decision on the constitutionality of the dry law. If the law is held constitutional the violators are liable to prosecution under the Federal statute forbidding the violators are liable to prosecution under the Federal statute forbidding the importation of intoxicants into force right now because Indiana is legally dry territory. For a time there were frequent reports of confiscation of intoxicants in Vermillion County until the county jail was practically filled.” Rockville Republican 6-19-1918
Posted on: Sat, 20 Jul 2013 11:07:01 +0000
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