Officers Raid Booze Plant In Manheim

Uncover Still On Farm Of Josiah Winants

Latter is arrested and is expected to provide bail  –  Three men escaped thro window  –  Water used in making liquor came from main owned by city  – Equipment said to be worth $25,000 destroyed  –  Tip to dry sleuths may have been due to lawsuit between relatives

Echoes of a wooded hillside in Manheim rang yesterday afternoon and this morning with the sound of axes, not chopping down trees, but demolishing an alleged still for manufacture of contraband liquor. The scene was Josiah Winants’ farm and the axes were in the hands of Agents Evans and LaFleur from the Utica prohibition enforcement station, who, with Sheriff Baker and Deputy Parry, raided the premises and discovered the still.  It is said the plant was worth about $25,000.

Three men who were in the building when the officers arrived on the scene made themselves scarce, following each other in rapid succession thro a rear window. In any event they made a clean getaway. Little Falls men have been connected by common speech with the ownership of the joint.

Mr. Winants was left, so to speak, holding the bag. He was arrested on a charge of violating the dry law. U.S. commissioner Frank H. Shall last night fixed bail at $2500, pending disposition of the case, and this is expected to be provided this afternoon.

The place where the raid was made is located on a side hill, reaching by a dirt road running northward from the Bronner corner on the crosstown highway, between the Dolgeville and Salisbury roads. This was formerly the Bart Keeler farm. The city water line from Salisbury crosses the property on the top of the hill back of the house. When the right of way for the line was obtained, the owners of the property at that time were granted a supply of water from the city main, this concession passing on to Mr. Winants. Water for the alleged still was procured from the main. Thus, the city is in the unusual and unexpected situation of having furnished a supply of acqua pura, outside of the regular city district, for the operation of a moonshine distillery.

The equipment for making the contraband liquor was partially destroyed during the raid, and the job was finished by officers today. It was located in a frame building a few rods from the house. The raiding party claims there were two vats which had a capacity of 3500 gallons each, and that these were nearly filled with alcohol which was being “cleaned.” Not much of the finished product was on hand.

Stories of a still being in operation on the Winants place have been in conversations for some time. One version is that yesterday’s raid resulted directly from a legal action which had been pending in the courts since January 28, 1928 in which Mr. Winants is suing for board, the defendant having set up a counter claim for money loaned. The rumor is that the squabble led to the authorities being tipped off to visit the Winants place. The defendant in the action is John E. Bates of Albany. Whether the story has any basis remains to be seen by later developments.