. r i fOfficial Taper of Box Butte County TWICE A WEEK TUESDAY AND FRIDAY ALLIANCE, BOX BUTTE COUNTY, NEBRASKA, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1921 NO. 93 Official Paper of the City of Allianct XXVIII. (Vitrhi V:ira B W FIND A BIG STILL AND MUCH HOOCH NEAR A L LI A f J OF lllaflll ril.i.irilUU -ALLIANCE OFFICERS MAKE THE BEST HAM) IN HISTORY DISCOVERY DDE TO ACCIDENT "Two Hunters Stranded in Sandhills Discover Underground Plant of Fifty-Gallon Capacity The biggest booze raid ever pulled fT in Box Butte county or in all west ern Nebraska, for that matter, took place Wednesday morning, when a truckload of mah and half a gallon of the finished product were taken from a dugout on the old Charles E. Clough place, now owned hy Charles Murphy and managed by his brother, John Murphy. The police succeeded not only in capturing the still, but Tom Gray, long suspected of being -engaged in this and other illegal oc cupations, in the very act of distilling the moonshine liquor. Gray was brought to he county jail and in county court yesterday afternoon pleaded guilty to a complaint charg ing him with four separate counts, and was held for trial in district court tinder a $20,000 bail, $5,000 on each -count. It is understood that both John and Charles Murphy will be questioned hy xne aumorities in connection with the raid. The discovery of the still was the re?ult of a lucky accident. Had not two hunters had an automobile break down in the region of the Clough place, it in all probability would never iiave been discovered, ' for it was lo cated in a large dugout out in the mid.-t of the sandhills, half a mile or more from the house, and was fo well concealed that it could not be seen un less the observer were a few feet :away from the opening. The two men found it necessary to walk to the "Wambauph ranch to telephone a gar age in Alliance for assistance, and took a short cut across the hills. They brought them near the dugout Even then they did not see the opening to the underground distillery, but a g.is oline barrel standing alone in the sand hills aroused their curiosity. They in vestigated and found the opening that led to the place. An Elaborate Equipment Going down into the dugout, they found evidences of a tremendous amount of work and a completely equipped fifty-gallong capacity stili, with numerous bairels of mash. The dugout is a fairly large affair, con sisting of two rooms, one about twelve by twenty feet and the other room I Charles Coker of Alliance, who was separated from the larger by a par- arrested Monday on a warrant from tition, five by seven. The smaller Morrill county, charging him with room is open to the weather, and a the theft of a steer from the Hall rough ladder leads down. The rooms and Graham ranch, was taken to are about eight feet underground. The Bridgeport, and place dunder bonds of dugout is located in a small valley, j $1,000 pending a preliminary hearing In the largo room the two hunters set for November 14. The evidence lound a fifty-gallon still, mounted on against Coker, it is understood, con :a washtub and an old stove frame, sisted of revelations made by a for Heat was supplied by a gasoline burn-j mer employe of Coker's, who, after a er with pressure tank. The boiler row with his boss, reported that his 3ield fifty gallons of the mash. From . employer had buried the hide of a the boiler was about fifty feet of cop-j steer. This hide was unearthed and per hollow wire which went over the was found to possess the Hall & Gra partition and coiled in a big cask in. ham brand. the smaller room. At the end of the On his return to Alliance, it is said coil was a faucet, and the distilled that Coker disposed of practically all whisky drained into a stone jug. of his property. He owned a ranch There were also five or six large' just over the line in Morrill county, barrels filled with corn mash, covered .and five sections of this was sold to with several inches of crushed fruit, one purchaser at a cash price of $2.40 peaches, apricots and plenty of rai- per acre. Another purchaser secured sins, several sacks of sugar and other J three sections of land, 210 head of cat materials. It was apparent that the tie and horses, the town property con- outm naa been in operation lor some.sisting ot a house and lot and two ir time. Officers Make Raid The discovery was made Saturday afternoon, and was reported to the sheriff and Chief of Police Jeffers on Monday. There was some question as to whether the ranch was located in Sheridan or Box Butte county, and the first belief was that it was in the ursi renei was mat u was in tnei neighboring count v. Sheriff Bruce of I Uushville was notified, but the mes sage did not reach him, and it was Wednesday before the raid wa3 pulled. In the meantime, the officers kept on eye upon Tom Gray, who has been supposedly working at the Murphy ranch for several months past. He had been in Alliance several days and twas supposed to be suffering from rheumatism. He left for the ranch Tuesday evening, and it was feared Kvet he had got wind of the raid and had pone out to destroy the evidence. Later developments proved these fear unfounded. The raiding party consisted of Dep uty Sheriff Tom Miskimen, Sheriir K. M. Bruce of Rushville and driver, Edison Harrington, C. W. Jeffers and T. A. Cross, special deputy sworn in to take the place of Sheriir Miller, vho was called to Hemingford. Harrington is a young fellow who Wodne-day was serving the last day of a thiity-day bootlegging sentence in Sheridan county and has been used driver for the sheriff's car durinir his incarceration. He has had a wide acquaintance with bootleggers, nnd il licit ii.-tillers, he claims, and showed plenty of pep during the proceedings. The officers descended on the dug out about 10 a. m. and on arriving, heard noises which indicated the place THE WEATHER 5j, t for Alliance: Fair tonight nn, v; (somewhat colder to- nign t'Thie JreSSmrintTlhe outer room, and was followed hy the oilier ranters. 'J om uray, in rh icge 01 me sun, was so busy with his work that he did not hear them, un I tlie oflicers say the look on his lace v he. he turned around and percciv.-d Ins Msitors was worth coming miles to see. Gray was taken to Alliance bv Dep uties Miskimen and Cross, while tJie others waited for confederates, but none put in nn appearance. A white truck driven by Oscar Zern drove ut and brought a load consisting of nine or ten huge casks, containing over six nunurea gallons of mash. There vu only a hulf-gallon of distilled liquor drawn otl', but the officers located two half-pint bottles of a colored liquid, corked and sealed with sealing wax. Seven or eight gallons of ma n were cooking in the boiler. Tlure were twelve or fifteen barrels in the dug out, some containing water. About 400 gallons of mash were emptied on the tloor of the dugout. Thursday -afternoon a delegation 01 tieputies and curious citizens went out to look over the dugout and de cide as to its location. County Sur veyor 11. E. Knight was taken aloiu tor an otiicial opinion. Gray Under Heavv Bond At a hearing in county court before Judge Tash, 'lorn Gray was held fi.r trial in district court under $20,000 bond. He was charged with lour counts: Manufacturing intoxicating nquor; naving in nis posession a still for the manufacture of intoxicating li uuor; having possession of materials used in the manufacture of intoxicat ing liquor; and having in his posses sion intoxicating liquor manufactured by himself lor the purpose of selling same. Gray pleaded guilty to all four counts, and is now in the county jail, awaiting trial at the next regular term of district court which convenes (Continued on Page 8.) cokePlaced under arrest a second time WILL FACE ARSON CHARGE MORRILL COUNTY IN Com paint Says He Burned Granary and Barn on Gentle Place in Year 1913 three vacant lots by a payment of S500 cash and assuming a mortgage of 000, it was reporteL Coker sold his Buick coupe back to the local dealer for $1,000 cash. He purchased the machine new in May of this year for i 2,1 50. Thursday afternoon officers from Bridgeport re-arrested Coker on an "V v , ; . othf r charge, that of arson, in con. nection with the burning of a barn and granary on the Glen Gentle place, on November 10, 1913. Friends of Mr. Coker say that the sale of property is not to be taken i s an indication that he was trying to make a getaway, inasmuch as he lias been trying to dispose of his interests here for at least six months past. He would consider only a cash purchase, otherwise the property would have been disposed of long ago. He was ar raigned at Bridgeport yesterday and again released on bond. CLARENCE GAHAGEN IS IS PAINFULLY INJURED Clarence Gahagen had his hand very painfully injured at 9:30 this morning while operating a threshing machine near Yale Siding. His hand was caught in the mach'nery and badly cut nn I torn. He was brought to Dr. G. J. Hand's office for treatment. The phy sician states that Mr. Gahagen will not be permanently crippled, except possi bly one finger will be left stiffened. Elmer Ilollingworth of Longmont, Colo., is a new employe at the Schafer Auto Supply, taking the place made vacant by the resignation of George L. Belzhuw. ALLIANCE LIONS FAVOR DELAY IN SCHOOL BUILDING PROVIDED IT ISN'T ABSOLUTELY M-X'ESSAKY Instruct Committee Meet With School Board and Discuss the Prob . lein From All Angle The Alliance lions club, at its Thursday noon luncheon at the Palm Room of the Alliance hotel, went on record as favoring a delay in the building program now under consid eration by the Alliance school board, provided this can be done without se riously impairing the work of the schools. Discussion among the club members brought out the fact that the club was not desirous of working any great inconvenience upon the city's school system, and that they would cheerfully pay their share of the nec essary taxes, but if there is any pos sibility of delaying a building pro gram, the club favors it. W. L. O'Keefe had been slated for a talk on "Fellowship," but the inter est in the discussion of the school sit uation was so great that it was de cided to postpone this feature. The subject was brought up by the com- mittee appointed at a recent meeting tn o-n tho c,n ; ...:.u i 1 StaJ'ZZi!' Scottsbluff joined in the ho'wl, being planned and its effect on the rnmmiinilv i.ili.ll.nw1, TH. - v......M...i,j rtv iwwi.wn. 1 inn VJII- but the .linsamn tl.o M, n i .. c , ,M was entirely iriendiy, anil no one had anything to ay against the proposed building program ul though a number of men present were known to be opposed, to it. The chairman of the committee gave it as his opinion that this is no time to build. By delaying the sale of bonds the interest may be saved to the pub lic. He believed that the school will be ab'e to get along without any great narisiiip lor another year. Following the committee report, the discussion was general. County Attor- ney uasye said that taxes will be raised 6 "per cent when the bonds are registered. He drpu.- uttpnlion in tha fact that the interest load began wit)f ; the registering of the bonds. John W. Guthrie pointed out that the bond market is gradually strengthening and that in all probability it would he better as time goes on. He said that if the bonds are sold now, the district may lose some money. An other memlier declared that he had Leen authorized to offer a price above par for the bonds. , J. S. Rhein suggested that the best way to handle the situation was bv means of a petition to the school i board. Men dislike to speak out in public meetings, he said, referring to the Monday luncheon at the chamber of commerce, but he believed that they would willingly register their senti ments on a petition. A motion was made to continue the committee, and instruct them to take up the proposition with the school board, informing them that the club is with them if more buildings at this time are considered absolutely neces sary, but urging delay if there is any way it can be arranged. Alliance Rotarians "Entertained by the Chadrori Normal Eleven members of the Alliance Ro tary club accepted the invitation from the Chadron state normal to attend a dinner in their honor at the normal school Thursday evening. H. F. Thiele, A. V. Gavin, Glen Miller, Norman Newberry, R. M. Hampton, H. P. Coursey, W. R. Pate, Charles Fuller, Monte Hargraves, W. M. Bevington and Earl L. Meyer drove over to Chad ion in the afternoon. The Alliance men were met bv President Robert I. Elliott, who con ducted them over the normal plant before the hour set for the banquet. The Allianmen were very much im pressed wun the importance of the school and with the work that is be- ing done there, as well as with the character of the faculty At the dinner, which was held at the school, there were ornamental hats for the Rotarians and other dec orations. There was a short program, at which Guy Collins served as toast master. Mr. Elliott spoke on "The Chadron Alliance," and P.. M. Hamp ton responded with a talk on "The Western Nebraska Alliance." Harry B. Coffee of Chadron responded to "The International Alliance" and Earl L. Meyer, "The Future Alliance." The Chadron speakers tol l the Alli ance men that Alliance whs too far away to amount to anything as a rival of theirs, and therefore nothing but co-operation could be hoped for. Chad ron has the normal school, the Alliance men were told, but Chadron is row willing to turn in and help Alliance secure something that i wonted here.. The Alliance Rotarians 6av the occa sion was one of the mo.-t plea-art in the history of the club. mittee, consisting of J. S. Ithein, Tiuc : r.lVv , V-Vlu,,r . P1Cf!iucnt of the local department; Mr. Miller and C. L. Reynolds, reported V,!Li ,ui ? r treatment George J. Hand, former president of that a meeting had oeen arranged at ..!' in e e;,m!5- . the department; E. G. Idling nnd Pev. the chamber of commerce rooms last h -N a n ?-J.ll ne WFjaper inti mates B. J. M inert of Alliance, pastor ..f the Monday at which there was discussion. h " L Al'iance used rough stuff at Bay- Baptist church. FOOTBALL TEAM PLAYS ANCIENT ENEMIES TODAY MEETS SCOTTSBLUFF AT THAT CITY THIS AFTERNOON Newspaper Brings Up Last Year'n Howls About Rouh Plajing And Rougher Treatment The Alliance high school football team will play the ScottblufT high school aggregation this afternoon at Midwest park in Scottsbluff. It will be one of the big games of the sca- I son, and Alliance fans are hoping that j the local team will bring back another scaip mr its collection. Last year the record was an even break, so far as Alliance and Scottsblull' were con cerned, each team winning n game. This is the first time the teams have met this season, and there is a deter mination to win on both sides. The Scottsblutr Star Herald, in an article announcing the game, calls at tention to the ill feeling in the valley last year against the Alliance team. This was engendered by Bayard, which was nt the time a contender for the state championship, and not leing pleased with the result, proceeded to 1 lL" " wonu mat Alliance nave icu we world that AI ance r rut a r as it went. I low 11 Willi which Alii i ar1'. 11 ln KHme WltH KCOttsblulf ui finance me cnier onjection vas 1 1 : At t registered against "village stuff" by the rooters and "bucolic and boorish treatment" thereafter. Alliance will not be humiliated at Scottsbluff, the Star-Herald says. At any rate, it will be a good game with plenty of pep, for this sort of attacks are just what make the All iance boys desire to give the Scottshluffers something to be peeved about, and nothing peeves 'em more than a good trimming. Only One Defeat for Alliance The Star-Herald announces the con- test today after this fashion: "On next Friday afternoon, startinrr a 3 o'c', Scottsbluff and Alliance, old time rivals in the football field, will tangle on the gridiron at Mid west park in this city. Alliance has suffered but one defeat this season, the little town of Ansley taking her measure by a score of 20 to 0. The Scottsbluff team shows a clear record of victories, with in fact only six Points scored against them up to the piesenu "A,,iance nas defeated Chadron, Sidney and Crawford. Scottsbluff has "r,,e"I-rl1 ivimoan, lornngion, iworrin and Sterling. Alliance hns nine of last years team on its 1J21 aggrega "There is no use in hiding the fact versed in football is well aware. "The old score between Alliance and Scottsbluff shows about a fifty-fifty break in the matter of victories by each school during the past several years, and this fact, coupled with re membrance of some of the bitterness of the past contests gives additional interest to the game that will be played in this city next Friday. Wielding the Hammer "But be that as it may, the A!li that in its games with Bayard last year, Alliance secured a rather un savory reputation of being advocates of rough stuff, so rough, in fact, as to cause serious comment. Wit.i the Scottsbluff team the game was played in a more satisfactory manner, the chief objection being that in a place which prides itself on being a modern city, 'village stuff' was the rule in the matter of rooting d uring the game and of bucolic and boorish comments thereafter. The treatment was the opposite of that accorded the local boys at Sterling. "But be that a sit may, the Alli ance team will be subjected to no such humiliation here, chiefly because Scott-bluff has outgrown the village cut-ui) stage (if it ever possessed it) and looks upon a football game as a real sport in which honors go to the best and cleanest players. "Next Friday's contest will have as ton, one of the most capable and ex- a reteree -jrisn i.amg, or iornng- pert football men in the west, and one wno win auow no rough stutr. as both Torrington and ScottsblufT learned during their contest. Unfair tactics will cause any player to lie thrown out of the game, that much is settled in advance in the minds of anyone who has witnessed Carrig of ficiate at a football game. "With teams, each of whom has a string of victories at their back and a determinate to win Friday's con tent as- the chief point in the season's fchedu'e, there is no one.-tion but that tne see spectators sonic real at riidav' football.-' game will All women who are eligible to mem berslvp in the woman's auxiliary of the American Legion will be given an opportunity to become charter mem bers of the Alliance branch if they will sign the application blank, which will be this week at the. home of Mrs. George L. Burr, Flora .Apartments. Mis. A .0. Dodge is chairman. Fire Department Holds Its Annual Wild Duck Supper The annual wild duck cupper of the Alliance Volunteer Fire Department wa held in the armorv Wednesday evening, with over a hundred in j.t'- tendance. Wigand Maunier, one of the volunteer firemen, was in charge of the im nu, which included roast wild duck, roast sweet potatoes, cranlier nes. celery, with plenty of other "fix ins.' Lloyd Thomas, former president of the local department, was in charge of the shaking program as toastma.ter. He introduced the duck hunters W. .!. Tragesser, V. E. Byrne, Clarence Schafer, Roy Miller, George Snvder, Steve Cannon, James Heeler and E. G. Laing. He also introduced the offi cers of the department : O. C. Moore, president; A. G. Isaacson, vice presi dent; Ross Sampson, secretary; Clar ence Schafer, chief; V. E. Bvrnc, as sistant chief; F. W. Hayes, treasurer; Roy Miller, Ray Butler and George ivtMsiT, trustees. Rev. Walter Rundin of Mitchell, i-napiain oi me Nebraska. State Vol unteer Firemen's Association, hail been invited to attend but had found it impossible to come. The following telegram from' him: "Sorrv canpoi attend duck dinner. Give the boys heartiest greetings from this old duck. Buttle the bones for continued pros perity." The sneakers of the evening included R. M. Hampton, mayor of Alliance; John W. Guthrie, former president et the local department and of the state association; N. A. Kemmish, city man ager: P. E. Romig, former mavor aid A special vote of thanks was ten dered to the committee in charge -f the banquet: Wigand Maunier, V. E. Byrne nnd Adam Wickman. The speaking was followed by danciu.;, the music for which was furnished by the Edwards orchestra. CAMPFIRE GIRLS TO STAGE DRIVE FOR S. A. QUOTA ECNAILLA BAND WILL CANVASS I CITY SATURDAY Alliance Asked to Contribute $100 to' Salvation Army's Maternity Home at Omaha The members of Ecnailla Oampfire of Alliance have been selected to stage the drive for funds for the Salvation Army maternity home at Omaha, and Saturday will canvass the city in the interests of that institution. At a meeting of the Salvation Army advis ory board, held several 'days ago, it was decided that Alliance should en deavor to raise its quota of $100. The first plans were to solicit from the various clubs and organizations of the city, but this plan was found objec tionable because so many men belong to several organizations, and the can vass by the girls was arranged The drive will be made all day Sat urday, and groups of the girls have been assigned to various parts of the business and residence sections. The quota is not large, and it is believed that it can be raised without diffi culty. Large donations will be re ceived, of course, but even small con tributions are desired. The solocitors will be appropriately tagged, and the advisory board hopes that every one approached will make an effort to give them some sort of a contribution. City Manager Is Suggested for Pier Custodian At the Thursday niin luncheon of the Alliance Lions club, the members voted to recommend City Manager Kemmish as custodian for the munic ipal pier. Penrose Romig reported for the mu nicipal pier meeting, called for the county court room Wednesday evening. A capture of a big still and several hundred gallons of the material to make moonshine on that day had tak en up Sheriff Miller's time to such an extent that the meeting was not held, but Mr. Miller's position was ex plained. The meeting was called by the sheriff, who was one of the men active in securing subscriptions for the municipal pier. Mr. Miller had given orders for material, and there are several unpaid bills. The Lions club has a subscription of $100 ready to be paid over as soon as an organiza tion to manage the pier is perfecr l. L. C. Thomas moved that City Man ager N A. Kemmish be recommended to Sheriff Miller and Mr. Romig as custodian for the municipal pier, and if this suggestion is adopted, there will be no need for an organiza tion. The motion was adopted by the club. Leslie Glass spent a few days the fist part of the week visiting with lelatives at Hyannis. DENVER IS NOW WORKING HARD FOR NEW SHOPS CHOOSE COMMITTEE TO PROD BURLINGTON OFFICIALS ALLIANCE SHOULD GET BUSY Locnl Railroader Believe There Is ft Chance If Thin C ity's Advan tages Are Urged Alliance will be peculiarly interested in the announcement in the Denver News on Tuesday that the Denver chamber of commerce had appointed a committee to urge upon the Burlinj ti n officials the advisability of making haste in the construction 'of railroad shops at Utah Junction, just outsid the Denver city limits. The article states that the railroad purchased 100 acres of land some timo mm the plan was to build shops that would rank second to none in the west, bein larger than those at Havelock. Th Burlington is the owner of the Colo rado & Southern, which now has shops at Denver, and it is understood that if the new shops are built, they will take care of both C. & S. and Burling ton repair work. This city has long hoped that It would be designated ns the point where the new shops are to be built. The Burlington owns a large tract cf land here, and at one timo intended to increase the shop equipment at this place. Alliance now h.-m n tiio- nmiii. department, being equipped with heavy n-iuii inaiiimery, oui ine capacity Is limited so that the major portion of the repair work goes to Havelock. Local railroaders are very much in terested in seeing the shops come to. Alliance, and they look upon the action of the Denver chamber of commerce as an indication that railroad officials have not made up their minds. Alli ance, the railroad men nay, is a mucjx better location than Denver. They point out that shops here could tak care of repair work on the Bdlings, Casper and Denver lines. Alianc now has the only heavy duty shops, west of Havelock, the only other shopj being located at Sheridan. ' Sayg Time to Act A local railroader, official in one of the shop craft unions, thinks this i the time for action by Alliance. He says tnat tne Havelock shops are now overloaded, and that among the next big improvements made bv the Purt. ingtori will be the construction of the new shops, and that Alliance undoubt edly is still considered as a possible location. "If we get together tujd make a showing," he says, "we nu-y be able to get them there." Alliance can arrange to care for th housing problem of additional laborers that the shops would bring here while the construction work is going on, it is pointed out, and the general belief is that if definite assurances were to be received that this city is to secure the prize, there would be plenty of building started. Railroad officials have been inter viewed on this subject a number ot times, and on many occasions have spoken most favorably of Alliance M a location. If definite action has not been taken in regard to building at Denver, it is probable that there will be some effort made to make a show ing in favor of this city. The article in the News Tuesday read as follows: A vigorous campaign to obtain the construction of the Chicago, Burling. ton & CJuincy shops in Denver was In itiated Monday, when the Civic and Commercial association named a spe cial committee to conduct the cam paign. This committee will meet within the week and outline a general plan of procedure. The board of directors of the civic and commercial association has select ed the committee so as to represent all interests. The entire campaign will be left in the hands of this committ. The Burlington several months ago bought 100 acres in the vicinity cf Utah Junction, with the announce! in tention of imilding thereon shops that would be even greater than those near Lincoln, Neb., which are the main shops of the road west of the Mis souri river. It was reported at the time of the purchase that, with the ownership of the Colorado & South ern, it was proposed to make these shops of a capacity that would take care of both roads, with the probable abandonment of the present Colorado & Southern shops, which are said to be too cramped for the work of tha one road. The Utah Junction land i.? reached by the Colorado & Southern by both steam and electric lines, anil lies just without the city limits. One of the inducements to the Bur lington that has been discussed is that if the shops are bulit. the Broadway extension will be continued, with a viaduct over the tracks, an I that this will be converted into a broad street that will lead directly to the shoj s. The committee named Monday ha3 not formulated any plans. Mrs. Frank Maier of St Joseph, Mo., who has been visiting with her broth er, N. W. Steinman, returned to her home last nigth.