"Catch One and Two Take Its Place"- Enforcing the Volstead Act, 1924

Last week I mentioned how the New Kent area was a popular location for bootlegging during Prohibition. Lest anyone think I was exaggerating these articles are from 1924, two years after the previous piece, which gives you some idea of the scale of the problem.

  

                                                                QUINTON 

Farewell, old March of 1924, you have not been so bad, after all; yet we can spare you for another twelve months and will not shed a tear over your departure. You left us a reminder of your visit of thirty-one days, rheumatic pains, swell heads, hacking coughs and our lungs filled with the deadly germs; and many who suffered by your cruel presence will not be here to greet you on your return in 1925, but will have passed on to that beautiful home of the soul.

 With it go for a little while the moonshiner and bootlegger, as several were caught near this place a few days ago. They left for us a reminder of their fine work 80 gallons of fine 100-proof pure corn juice that is under the lock and key in the county jail by Sheriff E.F. Gill. We wish they would turn it loose to kill those terrible germs left by heartless old March. New Kent jail is in a dilapidated condition and will not hold prisoners and it is doubtful if it will hold old John Barleycorn, for if it cannot get out any other way it will get lonesome and run out if it comes up my way I will run the risk of being shot and will arrest the old man. If he knocks me down, which will not be hard to do—if he spits on me I will fall, or would except that I am already down. So if you can run out, old John, head for Bottom bridge.

 This fine still was located by some spotters near Mountcastle’s, one of the most perfect ever located here. All foreigners, could hardly speak English, but they were masters of their trade; all Swedes. They were taken to Richmond for safe keeping. One colored man was arrested for having several boxes of fruit jars but he is out under bail; no one thinks he was in any way connected with the still crew.

 Near Bottom bridge was located a small still by Prohibition Agent Glascoe. Three men were seen running from the still but no arrest was made. The names are not known, but they proved they are entitled to championship as fast runners. There is no way to break up the stills. Catch one and two take its place. Those stills are financed, many believe, by capitalists of Richmond and other cities. It is a problem hard to solve. 

                                                     TRUTHFULL JEEMS

-West Point News, 4 April 1924

DRY AGENTS HIT AT LOCAL SUPPLY 

. . . 

 Inspector K. J. Glasco reported capturing a 250-gallon steam still in the Black Stump neighborhood of James City county, two 200-gallon steam stills in York county, and a fifty gallon still of the same type near Bottoms bridge in New Kent county.

. . . 

-News Leader, 12 April 1924