Church Leader and His Neighbor Arrested With Still, 10 Gallons Whiskey, 150 Gallons Beer, March 14, 1922

Revenuers Make Big Haul Back of Nath’s

Quite a sensation was created in the Philadelphia Church section of Western Stanly last week when Mr. Philas Dry, who in the past has been generally regarded as one of the most substantial citizens of that community, and a leading officer in the Philadelphia Baptist Church, and former Sunday School superintendent, and Bert Tucker, a nearby neighbor, were both arrested by federal revenue officers and placed under bonds for $300 each for their appearance on the 21st and 22nd of March before United States Commissioner R.C. Hill, of this place, upon charges of the illegal manufacture of intoxicating liquor.

The arrests were made last Friday, and followed as a result of a raid made more than a week ago by revenue officers D.F. Widenhouse of Concord, M.A. White of Charlotte, and E.J. Culp of Misenheimer, this county. The News Herald representative interviewed officer Widenhouse yesterday and was informed that the officers located 20 gallons of whiskey and 150 gallons of beer on the land of Mr. Dry in play view of his house, and that leading from the house to the place where the beer and whiskey were found was a well-beaten pathway. Officer Culp says that they found 10 gallons of whiskey in the barn of Tucker. This raid and these discoveries were the incidents which led to the arrest of Dry and Tucker, and the revenue officers think that they have ample evidence to convict both men for manufacturing whiskey contrary to law.

It is understood that Dry claims that he knew nothing about the whiskey being on his place and that some one unknown to him had buried it there and that he had been trapped in this way.

For several months officers have been keeping a close watch-out in this particular section of the county, and the discovery of this whiskey and the consequences have been the result of this effort. The officers think that there are yet others connected with the manufacture and sale of whiskey in that section, and it is very probable that other arrests will be made in the future. Nothing that has happened in that section in the past 10 years has created a greater sensation than the fining of this whiskey and the arrest of these men and a greater sensation yet may be in store in the early future.

From the Stanly News-Herald, Albemarle, N.C., March 14, 1922