Prohibition agent Harris, assisted by C.W. Baker and two agent and Deputy Sheriff Luther Peel, visited a wooded hillside Saturday ?? where they captured the largest still ever seen in Martin County. It had a smoke stack equal in size to that of a big ocean liner and when it was mounted upon a double horse wagon the telephone wires on Main street had to be raised in order that it might go under unmolested. To be exact, it was three feet and three inches in diameter and three feet and six inches high.
Estimated out the capacity of the still from 300 to 500 gallons. These guesses, however, were wrong as the capacity of the still was about 190 gallons and would hold just a little less than four barrels of molasses.
The officers took pictures of the still ?? carried it to the court house where many visitors drove down to view it. ?? still was operated under the ?? system, using a wooden vessel in the process. Several large vats had been constructed and were filled with ?? beer amounting to ?? or more ??. At the time of the raid no one was at the still. It had been run Friday night and the operators were away when the officers reached the plant. The still was located near a swamp on the Rogers or Taylor land. It was estimated that the still would run out barrels of liquor daily.
The officers captured three stills on Friday in the Free Union district. These plants were all gasoline tank kettles. No operators were caught there as they use radio or mental telepathy or some other system of signs to spread the news when trouble begins. At these three stills the officers destroyed large quantities of beer and in their hunt, they found were two pints had been taken off the fire and carried away.
From the front page of The Williamston Enterprise, Martin County, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 1924. Question marks represent unreadable words in the microfilm of the newspaper page.
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073995/1924-08-12/ed-1/seq-1/#words=August+12.+1924
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