CPL 138th Machine Gun Battalion 38th Division

The Edmonson News (or) The Gimlet, 1940

Raiders Destroy 1000 Gallons Still 'Beer'

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Again Meet Failure in Attempt to Seize "Granddaddy" of Condensers; Operators Not Found
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Although the raiders again failed to capture the "granddaddy" of all moonshine stills in this section and its operators, other equipment and 1000 gallons of beer was destroyed early Tuesday morning at the most recent location of the mammoth outfit. The raiders were unsuccessful in capturing the operators.

Sheriff Hobart Meredith, Jailer Kinslow and other accompanied Federal officers on their first trip to the big still site near Annetta Monday night but found only one man, Curt Moutardier, present and he was "dead to the world" apparently from overindulgnce in the still "beer" that was ready for distillation. Curt was hauled to Brownsville and lodgd in jail while a guard was placed over the big outfit with the hope that the operator whould show up. Young Moutardier refused to give an information that would lead to identification of the owners and operators of the still.

Tuesday morning Federal Officers Williams and Wyldie returned to the location accompanied by Jailer Kinslow and his son, Raynold. They destroyed five 250 gallon specially constructed hogsheads filed with mash and much other equipment but the big condenser had not been placed on the furnace. This condenser is said to be of 250 gallon capacity and is the largest ever used in this section. Raiders have located it on several occasions but always it has been spirited away before the "zero hour" of the raid.

The Federal officers estimated that the beer destroyed in this raid was sufficient to make 400 gallons moonshine liquor. Several barrels were found in a creek where they had been placed to "swell" until they would hold the manufactured product.