Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 232, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1910 — Raid on Blind Pig at Monticello Uncovers Alleged Gambling Joint. [ARTICLE]

Raid on Blind Pig at Monticello Uncovers Alleged Gambling Joint.

Monticello Herald. A posse of citizens with a search warrant in the hands of Constable Swick closed - in on Ora Freeman’s soft drink joint near the Carson House Saturday night and found about what they had expected. When they came out each member of the party was carrying one or more longnecked bottles, some containing “Hop Uream,” some genuine beer and some a swallow or two of red liquor, all of which will be retained as evidence. The visit was entirely unexpected, and when Constable Swick made known his errand he and his posse were given the freedom of the premises. Several empty whisky bottles were standing on the bar with only a few drops of liquor in them. ’ Mr. Freeman explained that they were bought at the drugstore by parties who were in the habit of buying liquor and bringing it to his place- to drink. Several bottles of beer were found in the refrigerator, which he did not undertake to account for. In the back room were three barrels containing “Hop Cream” bottled and labeled, samples of which were taken away for analysis.

During the search there was- quite a commotion upstairs, and it was evident that an exodus was taking place which required such haste that windows as well as doors had to be used as exits. For a few minutes, it is said, the adjoining roofs and sheds swarmed with humanity of various shapes and sizes, all of which finallyfound its way to the ground and disappeared in the darkness. One portly figure is said to have labored at a disadvantage on account of corpulence and hung in a perilous position for several minutes, suspended at its equator on an eaves trough. But all made good their escape and were still further relieved when they fount! that, the searchers had not invaded the upper story at all and had no intention of it, their warrant only covering the premises on the ground floor.

Mr. Freeman seemed to realize that he had been “cailght with the goods,’ 7 and as a man at Attica has just been given a SSO fine and 30 days in jail for selling “Hop Cream,” he has been showing considerable anxiety about the outcome of the raid. In his protestations of innocence he pointed out the joint upstairs as a much worse place than his, asserting that if he was raided the gambling joint ought to be raided too. The committee thought he would make a good witness and a court of inquiry was instituted before Justice Marshall Tuesday afternoon. Freeman, with six other witnesses, was put under examination, but his memory had failed and he was not talking any more about the joint above him. The other witnesses too, had defective memories, and about all the inquiry developed was that there was a room upstairs with a table in the center and a lamp hanging over it. The case of Freeman will come up later.