Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 March 1912 — TWO BILLS IN TOILS; BOOTLEGGING IS CHARGED. [ARTICLE]

TWO BILLS IN TOILS; BOOTLEGGING IS CHARGED.

Officers Get Messenger and Nordyke, * Two Undesirables, With the ' Goods on Them. Marshal Mustard and Nightwatch Critser got busy Saturday and run in a couple of men who are supposed- to havfr.been plying the bootlegging sale of whisky in Rensselaer recently. The names of the men are William Messenger and William Nordyke, both of them from White county. Messenger is the man who served a term in the penitentiary for the murder of a man at San Pierre several years ago. He is the same man who was arrested by game Wardens at MeCoysburg for shipping wild game out of the state several months ago and who plead guilty in Justice Fay’s court at Parr. He was fined at that time and his fine and costs amounted to $51.75. This was stayed by William Johnson,- of Hanging Grove township. Messenger paid $13.75 later and was expected to pay it all during the fall but it was represented to. Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Wood, of Parr, that Messenger froze, his hands in the-fall and coaid not do manual labor for sonle time. It is now expected that the surety, will be called upon to settle the balance of the fine. Messenger and Nordyke ‘ had secured the room over Fred Hemphill’s macksmith shop, on Cullen street, formerly occupied by McKay’s laundry, and had established sleeping quarters there. That also seems to have been their headquarters for doing a “blind pig” business. Marshal Mustard had observed some quper actions on the part of the two men and also on the part of Messenger’s brother for some time. Especially a week ago Saturday did the officers see evidence of bootlegging and it is thought the same parties were operating at that time. Considerable liquor is said to have been dispensed near the depot and this happened again last Saturday. The officers had Messenger and Nordyke under surveilance as soon as they struck town last week and during Saturday Officer Mustard saw several men accompany Messenger to the quarters they had established. He also saw Messenger make some queer movements about town and every one convinced him that liquor was being sold. Finally he learned that George Platt had met Messenger ip a back alley and he hunted Platt up and found him willing to tell of his transaction with Messenger. He said that he saw Messenger at the poolroom and asked him if be had “anything” and he said he told Platt to meet him in a little bit in the alley in the rear of Hamilton and Kellner’s feed store. George met him, there, -according to his testimony, and bought two pints of whiskey, paying $1 for them. He

said that one bottle was foranother party. He gave the bottle he had to the marshal.- Mustard then got out a search warrant for the room Nordyke and Messenger occupied and found 24 pint bottles of whisky there, also several empty bottles. He confiscated the liquor and placed both the men under arrest and they were given a preliminary hearing before Squire Bruner, where Mustard and Platt told their stpries. Charles Casto also stated that Messenger had seen him at the depot and asked him if be did not want some whisky. He was answered negatively. . J . W, H, Parkison appeared for the state and A. Halleck for the defendants. The aflldavits charged both men with having sold the liqnor to Platt and Halleck made no defense of Messenger, saying that there was no reason why he should not be bound over to the circuit court He contended, however, that there was not sufficient evidence to show that Nordyke had any connection with the sale and after some argument Justice Bruner bound both men State’s Attorney Parkison to prepare another affidavit against Nordyke, charging him with having liquor in" his possession for the purpose of sale. Their bail was fixed In the sum of SIOO, In default of which they were sent to jail. Nordyke is reported to have recently had trouble of the same kind at Monon and Monticello and to have been ordered to leave those towns. It is hoped that these men will bs given a stiff Jolt-when their cases come up, so that this practice may be effectually broken up. It should also serve to warn the patrons, of illegal liquor sellers that they are helping to put men behind the bars and all should aid in freeing Rensselaer of this vice, giving the officers their aid to do so.