Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 September 1910 — A BLIND TIGER—MAYBE. [ARTICLE]

A BLIND TIGER—MAYBE.

“Chuck” Bowers Alleged to Be the Keeper of Same. The city marshal and nightwatch Critser arrested Charles Bowers of Rensselaer and Harry McNeil of Milrov tp., Saturday afternoon, the former on the charge of conducting a “blind tiger” and the latter for intoxication. ®

McNeil and Alva Hood of Milroy were in town and the former is alleged to have been quite badly under the influence of liquor. The marshal told him that he had better skidoo, and he got his team and started oir. It is said that the marshal had a suspicion that liquor was being gotten from a bam in the alley in the rear of J. W. McEwan’s place, in which Bowers keeps some horses, and securing the nightwatch, he went in from the Cullen street side to the barn. McNeil and Hood had gone up the alley to the barn. Just as the two officers reached the scene Bowers was opening a quart bottle of beer. He was surprised of course to see them, and hastened to assure them that his having the beer was all right, i denying that there was any more about. He sat the bottle down and took the officers aside to explain. As they returned Hodff was getting outside the contents

of the bottle as rapidly as it could gurgle down his throat. The officers then started a search, whefn Chuck admitted that there was a little more beer about, and 25 full quarts were found, also a couple of empty cases, or cases of*emptv bottles

rather. A bucket of ice was also found. Bowers alleged the beer was for his own private use and that McNeil had driven to the barn to swap horses. The beer was turned over to the sheriff and the two men arrested. McNeil plead guilty to intoxication and was given the usual “dollar and” $4.80 in all, by Squire Irwin. Bowers was given a hearing Monday morning and the evidence was about as set forth above, Hood testifying that he had picked up the bottle of beer after Chuck sat it down. The American Express agent testified to having delivered a few cases of beer at the barn, but only one at a time and the deliveries were not frequent nough to indicate that any large busi ness was being done in the way of blind tigering, if at all. There was no evidence of a sale haw'ng been made. The court thought the evidence sufficient to warrant the binding of defendant over to the circuit court, and bond was fixed at SIOO, which he gave.