Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 September 1911 — ALLEGED BLIND TIGER PINCHED [ARTICLE]

ALLEGED BLIND TIGER PINCHED

Cops Raid J. J. Weast's Pool and Soft Drink Place MUCH AMBER FLUID IS FOUND ■r A&' • * '•*£”. *\ But Whether Beer or ft Not Remains to be Determined By Tests Being Made—Weast Forfeits Personal Bond and Leaves Town. Marshal Mustard. and Constable W. S. Parks, armed with a* search warrant, made a raid on J. J. Weast’s pool roorq and soft drink emporium on Washington streeit Sunday morning and found the back part of the room pretty well stocked with barrels of liquid for horse show week. There were nearly 20 barrels packed with bottles, most of which were labeled “Homo,” a near beer that probably comes within the law as a soft drink, and is in the kme class with Tonica, Cream of Hops, etc. There was also found a few barrels of unlabeled bottles which they seized and took to the jail. ~”This unlabeled stuff is sup-

posed by the officers to be beer, and a couple of bottles purchased there Saturday have been sent to Purdue to be tested. Whether it is beer or not remains to be seen, but the disappearance of Mr. Weast Monday and his not appearing for his trial set for that afternoon, lends strength to the belief that he feared the fesult of a test of the stuff found. When arrested Sunday evening on three charges, two of selling intoxicating liquors with-j ou)t a license and one of selling goods on Sunday, he was released on his own recognizance, the bond being fixed at SIOO in each else, and trial set for 3 p. m., Monday, but he failed to show up, and it is believed that he has left the country. Mr. Weast moved to Rensselaer last spring from Jordan tp., where he farmed for several years, and occupies the John Jones property on River street. He secured the agency for a fertilizer and was a hustler in that fine of business. Recently he bought ithe McCathy pool business on Washington street and has been doing quite a good business, especially in the soft drink line. Saturday he had a tremendous trade, and Saturday nigjjt hjs crowd was bigger than the picture shows, and the officers say that they had regarded the place wiith suspicion for some time. Gus Magee, a laborer, was found in the alley in the rear of the place about midnight with a jag on., and when asked where he got, the booze said he had drank it at Weast’s, or that he had drank ‘ the so-called soft drink. lie was put in jail but was turfied loose next morning. There was a good trade Saturday night until a late hour, and Sunday morning it opened up again, but the marshsj went to the place and closed it and made a search for beer. He had been given a tip that the barrels marked “X” were beer, and one barrel so found was confiscated, Mr. Weast claiming this was the only barrel of unlabeled •Pink in his place. Several empty whiskey bottles were found about the place also. Monday morning at an early hour, it is claimed, a dray was backed up at the rear 'door and five barrels of stuff taken over to Weast’s house. A search warrant was procured and his residence searched, where two barrets of the unlabeled bottles were found, and two more barrels were also found in the pool rootp, making jive barrels in all. e When the Officers were taking the.; last. two . barrels from his pool room, Weast went out of the front door and has not been seen since, which indicate that he- doesn’t want to stand a trial.. 'Charle?/Saidla, who has been his chi/1 clerk, is running the ■ •-"> •'. /.t V ' ; f-i

business now, but it is the genuine “Homo,” it is said, that is being dispensed. If Mr. Weast has been handling and selling booze he has certainly been very indiscreet and he should have known that sooner or later the business would be found out.