Federal agents B. F. Wilson of Creston, E. L. Long of Ottumwa and Clarke County Deputy Sheriff A. L. Ferguson went to Decatur County where they were joined by Sheriff Joe Scott and his deputy in an interesting night raid on moonshiners.
It was between 11 and 12 o’clock when the officers reached the place four and one half miles northeast of Lamoni. When the officers approached the house there was evidence of activity within and as the investigators waited for further evidence occasionally one of the men there would come to the door and throw out some water. Presently a cross dog gave the alarm and the raid was on. One of the men grabbed the still and running out the back door threw it down the hillside when he was approached by an officer. The other man in the house took the coil and put it in bed with the children. A search of the premises revealed some finished product, a barrel of mash and other necessary evidence to convict the accused men.
The officers then went to another place four miles south of Leon and arrested the man there and searched his place finding similar conditions to that at the first place. The trio was taken to Osceola and held until the next morning when they were taken to Creston for further investigation in the federal court.
Evidentially the federal officers had their eye on the vicinity where they located the men.
-1923-
