Officers Took Sam's Beer ~ June 1909

BUCKINGHAM, DEGARMO, EHRHART, NUNLEY

Posted By: Pat Ryan White (email)
Date: 4/28/2009 at 11:32:19

OFFICERS TOOK SAM'S BEER

And Sunday Proved A Dry, Dusty Day For Leetown.

Search Warrant Admits Officers to Sacred Precinct of Mr. Ehrhart, Who Must Explain Presence of Two Cases of Amber.

Last Sunday was the dustiest and dryest that Sam Ehrhart ever spent on the mundane sphere. All that was interesting in life was locked up in the cool shade of the county clerk's vault.

Late Saturday evening the sheriff swooped down on the domain of the unhappy and thirsty Sam and carried off two cases of Leisy's brew. And to make matters worse, Sam has been notified to appear in court next week and explain to the court why the amber fluid should not be used for street sprinkling purposes.

Sam lives up north of the coal shutes, where he labors all day for a soulless corporation, and evenings he washes the grim of labor from his parched throat and also relieves the sufferings of some of his friends. Sam's place is in truth a veritable life saving station on hot nights, and this throwing out the life line, to paralyze a familiar similie, is his undoing.

Mrs. Buckingham is a neighbor of Sam's and it has been bourne in on her mind that the dispensing at Sam's place was becoming frequented with too much familiarity of late, and that the proceedings might bear official investigation. In short, she felt that Sam was indulging in that pleasant, profitable but perilous pastime of bootlegging.

She accordingly swore out the information and a search warrant was issued from the office of Justice Rich and served on Sam's premises Saturday afternoon. The search confirmed Mrs. Buckingham's theory. Two cases were found on the premises. They had contained some of Leisy's brew but had been sorely punished. Over half of the beer had been consumed, at least about half the bottles were missing. The rest were taken to the court house and locked up in the custody of Clerk DeGarmo. It is interesting to note that the beer was consigned to Mitt Nunley.

Sam has been notified that the State of Iowa will proceed against the beer as contraband on the 14th and it is up to him to prove their innocence. Otherwise the beer will be destroyed.

Incidentally, Sam will be querried as to why his personal necessities require so much beer at a time and when summer has hardly begun, and also of whom he bought the stuff. It is believed that Sam is being used as a means to get bigger game and that some highly interesting developments affecting Lee Town may be expected.

[Mt Pleasant Daily News, 8 June 1909]