ILLICIT STILL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 212, 2 May 1932, Page 5

ILLICIT STILL

(Press. Assn.—

FULLY EQUIPPED PROHIBITIQN AGENTS SEIZE CAPONE PLANT AT CHICAGO IN FULL OPERATION

-By Telegraph — Copyright).

Rec. May 1, 5.0 p.m. The New York Times Chicago correspondent states that a 250,000 dollar Capone distillery, equipped with trap doors, blind entrances, and a sumptuously furnished look-out room, was seized by the prohihition authorities to-day. They declare that it is the largest illicit plant seized in the United States since prohihition came into force. The agents who were Unable to obtain entrance to the building, called in a wrecking crew, who cut a hole through the wall with piclcaxes, and found the plant in full operation, although only one man, a fireman, was arrested, the others escaping. The equipment ineluded two 5000 gallon stills, three 5000 gallon tanks filled with alcohol, and other extensive machinery. The prohihition authorities state: "Only one bootlegger in the world could fiinance and operate such a distillery, and that is A1 Capone." The plant occupied three buildings, one serving as a power house, the second for vats and the third for the stills, Naphtha was mixed with the exhaust fumes to neutralise the suspicious alcoholic odour before it reaehed the outside atmosphere. , The estimated profits of the plant are 10,000 dollars daily. It has been operating for a year.