Tag: April 1923
6 Men Acquitted in Herrin Riot Trials, Herrin IL, 1923
In a stunning turn of events, six men accused of involvement in the Herrin riots were found not guilty by a jury in a trial that lasted nearly seven hours, with deliberations stretching 6 hours and 55 minutes. The verdict was handed down on April 13, 1923, in a court in Herrin, Illinois. Foreman J.C.…
Frank Cavilla, Threatened Witness, Clarksburg WV, 1923
A chilling scene unfolded in the Harrison County Courthouse in Clarksburg, West Virginia, as the trial of 11 alleged members of a so-called ‘crime trust’ began. The defendants, accused of murder and other violent crimes in West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania, were to face justice for their alleged acts of violence. However, the proceedings were…
Federal Dry Agents, Liquor Smuggling, New York 1923
New York City, April 7, 1923 – In a daring raid, federal dry agents seized over a million dollars’ worth of liquor from the Dominion warehouse on West Broadway. The stash, estimated to be between $1,000,000 and $1,500,000, was comprised of thousands of cases of wine, whiskey, and liquor. The agents, however, were not left…
Hotel Campaign Committee, Stock Scheme, Illinois 1923
In the scorching April heat of 1923, a brazen scheme unfolded in East St. Louis, Illinois. The city’s residents were duped into buying stock in a local hotel, with promises of hefty returns. But behind the façade of a legitimate business venture, a web of deceit and greed was spun. The ‘Hotel Campaign Committee’ had…
Bootleggers Get a Free Pass from the Feds?
In a shocking move, the Interior Department has come under fire for allegedly giving the green light to bootleggers in the West. Secretary of the Interior Work has ordered a sweeping investigation into the reclamation projects in the region, amid charges of excessive overhead expenditures. The probe will be led by Special Assistant Secretary D.W.…
Fred Ilell Arrested for Theft, Goshen CA, 1923
April 6th, 1923 – The small town of Goshen, California, was left shaken after a brazen heist rocked the community. Fred Ilell, a local resident, reported to the authorities that his prized prune orchard had been stolen, leaving him with nothing but a barren landscape of sixty-six uprooted trees. The cunning thief had taken the…
Rubys, Bootlegging, New York 1922
Washington D.C., April 5, 1923 – In a shocking turn of events, Thomas W. Hewitt, a 29-year-old former member of the famous Lafayette Escadrille, has been arrested and charged with transporting and possessing liquor in the nation’s capital. Just a week ago, Hewitt filed an affidavit against Prohibition Agent Ralph J. Ruby, accusing him of…
