Source: Rockford Register Star 9/28/1986
A Digital Collection of Rockford, Illinois History
Source: Rockford Register Star 9/28/1986
“Bootlegger Flees after Still Blast; Explosion Sets Fire to Flat Building”
“Another Rockford moonshiner took |
to the tall timbers this morning |
at 8 o’clock when one of his two |
stills exploded and started a fire in the |
basement of a flat building at |
730 Dickerman street. |
Responding to a fire call to that |
address this morning at 8 o’clock, |
firemen found the basement window |
wrecked by the explosion of a |
36 -gallon still and a small blaze. |
Entry into the basement disclosed |
a 50 – gallon still operating full force. |
The fire was soon extinguished. |
Detectives John Anderson and Ed |
Cavanaugh were called and investigation |
developed that some of the half a dozen |
families occupying the flat, a former |
macaroni factory, knew the identity |
of the owner of the two stills. |
There were four other gas plates in the |
basement in addition to the two beneath |
the stills. |
Fifteen barrels of mash were destroyed |
and the two stills, five gallons of hootch, |
300 pounds of sugar, five packages of |
yeast and several containers were |
taken to the police station’s “liquor cellar.” |
The two stills were equipped for fusil |
oil elimination and embraced every |
device and art known in scientific |
“moonshine” distillation. The 50 -gallon |
still appeared to have been in operation less |
than 2 weeks.” |
Rockford Daily Register-Gazette |
1/18/1924 |