A prominent local politician got President Harding to appoint a crony as the chief revenue agent for the city. The chief then gave the job of guarding the distillery's warehouse to a politician's brother. Over a period of weeks, a gang of bootleggers "milked" over 31,000 gallons of whiskey though a hose into waiting trucks.
Of course the theft was eventually discovered. Not all of the revenue agents were corrupt. And as can be expected when more than one person is in on a crime, one of the perps squealed.**
The eleven conspirators were convicted and sent to Leavenworth. They rode there from St. Louis in a private Pullman car. Crowds gathered at railroad stops along the way to cheer them.
(More here.)
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* Tennessee went dry in 1910. Jack Daniel's moved its distillery to St. Louis. After prohibition was repealed, the company moved back to Tennessee, though they had to wait for Tennessee to repeal its own prohibition laws in order to restart operations.
** George Remus.
3 comments:
The county in Tennessee where Lynchburg (and Jack Daniels) is located is still dry. You can't get samples or buy product at the distillery, as a result. Still an interesting tour, though.
LRod
ZJX, ORD, ZAU retired
I heard that they changed the state law so that you can buy a souvenir bottle of the stuff after the tour.
Might have. It's been at least a dozen years since we were there.
LRod
ZJX, ORD, ZAU retired
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