Honolulu Republican, Volume IV, Number 505, 24 January 1902 — BIG DISTILLERY IS CAPTURED BY CHILLINGWORTH [ARTICLE]

BIG DISTILLERY IS CAPTURED BY CHILLINGWORTH

Seventeen Barrels of Product Ire Destroyed in Last Mint's Paid. STILL StCßtltO IN LINIINI Three Principal Operators Are Arrested and Placed Behind Bars. Illicit Still Ha* Been Under Police Surveillance tor Many Month*. Japanese Distiller* Employ Many Ingenious Contrivance* for Secrecy—Prisoner* Brought to Town. What !• believed to lx* the largest Illicit distillery of Okolehao in oper ation on the Island of Oahu was put out of action and completely destroyed at a late hour yesterday afternoon In a force of rnen from the police department headed by Deputy Sheriff Chillingworth and Captain Kanac. The officers have also the arrest of Omato, the Japanese' proprietor and two assistants to their credit. Buried in the center of a vast area of lantana. in a locality far removed from any dwelling, the 1 illicit still has flourished for many months past, and the product had proven one of the unsolvd mysteries which continually confront the police department. The • xlstence of the still has been known to the officers for a conslderatili* period. Whe nit came to delining its exact location the men working on the case were foiled in every at tempt to find the muchly-desired spot from whence large quantities of Okie. Ichao were manufactured and placed upon the market. Chillingworth Given a Tip. Within the past few days Deputy Chlllingworth was placed in posses sion of more definite information. With Captain Kanae. the officers left the police station promptly at 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon, and drove out Waiklkiward and beyond Diamond Head. Taking the new Dia monrl Head road the’ officers left their teams and struck out across country to Kaalawai district In a dense jungle situated about two miles mauka of the tract of crown lands, beyond Diamond Head.-and in the vicinity of the lands of the late Paul Is.nberg, the men came upon an almost impenetrable jungle of lantana and tropical growth through which they cut and tore their way. In making their way through this territory the officers were confronted with a most difficult proposition. Tlu ir clothes wore almost torn fre>m e«ff their backs. Mud bespattered, from crawling over a portion of the distance' on hands and knees. ChllliuKworth and Kanac were finally re warded in their herculean efforts by sighttnc the Okolehao stlM. which they so long had hoped, to capture. Still is in Operation. The establishment was operated by Japanese. Six Orientals are believed to have been connected with the business The officers first saw an outbuilding. of small dimensions Around and about this structure was a dense copse of lantana. which hid the sup posed enclosure from view. A brief wait resulted in the officers seeing a Japanese open the door of the building and emerge with a large demijohn which was afterwards found to contain Okolehao, This man was promptly placed under arrest by Captain Kanae. Noiselessly the officers stole forward and. gaining entrance to the little building, soon found a means of egress into an enclosure of heavy growth of lantana. as they supposed Within this area was the still, and a Japanese was found at work tending tlx condensers. The second man was arrested by Chlllingworth. Ingenious Contrivance. The still was one on which a good deal of skill had been exercised in construction. It was located in a sort of shed or covering of about fifteen feet long by six feet wide.

The container was of wood with met al bottom. This was buried in a hole about five feet in depth. Beneath the container a fire was burning. Orer the container was a small box. the latter being surmounted by an improvised condenser made from a kerosene ran. Water was supplied the still from a well situated close by, and the fluid, being fed through a wooden pipe, the Japanese had employed a unique contrivance to cover the smoke stack to prevent the smokg. from attracting attention. Okolehao Mash Destroyed. Within the Improvised building or shelter the officers found several barrels of Okolehao niagh, made from bran, potatoes, honey* water and other ingredients. Two empty barrels were also discovered on the premises which had contained the mixture. The first act of Deputy Chillingworth was to empty the mash upon the ground. The barrels were then broken up into kindling wood. Ten gallons of the finished product were taken from the place. The Okolehao was found stored in large and small demijohns, together with a few "square faces." The third Japanese was caught as he was approaching the still unmindful of danger. The deputy secured his prisoners, then made his way to the light house at Diamond Head and telephoned for assistance. Still Taken from the Premises. A couple of officers with an express wagon were dispatched to the scene of the raid, and they were driven ciose to the still. In the interim the deputy and his assistant had taken the illicit and improvised distillery apart, and the affair was loaded into the wagon. The demijohns of Okolehao wore ta ten along, and last, but not least. Uithree Japanese operators. The drive U; town was made without incident, the party arriving at the poll, ’ #ia tj. n last evening shortly before l<n o< Irek. I'eputy Chlllingworth declares thr.t the distillery had a capacity of ,V • ty gallons a day of pure Okolehai. and the output could have been easily increased. The operators had reduced the expense of production by using honey in place of sugar, the honey being secured in the locality. An Important Capture. The officers are highly elated over yie capture, which in police circles is considered by far the most important made by the department in many a day. The product from the still in question has been supplying a large amount of “condensed joyousness.” and its source has caused the officers to Indulge in much speculation. The three Japanese, handcuffed, accompanied the officers without offering any resistence. When booked at the central station they gave their names a# Omoto. who claims to be the owner of the still, and Tamara and Nagata. The illicit distillers will be arraigned upon the charge of manufacturing spirituous liquors contrary to law. their cases being brought before Judge Wilcox of the First District Court this morning