Seizure of a giant still and distillery apparatus valued at approximately $15,000, made yesterday by federal and territorial government agents in the vicinity of Nanakuli, Waianae, may lead to the indictment of members in (an) alleged bootleg “hui” on charges of conspiracy to violate the national prohibition law, federal officials announced today.
Although all men in charge of the plant with the exception of one Japanese escaped from the scene upon the appearance of the raiding party, an investigation of persons believed to be involved in the bootlegging project, the largest yet uncovered in the history of prohibition of Hawaii, was in progress today, it was learned from government sources.
Situated at the rear of Homestead 18-A, about eight miles west of Waipahu, agents led by Claude H. Stone, acting assistant prohibition agent, assisted by Deputy Sheriff Eli Crabbe of Waianae and proceeding on the direction of Capt. Walter P. King, prohibition administrator, early last evening surrounded the distillery, which, according to a report on the raid was enclosed in a tent covering an area of about one-half an acre. Nishi-mura Jinsaku, a Japanese, was arrested and brought to Honolulu. His assistants escaped.
Liquor and apparatus were being destroyed today at the scene of the raid by a squad of federal agents superintended by Captain King.
Seizures included the following:
A still capable of turning out 140 gallons of okolehao a day and of sufficient size to handle between 400 and 500 gallons of mash; a complete “aging machine,” gauge, coloring machine, sterilizing apparatus, between 3000 and 4000 gallons of mash and 500 gallons of “high grade” okolehao. About 250 gallons of liquor had been “aged,” according to the report.
According to information gathered by federal agents the still had been in operation for about two months. Account books seized showed that between May 1 and May 17, 1499 gallons of okolehao had been distributed to “middle men” bootleggers.
