Mail Tribune 100, April 21, 1921

May 7—April 21, 1921

MORE ARRESTS ARE EXPECTED IN STILL CASE

Although the police and county authorities were and are very close-mouthed about the facts in connection with the booze enforcement excitement of last Tuesday night, more details are coming to light, and it is known that arrests are contemplated in connection with the finding of an unused still along Bear creek and the bootlegger who escaped the police at the depot.

It is now known that the latter was a Gold Hill bootlegger who boarded the train at Gold Hill with two suitcases full of bootleg whiskey, and that the Medford police were tipped off by a passenger to this effect and not by the conductor of the train, as was previously stated. Train crews running through here have not attained an enviable reputation with the authorities in providing such tips.

This bootlegger with his suitcases at once hurried from the train when it stopped here, to an awaiting taxi which sped away before the police or sheriff could act. It has been learned that this taxi took the bootlegger to a house near Phoenix where he was supposed to reside, according to the taxi driver, who on his return to Medford was nabbed by the police and induced to take the officers to the house in front of which he said he had discharged the passenger.

The police awakened the occupants of the house who said the man did not live there nor had he been seen by them. No booze was found in the house. It developed later that the bootlegger instead of entering the house when the taxi drove away continued on through the premises, crawled over the back fence and in so doing, tore a part of the straps off one of the suitcases. It is then presumed he walked away to some place where he cached his booze.

ARMY PLANE IS FORCED TO LAND AT ROGUE RIVER

Of three government airplanes, which passed over the city at 3:30 Wednesday afternoon en route from Mather field to Camp Lewis, the two piloted by Lieutenant G. Gardner and Sergeant Eckerson were forced to return to Medford, landing at the aviation field at 4:40 on account of the heavy clouds over the Umpqua divide, and the third plane piloted by Sergeant Andert, was forced to make a landing in a field 12 miles north of Rogue River because of engine trouble.

The planes, which are to act as target practice observers at Camp Lewis, expected to continue on their journey this forenoon, although before leaving the Hotel Medford this morning Lieutenant Gardner said that unless Sergeant Andert's motor was working perfectly he would not permit him to fly with his plane, and in this event he and Sergeant Eckerson would continue the flight to Camp Lewis without him. The lieutenant did not know the condition of Andert's motor after the latter had landed.

The planes flew to Medford from Red Bluff in two hours yesterday afternoon, bucking a rather strong wind most of the way. They left Mather field at 10:30 a.m., arrived at Red Bluff, where they stopped to take on gas and oil, and departed from Red Bluff at 1:30 p.m.

— Alissa Corman; acorman@rosebudmedia.com