Officers Find LIquor on Afton Farm - 1927

Officers on Trail of Cattle Thieves

Find Plenty Liquor on Afton Farm

Norwich Sun, August 4, 1927

Trailed for the alleged theft of four bob veals, two Afton men not only came to grief on the charge of burglary and larceny, but now face indictment by federal authorities for the crime of violating the well known dry act of this country.

 

The men, Stanley Field, owner of the Afton farm and his hired man, Normand Price, both reposing in the county jail, face arraignment before U.S. Commissioner J.S. Flanagan on the Volstead charge, and before a justice of the peace for stealing four calves.

 

It was just by accident that Sheriff Neil D. Lewis and Deputies J.B. Lewis, and Milford Angle with state troopers discovered the dry law was being violated at Field's farm in Afton.  The officers were on the trail of Field and Price to arrest them for taking four calves from the farm of Anthony and Oscar Gless of South Oxford Tuesday night.  Sheriff Lewis and his man arrived at the Afton farm early last night and awaited the return of Field and Price.  As the two farmers drove into the yard, they were arrested for the theft of the calves, and then the startling discovery was made that there was plenty of wet goods on the farm.  Home brew, liquor and a still in operation were found by the sheriff and his aide.  It is reported a five ton truck would not be ample in which to convey the contraband liquor from the farm.  The sheriff found the calf hides and carcasses in Binghamton and has a good case against Field and Price on the theft of the calves, let alone abundant evidence against the two men for violating a law Andrew Volstead had placed upon the statute books. 

 

It will be recalled that Field has been in the tolls of the law before for possessing whisky contrary to law, for he was taken into custody about a year ago during the Afton fair.

 

It is expected the two farmers will be arraigned late today.  Commissioner Flanagan having sent for a prohibition agent.  Samples of the whisky, home brew and moonshine were taken by the sheriff, but the large quantity of wet good on hand was greater than that official, big as he is, could remove from the farm of several acres.