Article - May
11, 1925 - Attempted liquor running struck several, snags in Cass and Miami
counties, Sunday morning and this morning. Jack McCann, age 23 and George
Fettig, age 33, are held to await trial on charges of transporting liquor while
search is being is being continued for a third man, said to be a local Italian
and alleged companion of McCann. While both arrests that have been made to
date, were effected in this city, McCann is held in jail at Peru near which
city he was pursued early Sunday morning in an exciting chase by Sheriff Jerry
Fager of Miami county and a posse. Several shots were fired in an attempt to
stop the fugitive, but McCann and his companion escaped at that time, but
abandoned their Ford coupe in which thirty gallons of illicit liquor were
found. Fettig's arrest was made this morning, as he attempted to unload a half
gallon of white mule near a soft drink parlor at the corner of Fifth and East
Melbourne avenue.
Syndicate
Revealed According to the Miami county authorities through the arrest of
McCann, it is believed that one of the biggest liquor syndicates in this part
of the country will be unearthed. It was intimated today that McCann had
divulged information that may lead to the arrest of a number of wealthy men.
McCann has admitted, according to the reports that he is an employe of the
syndicate which the officers believe has its headquarters in Hammond, Ind. In
his confession to Sheriff Fager McCann declared that he was engaged by the
syndicate to haul the liquor, his price for transporting the stuff being
specified at a certain price per gallon. Saturday night the Miami county
officers had received a tip that a load of liquor was bound for Peru from
Logansport. In Fager's Ford sedan, a party of officers started west from Peru
in search of the rum runners. They proceeded several miles and then drove to
the side of the highway where they concealed themselves to await the arrival of
the suspects.
Shortly before midnight, a Ford
coupe approached near where the officers were hiding. The car had developed
tire trouble and its two occupants stopped the machine and turned out their
lights. While the sheriff and his party looked on undetected, the six cans of
whiskey were taken out of the machine and concealed in the bushes. The car then
started off towards Peru, evidently for the purpose of obtaining tire repairs
and forty minutes later returned.
Runners Escape The booze was
re-loaded into the rear of the coupe and the car again headed for Peru. The
sheriff and his deputies had contented themselves to remain hidden until the
rum running car and its supply was again in motion. As the driver of the booze
machine saw the sheriff's car approaching, he stepped on the accelerator and a
chase which extended for several miles began. At the west outskirts of Peru,
the two pursued men, jumped from the coupe, one running north and the other
south. The officers continued the pursuit but were quickly outdistanced. The
Ford coupe which was readily identified as McCann's car and its load of liquor
were confiscated. In following the trail, left behind by the fugitives, Sheriff
Fager learned later during the morning that McCann had made his way across the
Wabash river to the home of a friend in south Peru where he. had been provided
with funds sufficient to meet the cost of taxi-fare back to Logansport.
Arrested Here Sheriff Fager then
came to Logansport and in company with local officers visited McCann's. home
where he was found in bed. He was promptly taken back to Peru were he was lodged
in jail. In apprehending Fettig this morning the local police played in luck.
As Fettig stopped his car at the corner of Fifth and East Melbourne avenue this
morning, Officer Emanuel Kircher happened to be across the street. When Fettig
spied the policeman, he bolted but was quickly overtaken and waltzed to jail.
Under the new Wright bone dry law under which McCann and Fettig will be tried
for transporting liquor, the minimum penalty provided is one to five years
imprisonment.