Prohibition became the law in Washington State in 1916, a full four years before passage of the Volstead Act made it a decree across America. It was a time of great growth on Grays Harbor which was supplying the world with lumber, and by the mid-1920s the small towns had transformed into modern bustling cities. As such, it was also became a center for the production and distribution of illegal spirits. Here are some more stories from the pages of the past and the way alcohol was dealt with by the local manufacturers, suppliers, tipplers and law enforcement.

CLOSET CONCEALS BIG BOOZE CACHE

After satisfying himself that Chas. Bay had liquor at his place of business, Chief of Police Dean ordered a raid last night. The officers found ingeniously concealed in Bay’s cigar store at 400 South G St., 25 quarts of liquor including some imported brandy. Bay was admitted to bail in the sum of $250 for a police court hearing.

In a false top of a clothes closet the police located the cache. It occupied a space about five feet long and three feet wide. A trap door was in what was ostensibly the ceiling of the closet but what virtually was the floor of the false top. There were several hooks for clothes in the floor of this upper compartment. One proved to be the handle for manipulating the trap door. The others were of course blinds to this particular contrivance. Before the police discovered the “combination” to the booze receptacle, they had cut away part of the wall of the clothes closet. The officers were pretty sure of their ground, however, persevered and were ultimately rewarded. — Aberdeen Daily World, Dec.18, 1918

CAR LADEN WITH LIQUOR CRASHES

Loaded with several gallon jugs of moonshine whisky, a speeding automobile at 1:30 o’clock this afternoon crashed into a car driven by Fred Berry at Third and K Streets, smashed against the curb and turned over three times before coming to a halt. Two men riding in the liquor car crawled from the smashed framework and disappeared before witnesses could stop them. Albert Pederson of Hoquiam and identified by Mr. Berry and his companion, George Eamer, as one of the men riding in the liquor car, was arrested a few moments after the accident when he appeared on the scene in another car. Pederson is under federal indictment in connection with an alleged Grays Harbor rum ring.

According to Mr. Berry and Mr. Eamer, the liquor car was traveling at high speed. The car struck the front end of the Berry machine, damaging it, and then struck the curb and overturned. Only the steel top saved the two men in the liquor car from death, it was said. The car body was badly wrecked but only one window was broken. The remains of at least four gallon jugs were found in the car and the moonshine poured from the back end, police said.

Pederson, when arrested, was wearing a coat that is alleged to have been soaked with liquor. Officers claim that he attempted to escape in the other car but was finally overhauled on Eleventh Street. The car in which the liquor was found bore a license issued to Mrs. Emma M. Erickson, star route 2, in Hoquiam. — Aberdeen Daily World, April 4, 1927

SMASHED FACE OF FORMER EMPEROR

An expensive picture of the former Kaiser and Francis Joseph, late emperor of Austria, was ruined yesterday afternoon by Captain Dick Graham of the police force, who smashed the butt end of his revolver into the Kaiser’s face, badly disfiguring it. The picture of Wilhelm and Francis Joseph, both men dressed in their finest uniforms and wearing a multitude of medals, was found hanging in a South Aberdeen rooming house raided by the police, who were after liquor. Graham smashed the glass and tore out the picture when he saw it.

A quart of liquor was found in the room of Mike Weki, an Austrian, during the raid, and he was brought into the city jail, and later released on $20 bail.

A shotgun and revolver believed to belong to Weki and some I.W.W. literature were found at the rooming house. Residents of the lodging house claimed the picture had belonged to a man who had long since moved away. — Aberdeen Daily World, Feb. 13, 1919

SUPPOSED VICTIM OF ALCOHOL FOUND DEAD

Mike Miller, a laborer, about 40 years of age, was found dead this morning in his room at the Twin Rooms, on South F Street. Miller registered last night, complaining that he was ill, and this morning was found dead on the floor of the room.

Police believe that Miller was a victim of acute alcoholism. The body was removed to the Whiteside Undertaking parlors pending funeral arrangements. — Aberdeen Daily World, Nov. 8, 1926

This story was followed up on the next day as new information came to light:

ALCOHOL VICTIM FORMER CONVICT

By means of fingerprint investigation by Aberdeen police and Police Judge R.E. Taggart, the body of Mike Miller, found yesterday morning in the Twin Rooms, South F Street, was identified last night as that of Thrysiko Tytynigor, former Tacoma laborer, who was convicted May, 1924, on a charge of manslaughter, filed in connection with the death of his wife at that time.

Tytynigor had served a year in the state penitentiary at Walla Walla, his sentence being from 11 months to a year and one day. He is believed to have lived in Aberdeen only a short time. Death was said to have resulted from acute alcoholism. — Aberdeen Daily World, Nov. 9, 1926

SHOE SHINE PROPRIETOR BOOKED

An impromptu raid by members of the city dry squad last night resulted in the jailing of Bob Bolden, proprietor of a shoe-shine stand at 111 West Heron St., on a charge of dealing in liquor. According to the officers they found two bottles containing moonshine whiskey and serving glasses. Bolden may be made to stand trial on both city and county charges. — Aberdeen Daily World, Dec. 19, 1925

LEAP GIVES GIRL SUDDEN LIBERTY

A 20-foot jump from an upstairs room of an alleged beer joint at 809 West Wishkah St., Saturday night, obtained liberty for a 15-year-old girl who had been placed under arrest for disorderly conduct. The girl was locked in the room while police continued a search of the house for liquor. While they searched, the girl leaped into a vacant lot below.

Mrs. Lenore Jolly, operator of the place, was charged with possession of liquor when a stock of alleged beer was discovered. Her bail was fixed at $750. — Aberdeen Daily World, Aug. 15, 1927

Roy Vataja is the son of Finnish immigrants and has yet to attend a party where a 15-year old girl jumps from a second story window during a police raid.