The Republic News-Miner

Within the house were Mr. and Mrs. Moran, their son William and young daughter Alice. How they escaped was a miracle.

The charge of dynamite was placed just outside the kitchen door within ten feet of the room occupied by Miss Alice. A great part of the force of the explosion was expended through this room, blowing in the door and passing on through a window located opposite. The bed on which the girl was sleeping was just to one side of the door, and though she was covered with splintered timber and chattered glass, she escaped without a scratch.

The other rooms were more protected by walls and escaped with less injury. The explosion tore a great hole in the ground and shook the entire town and was of sufficient violence to break several glasses in the store front of the Stack Supply Co., located across the street from the residence. Mrs. Marie Horner sleeping next door was rendered unconscious, a window of her room being broken, evidently by a stick of wood found at her side.

M. Botwick and wife and Alex Boiko, Mrs. Botwick's son, have been arrested and are held as suspects.

A. C. Cardinal, J. C. Caie, Mike Moran, J. C. Cody and W. T. O'Connell acted as pallbearers.

It is said that strong evidence has been brought to light pointing to the guilt of the accused parties. Bail has been fixed at $5000 each, which they have not been able to secure and are held in the county jail pending their trial.

But the Chronicle need not worry as to whether the people are back of Sheriff Moran--They are. The lawless element here are a very small minority though they are loud and blatant. But the dynamiting of the sheriff's is the last straw. Decent people are more than ever determined that bootlegging and moonshining shall cease, fore it is at the bottom of the trouble and must be eliminated.

We are back of you, Sheriff Moran!
Following is the editorial referred to:

Ferry county lawbreakers have thrown down a challenge to the state of Washington. Sheriff Mike Moran must not be left to answer it alone.

Events of the last few days indicate that a lawless element, spoiled in months past by the indulgence of an indifferent set of officers, has decided to take things into it own hands, now that the law has determined to assert itself. Similar turns have developed in other states. Washington has plenty of example on which to base its course of action.

The longer the Republic dynamite rage is allowed to go unpunished, the harder it will be to make the cleanup which inevitably must come. Even if it takes martial law, criminals in that section of Ferry county must be made to realize that a handful of outlaws can not dictate to the self-respecting people of a state.

Sheriff Moran must feel that 1,300,000 people are behind him, expecting him to speak for them and ready to support him when he does speak. If he can not clean up the nest of trouble makers that has grown up along the booze trails of the Ferry county hills, then he should call for help, and keep on asking for more and more until the situation is at hand.

There are jail cells enough to hold all of the insurgents and there are decent people enough left in this state to demand that those same rebellious individuals be placed where they belong.

If it takes every ounce of the state's strength, the Republic dynamite incident should be cleared up without delay, once for all.

Mrs. Mat Botwick, who is held in the county jail for complicity in the dynamiting of Sheriff Moran's house, is in the opinion of dr. Hilton a subject for the insane asylum.
She went into a tantrum Tuesday night and raved madly the greater part of the night, threw the bed clothing from the bed and slept on the floor.
It has been pointed out however that in tearing her hair she does not really tear it, and the beating of her breast is done in a very mild manner so that she does not hurt herself. As a result some who have observed her actions believe that she is faking.
Her case will be watched carefully, and if she does not show improvement, it is probable that she will be committed to the asylum.

Revenge, unreasoning anger, was the prime motive in the dynamiting of Sheriff Moran's house, as was shown in the confession made by Mat Botwick last Friday.

His confession was complete and definitely fixes the crime upon himself alone.
According to his own story, he bought 10 pounds of dynamite and 50 feet of fuse at Stack's store on September 13 for the express purpose of blowing up the Moran home, and on Monday night following he left his home about eleven o'clock with about five pounds of powder and fifteen feet of fuse, which he used to blow up the house.
The explosion took place when he had gone as far as the last house on the way out on the creamery road (between a quarter and a half)

Asked if he met any automobiles, he replied that he did but just stepped off to the side of the road and let them pass. He reached home at daylight.

Mrs. Botwick, according to his statement, did not know that he was out that night, until he told her at the time he was arrested that he had "blown Moran's house."

He denied that Alex Boiko new anything about the case, and both Boiko and Mrs. Botwick were dismissed without prejudice.

The series of events that led up to the crime began with the arrest of Botwick and his wife by Federal officers on the 13th of August, when they took 16 bottles of whiskey and destroyed two barrels of mash, and the Botwicks were placed under $1500 each.

Mrs. Botwick was again arrested by Sheriff Moran and Deputy Clemens, at which time three bottles of whiskey were found in her buggy. She was fined $250 and costs, which Botwick regarded as "high robbery."
The dynamiting of the Moran house took place early in the morning of September 18 and the arrest immediately followed. Much evidence was secured, enough, it is thought to cinch the case, but Botwick's confession saved the county several hundred dollars and can leave no doubt in the mind of any sane person as to the identity of the criminal.

Judge Neal came over Saturday and gave Botwick a sentence of ten to twenty years in the penitentiary--practically a life sentence, as Botwick is 73 years old and can hardly expect to live out his term.

The caravan, consisting of six cars, apparently heavily loaded was discovered by some one who gave the sheriff's office warning, and a posse of four men, Sheriff Moran, Deputy Clemens, County Commissioner J. W. O'Connell, and William Engstrom was hastily organized and got under way.

They caught up with the caravan at Thirteen Mile, when one of the men in the rear car opened fire on their pursuers. one shot cut the cable leading from the generator of the car putting out the lights and cutting off the spark, thus rendering the pursuing car helpless.

This occurred just at the foot of a hill over which the bootleggers disappeared in the fraction of a minute, leaving the sheriff's party to get back to Republic the best they mighty. They ... succeeded... in getting another car and got back all right.

No public announcement has been made as to the personnel of the local officers or the nature of the activities to be conducted in this district. Whether the flaming cross indicated that some special ceremony was in progress or was merely the means adopted by the Klan to announce the active commencement of its operation is not known. It is rumored, however, that a large class of neophytes from Okanogan, Omak and Brewster was initiated Tuesday night.

Some of those who journeyed to the site selected for the cross reported that it was approximately 100 feet in length, with a cross arm of about sixty feet in length. The burnt symbol was kept in true lines by digging trenches several feet wide and filling them with sawdust, which was soaked with gasoline or oil and ignited. The cross was made on a hill side about 400 feet above Okanogan, in such a position that it was visible at Omak and for several miles north. The illumination was spectacular and attracted wide attention while it lasted.

. Many rumors concerning the activities of the Klan have been afloat, but little is known of their activities of a definite nature. Preliminary meetings have been held in the past few weeks and paraphernalia for ritualistic work arrived some time ago. one unconfirmed rumor was that the Klan proposed to take an active part in the coming municipal election.
--Okanogan Independent.

Gallouppe was arrested about a mile this side of West fork on Friday evening of last week by Sheriff Moran and a party consisting of Deputy Sheriff Ernie Clemens, County Commissioner J. W. O'Connell and Rev. S. McIvor, who were out on a still hunt for gentlemen of dark and devious ways.

As the sheriff saw Gallouppe's machine approaching he blocked the road with his own car and brought Gallouppe's to a stop, though the latter made an attempt to get by. "I am going to search your car," announced the sheriff, "Open the door." "You are not," answered Gallouppe,"and I shall not open the door. You can take my car to Republic, but you cannot search it with out a warrant." "I am going to search your car," said the sheriff again, "open the door," and this time Galloppe did as commanded. One look was enough. "You are under arrest," announced the sheriff.

Examination of the outfit disclosed 24 pints of beer, 11 pints of Johnny Walker whiskey, and a case of quart bottles of Royal Spey whiskey besides a few bottles of other brands, all concealed in a milk can.

The return trip was enlivened by an accident that might well have cost the lives of both Sheriff Moran and his prisoner, who were in the ladder's car driven by himself under guard of the sheriff. Being one or two sheets to the wind, Gallouppe thought to speed up a little, and at a bad turn the car left the road and headed for a thirty foot precipice. Fortunately a tree stump, the only thing near that could have stopped the car, caught it and saved the occupants from destruction. After the accident Mr. McIvor brought the prisoner and his car to Republic wild Sheriff Moran took his seat in his own car.

Taken before Justice Kells Monday, Gallouppe plead guilty to having liquor in his possession and was fined $250.

Gallouppe, it is said, was what the organized bootleggers cal a "rat." That is he played a lone hand and peddled whiskey in small quantities, refusing to hook up with the main bunch.

The truth of the matter is that the sheriff and his posse have lain out night after night and searched car after car with almost barren results. Only one of the cars searched contained whiskey. That was the car driven by William Gallouppe, who was arrested and sentenced for his offense. A certain car definitely known to be the property of a bootlegger has been searched no less than three times, but no whiskey was found.
The bootleggers have a perfect spy system organized, which makes it almost impossible for the sheriff's party to accomplish anything, and the chances are that Galloupe got caught simply because he did not belong to the bootleggers' organization.

It is easy to enough to find fault with a public officer. Naturally, the sheriff does not advertise his activities in trying to suppress the liquor traffic in this county, hence the general public cannot know anything about what he is doing, but he is busy, and in time he will land some of the gentlemen that he is after.

On the occasion referred to Sheriff Moran had got word that a plane was due to load up near Curlew and took a posse with him in an effort to capture the outlaws.

Arriving at the field before daylight the officers found the plane in position for loading up and took a position to capture the outfit when the loading operations started. Shortly after daylight the pilot and another man appeared and began to warm up the engine. The officers waited, expecting a load of booze to arrive, but the two men got aboard and flew to another field where the plane was loaded and got away before they could be apprehended.

The loaded plane was not long in the air however until it had to descend, apparently on account of engine trouble. A tie hack happened to see the plane land and butted in to find out what was the matter, whereupon the pilot drew a gat on the tie hack and ordered him to quart the whisky, promising to reward him later, after which the plane flew away for repairs.

Shortly after the plane left, the tie hack got in touch with a couple of ranchers, and, according to the story as told to a representative of the News-Miner, the cargo which had been left in charge of the tie hack mysteriously disappeared and has not been seen since. Some say it was stolen, while others claim it disappeared under the softening influence of the warm chinook which arose about that time. Quien sabe?

John C. Cody, county assessor, is assessing the property around Boyds and Kettle FAlls. At the latter place he is assessing the large property interests of the White Pine and Sash Mills.

Miss Jean McKenzie, who has been attending high school here, will spend Christmas at her home in Wauconda.

Miss Marie Stack has arrived from Spokane to spend the holidays with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Stack.

Mrs. Isabelle Cody has returned from Valley, Washington, where she has been under medical care. She is much improved.

Mike Moran is in charge of the sheriff's office in the absence of Sheriff Clemens and his deputy Harry Pierce on official business.

Miss Marie Stack, former county treasurer, now principal of the public schools at Starbuck, is in town to spend the holidays with her sister Mrs. J. Robinson.