Random Crimes

Moorhead had an abundance of crimes back in the day. Crimes that included liquor of course. Just to name some with a famous name are as follows. Clarence Gillette, of First Avenue, South Moorhead, was arrested by officer Swanson. He was charged with being drunk and bootlegging. He had four pints of homemade whiskey that were found in his possession. In his home was a still for making whiskey. The still he had made himself was out of a cream can to which he attached a copper to be used as a condenser. The alcohol he made was from molasses and rye, was as strong as the old original 188 proof alcohol that the old saloons sold. Gillette was a distant relative of the safety razor inventor Gillette.[1] Another interesting story found in the Moorhead Daily News was one of Moorhead’s most prominent blindpigger’s, Amund Thoreson, the owner of the old Three Orphan’s Saloon, was held at the district court on sale of intoxicating liquor. His bond was fixed at $500 on each of his charges.[2]

For more information on the Three Orphan's Saloon and other related crimes, feel free to visit sites one and six.

Sources:

1. "Got Drunk and Then Created a Disturbance," The Country Press (Moorhead), March Friday, 1921.
2. "Moorhead Daily News," 12 Arrests Results of Booze Raids (Moorhead), January Tuesday, 1925.
3. Photo courtesy of the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County.