In Medford, Ore., in 1923, Nona Dunlap was a single mother, a legal secretary and a suspected bootlegger.
She, her son and her sister Babe moved into a house on Sixth and Bartlett streets in January. Babe cooked meals for boarders, and a Mr. Heflin rented a room. Within a month, a prohibition agent arrested Dunlap in her office, accusing her of selling and possession of alcoholic beverages. The agent arrested Babe and the boarder, too.
Justice was swift. The three were found guilty, posted bail and waited for their appeal. Dunlap’s boss and attorney, George Roberts, must have worked harder in the second trial, which resulted in a hung jury. The final trial came in May 1923. The prosecuting attorney, Rawles Moore, cross-examined himself, admitting he approved offering a $1,000 bribe to Dunlap in return for her leaving Medford with her son. Otherwise, her son would be taken from her. The prosecutor and prohibition agents also revealed a sting operation and spying from the high school next to Dunlap’s home.
Maybe the third jury disliked the tactics. It let Dunlap, Babe and Mr. Heflin go free.
Source: Lewis, Raymond. "Prohibition at Work: the case of Nona, Babe & Mr. Heflin." Table Rock Sentinel 5.9 (September 1986): 13-23. Print.
