The final wording for the Eighteenth Amendment adopted in 1917 specified a national ban on the manufacture, sale, transportation, importation and exportation of intoxicating liquors "for beverage purposes". Even though Washington State had been officially "dry" for four years already, liquor-related arrests began to appear more regularly in the Pacific County Jail Book. Among the notations, "bootlegging" and "drunk and disorderly" were commonly noted. One notable arrest was William Martin of Raymond, brought on charges of selling intoxicating liquor to soldiers. Despite pleading guilty, Martin was suspected of supplying liquor to the troops in such quantities that it incapacitated them for work.
A trap was set, and two soldiers went to Martin's house to inquire if he had liquor for sale. He produced a quart of whiskey, and the soldiers blew a whistle which summoned the Raymond marshal who had been hiding around the corner of the building. At the hearing, the prisoner's attorney questioned whether the bottle in evidence was indeed whiskey, but this was quickly settled by prosecuting attorney John O'Phelan who poured ot a couple fingers into a glass. After swallowing the fluid, he pronounced it "whiskey, and of a very good brand".
This cache was placed as part of a series of locations, events and characters that shaped the early days of frontier justice in Pacific County. If you are interested in collecting trackable geocoins, you may pick up a copy of the official "Bounty Hunter's Roster" from the Long Beach Visitor Center, N 46° 19.892 W 124° 03.285 and find out how to claim a coin for your own collection by finding at least 20 of these geocaches, identified with "Behind Bars" in the title.
The names referenced in the cache titles and the outlaw photos are fictional and bear no relation to actual people, but the descriptive text for each cache relates factual information.
Reference Material on cache page from Jailhouse Stories from Early Pacific County by Sydney Stevens.