Missing amounts of Whiskey At Publicker in the late 1960's

[dave ziegler]

I have written a little about this before but now want to tell the whole story. In the Late 1960's about 1968 the Plant did an inventory of Alcohol Distilled and warehoused and bottled at Kinsey after they had moved the Bottle house up in 1966 from Philadelphia. One of the very Kind things they had done was offer a free bus ride from Phila for any Bottlehouse workers with allot of time in years so they could get their full company pension. The Union was delighted and so they bused them up for years at no cost to them. Well at the time there were inventory tests that had amounts figuered for spills leaks evaporation and anything else possible yet thousands of Gals very not counted for especaily Bourbon and rye and Liquiors plus Gin & Vodka. So they decided they had to do something to stop this as they came to the only conclusion it was being stolen. They wanted a way to check ladys as most from the old Bottle house people were Women and they did not just want to hit men. They talked to the Union which agreed that their Jobs were at stake. So They called the Pinkertins as they were the only outside Security people that had Lady Security officers at that time. They also got with the Government which agreed to set up some people to make buys from those stealing in large amounts. Well there was an older women who wore a sweater even in the Summer and she always seemed to look bigger when she went home on the bus after work. Well one night when she was leaving she was met by a Government Lady and a Pinkertin lady Security Guard and when she took off her sweater and Blouse it was found she wore a vest with pockets for 6 pints or 1/2 Pints and it was full so she was arrested and the Boss's really did not like having to do this but Publicker was losing lots of money in Product theft and The Goverment wanted to know where was it going Taxed or untaxed! The next thing that happen was one of the night shift I think fork lift and skiding shipping dept was arrested when he tried to sell a skid of Whiskey Taxed for another State to a person who he had met having told the man he could get lots of whiskey for him turned out he Was a Government investigator and Had Police with him and he went right to Jail for a bit, Taxed for another state and taken was considered hijacking taxed Alcohol across state lines. Untaxed was a federal crime to. So they finally got things in hand but still things just did not come back as they hoped. I am Proud that even though I did drink a bit in there I never stole any Alcohol as I loved my Job it was a good paying job and had great insurance and we were always treated great with respect and we were never over worked. And stealing as I was told as a Kid is wrong!

Dave Z