Got any mule?

The National Prohibition Act, known informally as the Volstead Act, was enacted to carry out the intent of the 18th Amendment (ratified January 1919), which established prohibition in the United States. The slang name for illegally made whiskey was "mule."

Lawrence County News May 26, 1926 William Akers and William Wallace are in the county jail awaiting a hearing for the violation of the Volstead Act.

Akers is an old offender but has been fortunate in escaping a fine so far. Twice his place in south Lawrenceville was raided by the sheriff and a complete liquor making outfit was found together with a large quantity of mash and hundreds of jugs and bottles but no mule.

Monday afternoon Sheriff Simms, Deputy Griffin and States Attorney Lewis armed with a search warrant visited a houseboat on the Wabash said to be operated by William Wallace. While searching the vicinity, Wallace and Akers drove up in a Ford and were stopped by the officers. Akers had in his possession a 5-gallon jug, two 1-gallon jugs, a new whiskey tester, two bottles of coloring matter, about a gallon of corks for jugs and a half pint of colored whiskey. He will be charged with possessing and transporting liquor, while Wallace will have to answer to maintaining a nuisance and selling liquor.