The Hillsborough recorder., 1874-09-23
KlLLED BY RATfIiIssNAKES.

IL hIILr4O Dl Ia illSo4s AAI.H.
Y Adistiller named Jones, wlio lived Wi Il
his faniily near the lower bench Of ihe
Big SmCkyiMounFaih ..Tennessete, had eih
annoyed great deal BY tteareyeuuesrtu :
ers last fall. and determined. 70 change bis
location and business toa a more secluded
spot, Il
u TO carry out this purpose he selected
the head Of deep gorge some four miles
distant. walked in with cliffs, where du-
fring the winter, assisted ky some of bis
friends. he erected log building. AS
soon ~ the cold weather was over aud the
spring fairly opened, the still aud other
things necessary were moved 10 the place,
aud the work Of violating the revenue law
was resumed. Several runs were made.
and Jones began 70 congratulate himself
that he lie hid 1T last found a refuge le-
/ yond ,he prying eyes Of thed 6osernnient
hirelings. where he could pursue his ayo-I
cation in peace, f.gg. g....,a;...
The still-house being some distance from
where bis family lived. Jones rarei j visited
them more than 0nte in fortnight Eve-l
lrythipg went on we'll enough until about
four weeks ago. when be fa.led to appear
I. at the accustomed time.
Nothing was thought Of this for day or
two, but when another week elapsed with
out the return Of Jones, the family became
alarmed. and they thought be had been
captured byrsyepne jay yhawks and carried
to Knoxville Or some other place where
yiolators OF the law are occasionally con-
yicted and punished. The alarm was give
en- through the sparsely settled peiphhor-.
hood. A small number Of men gathered,
and accompanied by Mrs. Jones and her
son. i youth Of ten ortwclye years Of age,
they started up the gorge in the direction
of the still.hcuse. n'illaa ssA ttgsl Afaa ~
0n reacbingitlle building they found the
door closed and fasteped. and no sign OF
Jones or AMI, one else could be seen. Mrs.
Jones called tlie name of her husband sey-
cral times ; no response. however. came
bsekto relieve Der anxiety. But upon
attempting TO force an cptrance they were
greeted with those peculsar notes OF warn
ing whicl, the ear Of tile East Tennessee
mountaincer never fails TO recognize. The
docs was ut once broken down. and n sight
met them that cansed all 10 start with
4 fright and HORROR. .
The form Of the distilier lay upon the
floor. with eyes starting from their sockets.
the features horribly distorted. and body
swollen to twice its usual proportions,
while the whole interior Of ihe building
1 was alive eth ratile-snpkes. some in coil
and and ready COR battle. bnt the larger
proportion stupid and iuerl, as though they
/ bad been inbibing literally If the Illicit
/ fruit Of the sill. Tie mother aud son
/ fed horror stricken from the place. A
! censasnItation was bad. and il was impos-
sibls 70 secure tue body Of poor Jo,es WITH
! out incurripg fearful risk. il was deterln-
ined to reelosc the entrance and other ~
I pertufes ind Ere the building which issis
done. l'he party stayed until the house
was entirely consumed. and nothing re-
I maiDed but the row useless still aud tie
calcined bones Of the miserable distillsv.
II i supposed that Jones hid built biz
manufactorY close upOn den Of the dcidly
reptiles 10 The oyerhapging cliff. aud that
attracted by the heat, or possibly ,ttf
fumes Of the whiskey. they found their
way into tie building ID large numbers az
4 Ter be had closed ths door aud laid down
10 sleep. ki e si gs gsbna fass