The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1877-02-21
INCONSISTENCIES IN THE SOUTH.
How the Revenue Laws are Defied in
South Carolina


Washington Special to the Cincinnati Com
merciall
From information daily received at the
office of the internal revenue department. it
would seem that illicit distillers in the
mountain regions of North and South Caro-
lima and Georgia, have organized system of
armed resistance to the authority of the gov
eminent, both civil and military. In the
late raids made by the revenue officers
aided by the federal troops, resistance has
been made by the distillers and their
friends, and frequently deadly conflicts
have occurred. In recent raid made in
north Georgia, the officers succeeded
in capturing large number of men, and de-
stroying numerous distilleries with their
contents. In Harralson county Georgia,
among others captured was a Baptist min
lister and county sheriff Both were charged
with defrauding the government by illicit
distillation. The revenue agent in charge
of this section, in a recent report to the
commissioner of internal revenue, says Il
shall make another raid into another section
OF Harralson county, and on Sum
day night will make an extended raid to
Paulding county. Great excitement pre-
walls in the section of country which we
visited, and bodies of men, mounted and
armed, are patrolling and picketing many of
the roads, On the next raid anticipate re-
sistance and trouble, and would have already
had it If our movement had not been a sur
prise" On the 9th of February Revenue
Agent Chamberlain, accompanied by a de-
tachment of soldiers, raided a portion of
Harralson county, arrested q men, seized
and destroyed nine distilleries, 103 stands Of
beer and mash, aggregating $1,000 gallons,
and 600 gallons of low wines. All the prop
erty was destroyed for want of transporta-
ton. Another party under Revenue
Agent Gremison, accompanied by detach-
ment of soldiers under the command of
Lieutenant Mcintyre, of the Second infsn-
try, went to Gilmer county, Georgia, arrest
ed Is men and destroyed u distilleries, With
large quantities of beer and mash. This par
ty was attacked at night by the friends of
the persons arrested and Lieutenant McIn-
tyre was killed. This is the first instance on
record where the civil officers of the govern
ment in the south have been resisted in the
discharge of their duty, when backed up by
federal soldiers. All the facts in regard to
the situation in the three states above
named have been collected and embodied
in letter addressed to the secretary Of
the treasury by the commissioner of internal
revenue. This letter will be presented to
the president in cabinet tomorrow, and il is
expected that he will direct more troops to
be sent to the districts infected by these
armed bands of illicit distillers, with instruc-
tons to break up their haunts and destroy
their distilleries, and bring all whom they
can arrest in for trial. There being no cav
airy available for use in these states, the
commissioner of internal revenue has di-
rected the purchase of large number of
horses with which to mount the infantry de-
tailed to assist the revenue agents. II is
expected that soon as the troops are
mounted they will make it warm for the dis
tillers