The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-05-22
Raids on Underground DisriI.
lCriCS,

AAuluS on underground DlStlls
lcricS.
Gen. |. II. Duval, Collector Of Internal
Revenue Of the First District Of this
State, embracing the First and Third
Congressional Districts, has been giving
special attention during the last thirty
days to illicit distilleries in the southern
and southeastern portion Of his district,
mainly in Mercer and adjoining coun.
ties. A raiding force was organized on
the l6lh Of April, consisting Of George
W. Atkinson, Deputy Collector at
Charleston, assisted by eight special dep
uties, most OF whom we're ex-soldiers,
some from the Federal and others from
the Confederate army, all picked men,
fearless and brave. The party, well
mounted and armed, left Charleston at
the time stated and started ont on live.
ly lOpe for the mountains. In very
few days they struck the first crooked"
establishment on Blue Stone river, in
Summers county, and the last one in the
extreme southern portion Of Wyoming
county, about twenty-five days thereafter.
The country through which they passed
was almost as wild as nature made it,
and the distllleries were secreted in the
deep gorges and sulches, so completely
covered with hemlock, laurel, and other
brushwood that, in many instances, they
could not be discovered until you were
Immediately upon them. The parties
who operated them, and who have doubt.
less been running them ever since the
war, were almost as wild as the deer in
mountains around them, and in nearly
every case they fed 10 the woods on the
appearance Of the "raiders."
During a raid Of thirty days, almost
constantly in the saddle, the party was
"bushwhacked" on but one occasion, and
then, although fred into from ambush
By several persons with squirrel rifles,
they escaped entirely unharmed. The
net results of the raid, as reported by
Deputy Atkinson TO Collector Dnval,
we're IS distilleries,9 0 copper stills with
sn aggregate capacity OF about 800 gal.
Ions, and l24 mash tubs with a capacity
Of nearly $4,000 gallons, all of which
were broken up aud. destroyed. About
1000 gallons of grain mash and some 200
gallons Of whisky we're poured upon the
ground or into the small streams 10 the
ravines.
The whole distance travelled by the
raiders, most Of which was on horseback,
was not lcss than l $50 miles. During
the first fifteen days the raiding force
kept together, but for the last fifteen days
the party was divided, travelling in tepa.
rate squads in different directions. This
raid on the crooked" considering
all the circumstances under which
it was prosecuted, has been one of
the most successful made at any time
Oglinst those small unlawful distilIeries
SO numerous among the mountains Of
tile Virginias, North Carolina, Kentucky
and Tennessee.
oI course, such a raid could not but
s'iFup all the bitterness and revenge to.
ward the government and is officers, har.
bored by those who have been for years
as'y,NS both, and systematically violating
Tue law with impunily, and hence all
slnds OF bloody threats are made against
Inc faithful officers who have so success.
ially fe'etted out their hidden retreats
ofcrime. But all such threats are likely
to be but breath vainIy spent, as Collector
Duval has applied for sufficient mill.
'ary force with which to keep up the pur.
suit Of all such viOlators Of law until
they shall be either compelled 10 nav
to the government, as others do, the
taxes and duties imposed upon their
business or abandon it altogether. The
necessity Of following up this raid by
like summary measures was made evi.
dent BY a second expedition by part Of
Mr.. AtkinsOn's force into Mercer county,
finding there bran new distillery, it,cd
up and in operation in place OF the one
GT''Foyed ,S BY them but a few days before.
We, We hope Gen. Sherman will furnish the
military force asked for, and that the
loFee will be retained long enough to put
an end to all resistance Of OiIicer,. .ash
SSa' ~. attempted in the Lyuchburr dis.
fics a few days ago. =