Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1878-02-09
Capture of Illicit Dl.til,er-.

Ou w cuucSudy ioos ". ~. SOiuiutS-
sioner Albert Small, Esq, had hear
ing as committing magistrate of An.
drew keefer and Jack. Ambrose, who
were the day before arrested by U. S.
Deputy Collector OF internal Revenue.
Col. h. NJ. Mobley, assisted by Jacob
Late, w. f. Gumbert and w. J. Byers.
The penalty attached TO the offense is
$1,000 and Imprisonment not less than
months nor more than 2 years. Hon.
A. X. Syester appeared for the accused
and the examination took place in the
County Commissioners Office. The
witnesses for the U. S. were Geo. w.
Snyder, upon whose information the ar
rest was made, Col. Mobley, Mr.. Gum
bert and Mr.. Late. At its conclusion
the prisoners were held to bail, each, in
, the sum of $4,000, aud while endeavor-
ing TO procure it were remanded TO Jail.
From the testimony it appears that
for the last two years Col. Mobley has
had reason to believe that the work of
illicit distilling has been carried on, on
the premises OF this man, Andrew Keef-
er, in the North Mountain, West of
Clearspring, and East Of Hancock. and
pretty nearly equi distant between those
places and Mercersburg. Keeters house
is in a very retired spot two miles from
any high road and quite buried in the
mountain. 1t stands near his fathers
house, but is occupied by him alone and
the children of deceased brother lie
was always regarded as the head Of this
illicit concern, aud bad, up TO Tuesday
last, succeeded completely IN toiling the
efforts Of Col. Mobley, who had visited
his place three different times with
view to his arrest and the discovery OF
evidence which would be effective. In
March last Col Mobley took advantage
of deep snow to make descent upon
keefers premises, aud be found q still
and worm with some tubs, but the lat.
ter were without hoops and some had
not been in use for year at least. That
the distillery was then in blast, the col
lector has now no doubt, but il was
with other implements and in secure
place.
Geo. w. Snyder, the witness, upon
whose information the arrest was made,
last Tuesday, was, on the Sunday pre-
vious, at the distillery, a log house
about 600 yards from Andrew keeter's
residence, on the side of an old field
over-grown with sumac bushes, aud to
which there was only narrow hog
path from the house. There lie took
drink of whskey as it ran from the still,
and gave the necessary information 10
the deputy Collector On Tuesday
morning early, Col. Mobley started for
the scene of action with the above
named posse and coming suddenly upon
Keeter and Ambrose arrested them. In.
quirng where the distilery was Keefer
denied that there was such place aud
at Col. Mobey's request offered to lead
him to the only building on the prem
ises. Meantime Col. Mobley had divi-
ded his forces to search the premises,
and then started off with Keefer, who,
after few steps, turned of the hog
path and led him in directly the oppo-
site direction up the mountain. Sus-
pecting this to be a mere ruse COL
|
men with Keefer, who led him TO what
seemed to be turkey pen on the top of
the mountain and far above the head of
running water. Returning 10 the hog
path and following it the party came TO
, the spot where the house. had stood on
Sunday when Snyder took his drink OF
whiskey fresh from the still, but there
was no house standing there Instead
of house, however, there were the re-.
, mains OF active operations, consisting
of old CRATES and wood ashes, in WHICH
the hogs had been walowing and near
by trough turned over, in which il
was evident they had been fed. On
: searching the bushes near by two kegs
were found, one of which contained
whiskey and the other spirits, in tecbni.
, cal terms called ''singlings," aud ON
|, some bushes lay loaded gun, with six
| inches Of charge, which Col. Mobley
drew, and all OF which are now in bis
possession. The party were pouDced
upon too quickly to make use Of this
implement, had they desired 10 do so.
These ruins were on the side of q
mountain stream, and following down
this the officers came at a spot 400 feet
lower down, upon pile Of house logs,
probably q hundred in number, which
they tracked from above, They were
numbered with pencil marks, evidently
showing how they wero to be replaced
and along with them were about twenty
mash tubs, in some of which were
boards or shingles for q roof, and in
others copper still. and worms necessa-
ry for the business. Among the para
phernalla was also beer puInp-in fact
the whole apparatus Of a distillery was
revealed.
When the arrest was made there was
young boy, JEFF. Keefer, the nephew
of Andrew, who was taken in charge.
When the officers were ready 10 start
with their prisoners, this boy was sent
back TO the house for their clothes, but
he did not again put in an appearance.
The accused were brought into Hagers-
town on Tuesday night and lodged in
jail, and have been disposed of as above
meutioned.--Hagsrsfown NoR. 9.
| .SiDg Sing, shouted the brakeman as
Hudson River train slowed up to the
station. "Five years for refreshments,
yelled passenger with short hair spd