The New York herald., 1879-12-16
AFTER MOONSHNERS.
A Big Raid on the Noun
tains Organized.
DANGEROUS MOVE FOR The, DEPUTIES.
Stories Of Desperate Daring in Cap
turing Illicit Distillers

GAINESVILLE. Ga. Dec. IS. 1879.
md that there is genuine alarm over the project
OF tho revenue officers to send large force depu-
ties into the mountains after the moonshners.
Preparations are being actively made for force Of
sixty men. and recruits have been collected from
Rome. Gainesville and Atlanta 1t is proposed with
this force. divided into two detachments to raid the
mountains and force the disers from their strong
holds Recruits told that the raid will probably
last month. and each man is to be armed to the
teeth. Special Agent Wagner is experimenting the
details. with Collector Clark. Commissioner Raum
is. it is understood. backing tho movement vigor-
ously. 1t is known that Marshal Fitxsimmons and
District Attorney Forrow both believe the raid an
unwise policy Governor Co.quitt has interrered in
the matter by writing direct to the President and
begging that this extraordinary incursion into the
mountains be stopped until the Governor can
investigate the late troubles and soc II some
better course cannot be adopted In the mean
time Collector Clark is pressing everything for
ward. The raid would have left this point to-day II
Marshal Fitzsimmons had not refused to send his
marshsls with 1t until warrants had been secured.
claiming that his duty was simply to enforce war;
rants. not look up stills Collector Clark left here
this morning for Dahlonega with Special Agent
Wagner where they will collect the warrants needed
They will return Monday, and it is presumed the
rsidng party will then be started at unless the
President interferes the request Of the Governor
DANGEROUS MOVE.
Said an old revenue officer to me last night :-''I
have been fighting the moonshlncrs for many years,
and tell you that II d force Of sixty deputies
marches into the mountains there will be livelier
times than we have ever here. The approach
of this force will be known long before 1t reaches
kha ar 10 az
and their temper is ugly they pick of every
Of 1t before it has been in the mountains day.
II they determine to run they hide in an hours
notice that regiment could not find them.
But you this course would run them from their
homes. It would make thcm outlaws. desperate and
ugly 1t safe to say that the approach of the raid
would drive hundreds of men into the mountains.
There they would have to remain. hidden in covers
like wild beasts. hungry freezina and wretched. 1t
is easy to see that they would very soon turn on
their pursuers. especially they could do with
much safety. Hidden on the point of = ledge
they might Are on the raiders with perfect impun-
ity. not in hfty could be captured and weshould
have miserable scene Of assassination and ambus.
cades without availng anything. The raid is going
after Berrong. II Berrong and his men choose to
stand their ground sixty men cam whip and dslodge
them. II they sixty men can't and them"
''Btit cannot the raiders get the stills:"
..Get the stillsi No. sir. not II they hunt in
crowd. The moonshiners will hear they are coming
and with three licks Of hoe they dislodge their
still and two men carry it OF and hide It, And then
not one still In q thousand could be detected II It
left in place you pass within ten feet
of it. Didn't you ever hear Of how Donegan hid his
stilli He had his house built the edge of bank.
He tunnellsd out immense hole In the side of the
bank and worked it right under his house. He then
~ a. sl~k
from the still would ascend through tho chimney of
his house. The entrance was then carefully covered
over with old brush and leaves and the closest eye
couldn't have detected It. He had trapdoor In
into his STILL He ran It FOR long time and
nobody ever suspected him. At last man named
ths ofscers where to and it, and they went snd
'.pulled" It. short while after that Whitecotton
dissppeared. He was loaang sort Of character and
left the country. Last summer Jim Bryant.
drunken sort of fellow. living here. died. Ca his
ton, and told where his bones could be found. He
said rst tried to poison him. and failing In that
beat him o'death with the limb Of tree His rea-
SON given was that he had given information about
Illicit stills. There was nothing to suggest that
TSs ssnSi
published here at the time aud made great sensa-
tion."
STORIES OF THE RAIDERS.
There In end Of tho adventures that are told
around the streets Of Gainesville by tho who
place for raids and great many of the deputies
live here. Last night four men left with horses.
arms and provisions to meet guides in the noun
tains who had discovered nest Of distillers. The
two best known deputies. perhaps. arc Jim CASTOR
and Jim Findiay. These men have served for seven
years aud have been In many desperate places
Finday. young fellow Of slight build and pleasant
face, but with the courage OF dcvi has been shot
BEEN in many siirmish. He has nov retired M from
the business and Is keeping saloon In Gainesville
where he is popular with all classes. Castor. whom
hal auth
nounce OF the beat men that hunted u STILL
Is boysh looking. intelligent. frank. but known
through the mountains as man that never nckers.
The of the capture JONES' the alleged
murderer OF Lieutenant Mcintyre, 10 typical story
dstiier came ho%e ONE night ana found his house,
full Of revenue officers and his wife crying without
word he drew his pistol and fired into the house.
killing Lieutenant Mcintyre. fght followed, In
which the officers and troops driven OF. leaving
McIntyre's dead body. When his friends rallied to
regain 1t they at first halted, but finally got it.
They found that it had been robbed. Ayres Jones
remained about home for q long time. and II was
dsrstood that he dened arrest. He lived in cave
almost unapproachabe, and was surrounded by
friends. who. 1t was well known, would fight for him
to the last. HIS capture seemed hopeless II force
large enough to storm his stronghold sent after
him could resist II long he cared and then
retreat into his tastncsses where no could not be
est way Of the manner In which the famous outlaw
CAPTURE or A DrsrrLLrn.
"You see," he says. III knew that Colonel Fitz-
simmons was very anxious to get him, and thought
IL Jim Findlay. who is as true man rs ever lived.
and with whom had been In tight places before,
would 30 with me would go after Jones. Ho
agreed. and started out to uncle of Jim's who
lived JONES' and who we thought would guide
us. 1t was necessary to be very quiet and quick.
II they suspected that we we're In the county
knew hundred men couldn't take Jones out 30
when got to Webb Findlays. and he agreed to go
with us. we got ready to dash In hurriedly. We
had travelled at night altogether. and 30 no one
knew were In tho neighborhood. At night
we started for Jones' house. After rushing
over the mountains and avoiding all the roads
n guide that had seized showed tho house.
It set down In q hollow and hard to reach. Jim
and found way down, however. aud when within
hundred yards or agreed on our plan. Every
thing seemed to be quiet, but there little hre