Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-03-16
Moonshiners in Grant.

i
in skillfully masked manufactures
guarded by fierce and determined men
1t brings to mind the wierd adventures,
told with graphic clearness in the daily
press, of revenue officers in the wilds OF
the southeastern states, shot down like
dogs as a punishment for interfering
with this fayorite employment of the
uncouth mountaineer. These and kim
dred scenes are brought up by any re.
ference to the hidden secrets of "Moon-
shining
1t is always supposed that the prac-
tice of cheating the government is so
fraught with danger that that sparse
ly settled district in a distant and I'M
travelled section is the only one fitted
for this pursuit with any degree OF
safety and happiness to the manufac-
turer, hence it is seldom that the prac.
tice of furnishing illicit whiskey is at.
tempted in civilized community. This
makes all the more interesting the fol-
lowing tale of the surprise and capture
of "moonshiner'' in Grant county,
told to correspondent of the Galena
Gazette by Revenue agent Mccoy.
The tale shows that Mac" takes to the
detective business kindly and it will
serve as II warning to other would be
violations of the revenue laws establish
ed by Uncle Sam for the government
of his dominions. The correspondent
says
Coming down from Montfort on the
train last Saturday night, special re-
venue agent Mccoy squeezed himself
into a narrow seat beside me, and did
tale unfold about German moon
sinner whom he and Albert Richard
son had tracked to his lucrative lair in
the wilds of Wyalusing, Wis, not far
from the Mississippi, and nearly oppo-
site Clayton, Iowa. The facts, in brief,
are that rumors had reached the United
States revenue officer at Dubuque that
''moonshiner' was getting in his
wicked and unlawful work somewhere
in the western part of Grant county, the
exact place of operation and the name
of the festive transgressor being uu-
known or at the most only conjectured.
The Chicago office was notified, and
Mccoy was sent out to make explora-
tons. At Bridgeport he telegraphed
for Mr.. Richardson, who responded by
appearing there Thursday evening. The
next morning the two minions of re-
lurking place of the alleged ''moon-
sinner" No team, and no saddle horses
could be hired at Bridgeport, so the
boys had to put their trust in their own
sturdy legs and make the trip on foot.
The distance was at least eight miles,
and you all know how beautiful
the roads were last Friday. Reaching
their destination after fatiguing walkoi
several hours, they entered the house,
painting and wiping the sweat from theil
official brows. The man looked al
them suspiciously, but when AL re-
marked how thursty he was. and said
what grand thing glass of beef
would be, the host looked treasured and
intimated that while beer was out of the
reckoning, a glass of wine or even 9
drop of something stronger might be
among the liquid resources of the estab.
lishment. Here he went down cellar,
and brought forth some very good wine,
but not a setback of anything more
powerful. This in itself looks like a
give-away on wary German. Pres.
emily Mac spoke up, saying "The
people around here tell us that the ca
pacity of your private distillery is al
least so gallons day" Whereupon
little uncalled for and utterly idiotic
roundelay, thus: 1.-The people around
here are all liars and Schlingel if they
say that fifty gallons a day
can be made with a little thing
like that We never made more
than ten gallons, the best days work we
ever did," And so the copper still was
busted and the whole thing stood re-
vealed; and nothing remained for the
poor man but to tear his hair, prance
around around, and finally show up
''the whole business as he called it.
He led the way upstairs and there in a
remote, secluded part of the building,
stood the lille it machine. 1t was cap
tured forthwith and carried to Madi-
son, where it is now on show in the of
fee of the U. S. Marshal Oakley. The
little key of whiskey the man had on
hand was not carried of. He said il
was all he had and begged piteously TO
keep it, as he needed the stuff for the
benefit of his liver and other entrails.
A sample, however, was taken along to
Madison, where it was tested and found
to be 1870 proof, which gives it at least
twice the potency of ordinary firewater,
so called. The next move will be the
Marshal, and it will undoubtedly &C
hard with the fellow before the govern
ment is through with him. 1t seems
that before going into the moonshine
business he consulted a lawyer who told
him that he might make all the whiskey
he wanted for his own use, and nobody
could modest him or would make him
afraid. The mans name is either
Huoher or Hansler, and he owns good
farm Of several hundred acres in sec
ton 10, township of Wyalusing.
The name of the Wyalusing noon
sinner is not Hansler but George Heis-
lor, who has always heretofore born an
excellent reputation for probity. Heis-
Ter is German, between fifty and
sixty years Of age, and has q grown up
family. Taking his former character
and the statement by the correspondent
that a lawyer told him he could manu-
facture all he wished for his own use
into consideration, it is probable that al
first he had no intention of eyading the
laws of his adopted country but was act
ing in good faith. founded on the advice
of the deciple Of Blackstone. Later on
the spirit of gain may have induced q
a backsliding, backed by sense of Sc
curity from the prying visits of keen
nosed revenue officers. However this
may be Heisler has placed himself in an
uncomfortable position with prospective
fine and imprisonment staring him in
the face, according to the above story
The Kansas Historical Society has re.
ceired from friends of "Old John Brown
an oil portrait of the militant abolitionist
painted by G. f. Ruggles, of Topeka
Persons who knew Captain Brown, re-
garded it as a good likeness. Unlike
the common portraits, the face in thi'
is clean shaven, representing the anti
slavery leader at Lawrence, in Septeni
Der Of 1850, soon alter the battle Of Os
saWafomie