New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-20
A INCONSISTENCIES RETREAT.
MYSTERIES OF McLEMORHs COVE.


! SuMMERvILLE, Ca, Dec 1G.-In the bark of
the great poplar tree that HTS It's slender top 100 feet
above tho few acres OF level ground in McLcmOre's
! Cove aud looks down like sentinel ulOn The
| narrow pass that leads TO the Oucr world
| another notch has been cut The nOonsliners have
added another tally to their llpody and the gant
OF the valley bears five gaplLg wounds across Its
trunk. silent tut awful warning to all who dare to dis
turb the domain OF Illicit Ghskey The lGst and highest
notch yet yice n2 from the Of the for it
cut the re only days when Deputy United
states Marshal Kelett. udled win bullets, fell dead
from his saddle his bO ly found or the mountain
side in lonely cluster o! piues. Who did the deed
That question, PM the % this region, meets with
a silent significant shake OF the head, or n nervous
whisper OF the word shners" That is ALL II any
knows lie not or Gares not 20 tell 1t Ito tls
stranger. Like the gdoodc OF slavery days :he
word carries with world o. mystery and fits AL Who
hear il with naaeess fear The raniacations Of tins
illicit business arc extensive thlt the outsider who
goes TO the respectable dealer for information IS III
danger of making his inquiries OF the owner OF some
mountain still. wa;chful ID the eye OF the law that
mountain lev " must be smuEgled in exceedingly
! limited quantities and distributed by the jueiul TO
multitude OF dealers 1t safe sag that there is not
town villa the state that has not tH0 or more
reputable citizens III league with these la"ess mon
| of the mountains. They have grown rich by handing
the stun" and law no law they stuDoorhiy uphoiu
| the manufacture.
So then it Is not strange tha outsider is unable to
gain any information these people. lie may be
| revenue officer in disguise. Who knows Just no"
Keilctt hsGelth will probably remain iyrteF|
outside OF Mcemorcs Cove. 10 went there few day
ago TO arrest an olcadcr. lie well armed ana wei
| mounted. When he passed under the shadow o. the
giant poplar and counted -tWO-three four nothes
in its trunk h kne he carried his VI, IN his hand but
! he went on. He returned nom his expedition lying IN
the bottom OF a wagon cold AMI suG aud bloody. Five
uotces appeared IN tie tree The last one was CUT TOT
/ him.
! ON Sunday night United States Marshas Chapman
and NcCoIkc weut to Lookout Mountain to search for
! some ccw to the murIcrcrS When day broke on Mon
dag they beneath them smoke curing from creyc's
IN the Tracing lis source they came urol u SUM-
ana surprised the n0oash n rs engaged in making the
dew" The outlaws made no resistance. They had
laid aside their arms and could do nothing but surrender
or be sho; down. Twcnty-eight thousand gallons OF
mash ami 800 gallons Of the "dcw" were emPucd
mountain culchcs, aid three large stills Wiih
caps worms, aud arpurlenanccs were destroyed. The
captured gang numbered seven Their leader. De-
! ing absent was arrested but officers are on his
track Butwill these men tel anything now that they
are in the clutches Of the law Time alone VIII show.
McLsoro's Cove one OF the loucc,t spots in all the
wild region North Georgia. Its few rough but fertile
acres lie south of Mission Ridge and stretch almost
rayine Ike between the battlefield OF Chckamauga on
the east and tine Blue Ridge range the west. IN.
crced by amphiheatrc o; mountains that raise high
their perpcnGcGar walls OF jagged masonry is cut oA
by nature from the out,ide world Little known o the
hardy people dwell in It's dark The
dip" snuf ana mind the house" Tie mon. tail.
handsome fellows in picturesque garb, do little farm
in = pore hunting OF deer and turkeys. aud most dis
tlllng Of the dew" Periodically they emerge from
their hiding places to mince in trade with men OF
warmer blood, and then it il seen that they well
supplied with money and supcrbly mounted ThriT
horses the REST in the state and excite tie admiration
cupdity OF all bcholeFs. Qick OF eye and Of
foot as the channels, clean linbcd AMI swift the
antelope proud and courageous the lion, they ARE
magnificent No wonder the moonshiEor looks
upon his dearer than the life OF any man.
Where did they get such beasts Breed them they Ger
tainly did steal them VINO dares to say sol Buy
theml Perhaps with the proceeds OF their lawlrs- work
TO tho IA society o. these men Of McIemors
stranger adopt the course pursued IN gaining
Ambulance 10 the polite society OF the metropolis He
| must provide himself with proper letters OF rccom-
mendaton ana Introduction. II no 10 hon
/ est and frankly tell his business 10 the
town merchant In league with the SINNERS,
he will find no trouble getting such letters, letter
Cor there only 1t generally whisky
flask OF peculiar shape. In the locality where Is In use
II the open sesame to all tho secrets OF tue gang
Woe unto the spy key the injury OF the
men 10 whose hospitality It entities him! young
tried it in ScLemore's cove not many years ago Full
OF the secrets the still lie FASTENED To officers OF the
Government tell all lac knew, ana rad upon the
| moonshners was the result. No captures made.
however owing to mIscacuation. aud the spy
sent back to learn more. He was never seen again
Two human ears supposed to be his, received
after at the olce OF the Marshal.
To dispose Of his rcdeyo tho moonshner resorts to
/ nnumerablc tricks to hOOdwink the Government. In
tii pchorhood corn foddcr-thc dried leaves stripped
from the stalk and tied III hundlesis selling at -
/ hundred. An mdifcreLt-loOEing farmer % passed
through this place yesterday Win small WAGON load
! which lie o.ercd syly at 20 cents bundle! The
unlnitlated woald laugh at such nreposteons price,
Four bundles Of g0oi fodder with peek or 30 OF corn
! make the daily rations OF horse At 30 cents
bundle 1t would cost 81 day TO keep horse But walt
see men bnyinc NO-fOITsiX-a dozen bundles OF THIS
! farmer! Buy yourself and look int" IT, Pushed
securely up under the band YOU find a flask OF the
unauthorized iance FOO" -! whole pint Of it fresh
from the cove for 20 cents!
his wife and children are trudglng along behind
He Is moving" lie makes certain signs a. he passes
by certain stores and camps for tho night Just out 81
town III that cunp OF trees About daylight when al Is
slil he has myserios visitors lie opens one OF he
family trunks, tlltS up corner snd pOuIs frOma Tin
box tightly hltnd into the said trunk llhs, gnario,
! moves on In a day he is followed by
another with load Of sorghum III li-tarrel-
! Tho revenue man srring, upon hm, suspectng
wli.kcy. Win the utmost establishment depicted on his
cOuucnance llayseed pulls tie hung from every kcg ana
Mr.. Olrer tests thrir contents. All sorghum! Hay
drives on. erum5li, mis- indgnaon ana CAMPS by
the branch. Lifting keg from the wagon he dropst
Another follows SUIT. third he uses for seat as ho
Kegs at foot Of the hill and picks them up They
empty but roll OF greenbackS sticks ma bnnghoe.
from head to head. Through tho two inch bunghole in
one end he had inserted tin tube sealed at the lower
end, two inches in diameter and two feet long Filling
1t with pure sorghum lac drove In the bung. Then by
OF another bungholc In the side u the keg he
filed the space surrounding the tin tube with whsEcy.
The rrvcnue officer igt probe TO the bottom Of the Rcg
and find netting but sorghum! The Initiated lind nothing
| bnt g dew"
Two barrels OF whskey were captured the Other day
by the Sherin and placed Cor safe keeping In store
house. The owners locked up. Next morning the
barrels empty. Investigation showed that some
body had bored holes through tie side OF the house ,nh
into the barrels Inserted tube and drawn on every
drop OF the liquor How that somebody discovered the
situation OF tic barrels Is mystery. No lkcs
to suspect the sheriff, and yet-we II was somebody"
There being evidence agaitst the sinners vino
locked uT, they DISCHARGED And they went back
10 mountains without saying word about the two
| barrels
The Government will never drive out the manufacture
OF Illicit whskcy so long rs II aims only al the moon