Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-06-10
'MONG MOONSHINERS.
prummsrs 1t court--xiilea His Brother
Dragged TO Dsath-visit TO the
Moonshiners, 90.
,sp.e,al eonsspondoncs Of the Dispaich.


by the Franklin and Pittsylvania narrow
gauge road twcnfy.seven miles through q
Wild, ragged. and picturesque country,
which n cotied here and there with log
cabins occupied by farmers, who Till a few
acres Of land end cultivate some tobacco.
This road was built by the good people Of
Frsnkl,n, and passes through a portion oil
thai county and fittsyIvania. The pro-
ducts OF the county are corn, wheat, oats,
rye, and tobacco. There are number o,
fine orchards, AID large quantity OF frul'
Is raised. Much stte5tion Is given by the
farmers TO the drying Of fruit-app,es.
peaches, whortieberries, biackoerries, &c
ROCKY MOUNT,
the county-seas, is small village, but does
a thrifty business. II has several general
merchandise business-houses. On court
day number Of drummers are 10 he seen
representing all tines OF trade. Most OF
sbem are from Lynchburg, some few from
Richmond, Danyille, and other points.
They are Jolly set, aud know well bow to
enjoy themselves and 10 get the best OF hotel
accommodations. To a looker-on 1t Is
amusing 10 see them AZ work. Three or
four OF them viii occupy one room, and
upon long tables their samples will be
spread for exhibitions; for at each court
quite number Of merchants from
this and other counties are met with.
The country merchant invariably enters
one Of the rooms, shakes bands with the
drummer, takes seat, looks at his samples,
takes note OF the prices, and passes on to
the mex, room. visiting them all before pnr-
chasing. Sometimes the bows cut their
p~iees. Then there u flu. The merchants
reap the benefit and the drummer suffers.
But AS a usual thing there Is very little dit.
ference In their figures.
DRAGGED TO DEATH.
The latter part Of last week Ned English,
n eolored man who was at work In field
near here blowing with mule, was killed.
n appcars that Ned had the rains thrown
over his neck, when the mule, becoming
frightened from the report OF gun, ran
away. dragging Ned 10 death. When the
body was found ii was badly nutilated.
FRATRICIDE.
Henry LefIew, who murdered his brother
James in May last. was indicted by the
grand Jury. He killed him with knife.
The cause assigned for the killing was
jealousy, a woman being In the case. He
was not arrested for several days after the
murder, and attended the funeral OF his
brother ana was ht the burial.
INCONSISTENCIES.
Twenty miles from here, In the Blue
Ridge, Is the district infested by the moon
sinners or Illicit distillers. II is the scene
Of many a raid by revenue officers, and
many amusing incidents are told concern
ing them. The distillers are said 10 be
found along Shooting creek, Running Bag.
Roaring run, Devils Hollow, and other
places too numerous TO mention.
WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE THEY ARE.
The people who live in this section are,
as a general thing, llllterate and unedu-
Gated a newspaper and book among them
IL a rarity. They are warm-hearted, gen.
erous, and hospitable TO "a fault, and there
Is no discount upon their courage. When
ever q stranger Is seen approaching the
word OF warning is passed from house to
house until his business is made known,
and the first thing stranger has TO do IN
travelling this section Is 10 let his business
lie known TO them, for they are very sus-
picious, and are always on the lookout for
revenue officers or spies. Occasionally
person VIII travel through this section. and,
for reasons best known 10 himself, declines
10 state what be Ia after, and in every in
Their methods Of treating such are shaving
his horses tail aud throwing stones from
oyerhanging cliffs At him az he passes, and
frequently shooting at him,
INA PIX.
Recently revenue official visited the
house Of one Of the Illicit disiillers and ar
rested him. Before leaving the house he
called for some water to drink. The
pitcher was handed him, and as he turned
ID to his lipS q moonShiner fired and broke
II. The officer turned TO the prisoner ana
appealed for protection, saying: - lake
me out OF this, and you may 20 fIee." The
prisoner responded laughingly Why,
amt YOU an officer OF the law and able To
protect YOURSELF" And upon seeing the
dependency Of the officer, his sympathies
were aroused, and the officer was allowed
10 20 on bis way rejoicing, ana when he
Itacned Rocky Mount he told his expert
ence IN the mountains, and was congratu-
lated by the people at being unframed. A
REPRESENTATIVE Of the Dispatch, IN passing
through this country, met with
A JOLLY MooNsHIYER
in the road and made the inquiry OF him
why there were so many large rocks IN IL,
wbereupon the moonshiner, throwing his
thumbs in his vest, looked wise, placed his
fingers 10 his lips and SAID: al don't mind
telling YOU; you are all right. Them rocks
didn't grow tbere-th boys in the noun
tain rolled them down. They rolled them
down after the revenue officers TO scare
them out" "Why, do they ever bother
you?, ayes, l reckon they do; but they
are an onnery set. They are afraid Of their
own shadows. We don't mind them. its
fun for The boys. II you want to have a
good time you ought 20 be up here when
they are making one Of them raids, as they
call them. The way we make them get
out tell you It's fun. Captain Bowling
was up here; he had a squad with him.
Times was hot then. We boys
didn't have much fun. II was a
sorry day for us moonshiners. They broke
up lois Of stills, destroyed more mash
than yen could see In days travel. lie Is
the worst we ever had; amt been much
brandy made since lie been from here ;
that's what we say; but II man knOwed
there's plenty Of them here yet. Politi-
clans used to say that when Democrats had
tie Government they want going to bother
US llke the Republicans di1. Lordl Re-
publicans did lot OF cutting up but didn'i
hurt stills much, as il was all make to do.
They would take their hatchets and cut
them In two or three places, destroy little
mash, and 90 about their business. The
Democrats play the devil. They split the
worm wide open. play the deuce in general,
and smash up everything, and when they
get through, amt much left. We used
TO be Democrats, but there amt any
about here now, as We are for the Repub
licsn party. The way we treat tue raiders
Il, We have runners on the mountain, and
the momen, they are in sight we are noti-
lied, and rs they come up the creek we
roll stones in front Of them, aud II they in.
sist upon going farther we are not careful
where we roll the stones, II upon them;
and II that does not stop them shooting
commences. There amt no revenue Officer
been killed up here recently, but plenty o
them had to walk back to the train, for W,
I Killed their horses.
Most Of these moonshiners live In log
cabins OF from two 10 four rooms--tw
l rooms aud lofts above. Their farms ar
from one to two hundred acres, mostly Il
! orchards. They raise rye and corn. Cor
whiskey can be had for 10 cents per gallen
rye whiskey for the same; apple brand,
for the same. ARAsISTA.
K1r. fuckers speech az Emory art
Henry.
Especial telegram TO the Dispatch.l
ENoRY AND HENRY COLLEGE. Va. jun
N H.. 81