Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1886-03-04

Fugitive from JuStice-Sentenced to
Four Years. Imprisonment and Par
Gomed Through Senator Hampton's
Influence.
From, the Neto York World
AsuEvILLE, \. C. Feb. 13.-The
country has heard great deal from
time to time about the Illicit distilers
and tax dodgers cf this section of the
Union. Among the foothills of the
Blue Ridge M,untgins, just accross
the South Carolina line, there lives in
retirement a man, now only middle
aged, whose name was once terror
to revenue officials, and whose notori-
ETY. as moonshiner of dauntless cour-
age and cool desperation is still as
wide as the fame of the illicit dew drop
which he and his accomplices, as well
as his ancestors, have for decades
coaxed into existence, This celebrlety
of Louis Redmond, the outlaw-a
name in Western North Carolina syn
onymous with "smuggler" and redo
lent with "sweet mash" His life from
boyhood to the time of his apprehen-
sion in 1881 was full of tie thrilling
interest, daring adventure and hair
breaths escapes from the clutches of
vigilant and equally daring revenue
officers His former home, far up on
the Tennesser River, in Swain County
this State, was strikingly picturesque
in its location The position of his
log cabin was such as greatly insured
the safety of the inmates. 1t was on
bluff commanding view both up and
down the roaring highland steam, and
was unapproachable from the over
hanging mountain save by one narrow
pathway along the ledge Of rocks
around the cliff and away then among
the wilds No windows were cut in
the huge logs Of this moonshiner's home
save three openings, like portfolios,
one looking down the river bank. an
other up the stream and the third com
manding an excellent view of the path
way up the mountain side. Equipped, !,
as he was known to be, with a small
armory of the finest make, with a cool
| courage that death itself could not di-
minish. and ensconced within his
house of logs, he was for intervals en-
tirely undisturbed by the revenue of
fcers, who were ever seeking and gen
orally, in that section, finding many
moonshiners not so dangerous nor so
we'll fortified and not so skillful in
covering I'D all evidence of their uE-
| lawful operations. Redmond usually
had about him several of his subordi-
! dinates and followers, who were ever
ready to do his bidding. On one oc-
cassion, however, as deputy marshal
tells your correspondent, posse of
six revenue officers, under command
of this marshal, found this famou.
moonshiner in a convivial rather than
a watchful mood, and after nightfall
four of them came cautiously up the
margin of the river and three down
the stream and reached the yard in
silence. They could hear the arch
moonshiner within, exhilarated by the
magic beverage of his own distillation
Three Of the posse forced an entrance
at one door, while through the other
rushed the remaining four. The wife
Of the famous distiller, his two children
and a Misunderstanding mountaineel
were the inmates No search for
secret doors and in the hooks and corn
ers revealed to the somewhat chagrin-
ed office rs any trace Of the much sought
Redmond, save his half empty small
jug which sat on the side-table with
gourd beside it, from which vegeta
BILE vessel this child of the cliffs pre-
! ferred to quaff the enlivening juice
wrung from the vapor of mountain
maize. But he was gone. 1t was af
forwards discovered that his exit wa:
made by way of the huge, low chimney
up which and down which he spec
like flash and was soon among tn,
peaks and crags that were to him the
faces of friends.
1t was in the year 1879 when Red
mond established himself on the wat
ers of the upper Tennessee for the pur
pose, as he said, Of breeding and graz
ing cattle for she South Carolina mar
ket. This statement coming to tn.
ears Of the revenue officers was not re
ceived with crcdulity, and their espon
age in no wise ceased. 1t was befor
he removed to the valley of the Tenn
essee that Redmond earned the It'll
Of outlaw He then resided in Tran
sylvania County, in the widest Of tn
Blue Ridge Mountains and near th
South Carolina line. Inte that Stat
he carried By wagon his contraban,
beverage And while on these trip
into the iow!ands many were the ad
ventures and escapes which tinged ca
reer with the glamour Of romance
He had under his direction Il numbe
Of willing confederates who, thong
less intelligent and daring than he
were always ready to risk their live
for their leader. whether they wer
aiding in the distillation in the noun
tain tastness or were cautiously supply
ing the wants of the thirsty cottol
planter or the festive villagcr. of tn
upper South Carolina. But i'll 1877:
while on his way to his iowiand mar
ket, with his onc-horse wagon ladel
with the magic juice of the mountain
"nubbin, he killed Deputy Marsha
Duckwertli, @lo, it is said, en.iearor
ed IT, arrest the m,onshiner without
warrant. He fled then, and unnfs,les
: ed by any avenging Nemesis 10
fuch things follow victim With di