The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-05-07
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imagined detected an odor familiar %
me, and also thought could see just
the least suspicion Of blue smoke curl
ing up from apparently between two
rocks further up the guleh. / think
Mr.. Wetherly also detected one or both
of these, for he seemed restless and I'M
easy, and proposed return.
Lets 60 on further up the hollow,
l said. 1.-THE scenery is grand and the
air is pure and bracing."
Excuse me, sir, said he, ''but
have a severe headache this morning,
and do not feel equal to the task Of
climbing these hills and rocks. Be
sides, you can not get any further up
that way-it is too rough"
Then I will 60 alone, and you can
wait for me here or at the foot of the
gulch," / said. 81 can easily get
along further up" and l turned and
started.
"Hold on,'' said Mr.. Wetherly, be-
traying some excitement; sit is folly
for you to attempt to go further up
there. Let's return"
NO" said 1, determinedly. ''I have
taken a notion to go, and am going"
and again started.
"But you shall not CO." said Mr..
Wetherlv, with a look of determination
in his face which convinced me that
something lay beyond which it was not
desired that l should see.
''And why nOt?'' said I.
Because because" he answered,
in an embarrassed way, 81 do not de-
sire it. This is my property, and I
have a right to forbid your going where
l do not want you to-"
THAT may all be true I said, reso-
lutely, ''but / am determined to go
further, either with or without your
permission
An angry flush mounted to the brow
of Mr.. Wetherly, and a look of grim
determination showed itself in his
tightly compressed lips as he planted
himself directly in my path.
''And l say, sir, you shall not go,
and you attempt it at your peril"
Seeing my only course was one of
force, / whipped out my revolver and
ordered him to put up his hands.
Taken by surprise, he reluctantly and
sullenly complied, when 1 stepped up
and snapped a pair of handouts on his
wrists and ordered him to precede me
on up the gulch.
About three hundred yards farther
up the ravine we came upon just what
| l had expected to find-a crooked
I
which formed almost complete rock
house, was large distillery which had
not yet fully cooled off from recent
work. 1t was fitted up with all i'm
prOVements and cOnveniences, and was
so hidden away that it is no wonder it
! had for a long time remained undis-
| covered.
1t had been at work the night before,
! but was now deserted, and l was at
| loss to decide what to do. To stay
| there and wait for the others to return
was out of the question, for they would
have OverpOwered me, or killed me,
and released the prisoner had. Final
| ly decided to take my prisoner on to
! W, get a posse and return that
night and capture the remainder of
them. SO'Off started with my prison.
er, and reached W about two D.
m. There 1 placed Mr.. WetherlY in
! Jail and got a posse and returned to the
haunted hollow that night, reaching
there at about twelve o'clock. We
| scrambled along to the still, where we
| found Wetherly's two sons and two
other men with the still in full blast.
| We took them by surprise, but they
! discovered us in time to get their fire.
| arms. The exchange of one vOlleY, ia
which one of their men received d
slight wound in the left arm, was sui,
ficient to bring them to terms, when
we approached, secured all four Of
| them, handcuffed them and placed
them under guard of one of my men
while the others proceeded to demolish
| the still and appurtenances.
This done, we again set out for w,
which we reached in safety early the
next morning, and it was with some
! degree of satisfaction and pride that
marched my prisoners to the Jail, for
had discovered and destroyed a still
which had baffied the skill of evepy
man of any note in the service in tha.t
| district.
And thus was cleared up, not only
the mystery of the haunted hollow,
| but also of the whereabouts of thas
pestiferous cOntraband still. And ma
complaint has been heard from eithes
since.
The revelation was quite a surprise
to Mr.. Wetherly's neighbors, who held
him in too high regard to even suspect
him of any connection with the illegal
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