Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-04-06
WELL ORGANIZED.
AroRTIFleD CAMP OF MooNsHlNERs
IN FRANKLIN.
49,, v,,renched IN the Sfountaips-A
Gang OF Desperate Law
Breakers.

! More than two hundred hoohshhneISnI ~ Z
established q fortified camp IN FRANKLIN
county. this State, Gays q Danyille telegram
80 tbe New York World, and openly defy
| .Ia authority OF the United States. They
Yer one hundred illicit stills in ope-
rat;on and are producing thousands OF
| barrels of whskey, on which no duty 10
Uncle Sam is paid. am. .,,., H..
toar carried on more or less extensively
throughout the South for 2, good many
wears. but the contraband suns nave heen
! conducted on o small scale IN Tue h,,dden
recesses of the mountains. IL mas always
hoo,, co,nnaratively cosy matter for the
revenue officers TO capture and break up
tbese stills whenever they could locate
them. The camp in Franklin coun-
Nv il m exception, however. SeVc-
~, atternpts have been made with
in the last two years by the reve-
nue officers to capture this moonshine
stronghold, but without success, On eacn
occasion the officers have been driven on.
Success has made the gang bold. lhey nave
gathered recruits from the crlfnlhhl ciass
Ill over the country, andl - believed that
n would require force ofat leest two hun
bred men to dislodge them and break up
their stills. The gang 1t composed OF eX-
convlcts, desperadOes, murderers, ana the
most daring and desperate cut-tnroatS ever
collected together. They are menace TO
the community and have committed
numerous outrages in addition to the run
ming of illicit stills.
The place selected for their operation -
we'll shifted for their purposes. Franklin
county is on the border between Virginia
and North Carolina. II is sDarsely settled
and mountainous. Encirchng one OF the
lesser mountains near the North Carolina
line are two streams Boosting OF the poeti-
cal names Of Shooting Creek" ana
"Runnt Bag" The waters of these two
creeks supply the one hundred odd lillcit
stills of the gang. From the top or the
mountain one can command a Wow of the
surrounding country in every direction.
Guards are stationed all around the
Camp. and it is impossible for any
one TO approach within half O mule
of the place without beng seen.
The moment an alarm Is given the outlaws
repair to the top of the mountain and pre-
pare for fight. They are well equipped
for offensive and defensive operations,
They are armed with the latest improved
breech loading rifles, shotSuns;, ana re-
volvere. They have built a small fort and
are in a position 20 stand long siege. it
Is stated on good authority that they have
recently mounted two or three cannon IN
the fort. Every person travelling through
that part of the State, no matter what ms
business NAV be, is escorted by an armed
guard across the district. He Is met at the
border, and is not permitted to go any
where alone until he leaves the noon
sinners territory. TINS attention IS SHOWN
TO every visitor not known to DO member
of the gang.
The World CORRESPONDENT is creditably
informed that two thirds of tho regular
d;stillers in this state and in North Caro-
lima are seriously embarrassed IN their bu-
siuess hv reason OF the production OF so
much illicit whiskev. Their sales have
fallen off more than 80 per cent. and they
are calling loudly on the Government for
protection. As the GOvcrnmt Mt olhcers
are well aware Of the existence OF the moon
sbiners' stronghold IN Franklin county the
question might bo asked, Why don't they
take steps to break 1t upY"
NOT SUFFICIENT.
The revenue force isn't sufficient to en-
force the law, and red-tape and a scarcity
of money prevent any decisive action by
the department ut Washington. Although
there is presumably O large surplus IN the
Treasury, the appropriation for the Ieye--
nue. service mas nearly run out for the iscal
wear ending June 30th, and there Is no
money available TO employ q large enough
force TO break up the Frank n-couuty
camp. The revenue officers know ~ eX-
perence that it is practically useless to
send q posse Of fifteen or twenty men out
there, as they could accomplish nothing
but their own destruction.
IF the Commissioner had any funds
left at his disposal said revenue officer
TO the World correspondent yesterday. " he
would authorize Us TO engage a sufficient
force 10 break up the camp; but he hasn't,
and unless Congress comes TO our rescue
We will be powerlOs5 to do anything beiore
a1.,. ~
the next fiscal year Will be available. For
the past three or four years Congress
has cut down our appropriations 50
low that we have been compelled TO
reduce our force of men about one
half. At no time since the war has
there been so much Illicit whlsSey made as
at the present time, and It IS largely due
to the Gripping OF the internal-reyenue
service by Congress. AS long as the inter-
nal-revenue laws ere on the statute-b books
CONGRESS should make sufficient provision
to properly enforce them. An effort Is be-
inc made in Washington now to induce
Congress to pass q special appropriation TO
meet the FrGnklin-county case. If the
present state of affairs should continue
six months LONGER, most Of the lawfully
registered dlsulleries IN thus part Of tho
country would be compelled to suspend.
Franklin county to-day IS completely
moOnslinoIs. One illicit dlstillery has a
more demoraliZing effect on locality than
a hundred licensed saloons. In the ono case
the men meet after dark in secret and drink
the raw whisKey until they are hOpelessly
drunk. Ii is cheap and they drink great
deal more than if they went 70 a regular
saloon. We will not be able TO capture the
Franklin county camp. however, unless
Congress comes to our ard. 1t Is hard
enough to get men to 90 with US on rad
ing parties when we have money to pay
them, as the Government makes no provl-
sion Tor mans family If he happens TO
get killed, or even pay his doctors bills if
he IS wounded. You see the inGucement
to join the Government forces is not very
great under the most favorable circunl-
stances"
The revenue officers have had obstacles
thrown in their way in the performance Of
their duty. Thellicit distilliDg of whiskey
i'll this State and North Carolina has
grown to be such anulsance, however that
the majority of the citizens now would
gladly sec il abated. There IS more
or less danger to tho people who
render revenue officers any assist
ance. Many instances could be cited