Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-12-27
A MOONsHINER,s SMART WIFE.
THE EXCITING EXPERIENCE OF A
UNITED STATES DEPUTY
MARSHAL.

"Hunung moonshiners is Just a
as exacting sport as hunting tiger
in the jungles OF India" said nj
old deputy United States marsha
yesterday, but not SO dangerous
The wives and daughters Of the
moonshiners, rs q rule, are smartel
than the men, and much more sus.
picious Of a stranger.
81 was over in Clay County on g
raid once, and was in a locality
where almost every man owned s
still. In such place It Is hand e
locate the still. and almost impossi.
ble to obtain evidence against the
owners unless they are caught in
the act OF making mountain dew.
| introduced myself as land agent
prospecting for mineral lands, but
the natives did not all believe my
story, and was regarded with
more or less suspicion. l was after
a noted moonshiner named Newt
Bledsoe, who was known to have
been operating still in that locality
for two Years.
Il had trouble in finding q place
where they would let me stay all
night, but finally n native suggest
ed that l try Deacon Bledsoe. "rher
DeakiD's sot on 'ligion, the Bible
and sich, am % allus tanes in stran-
gers said the native. was direct.
; ed TO the Deacon's house, two miles
down the valley, and arrived there
an hour after dark. / did not once
associate Deacon Bledsoe, who was
'sot on the Bible, with Moonshiner
Newt Bledsoe. In response to my
hello, tall, innoceut-looking old
coun;ryman came out TO the gate,
and by the light OF a pine torch
which he carried in his hand he
looked me over. 'Be you'uns the
new Methodist circuit rider:' he
asked. 1 decided to play preacher
for once, and answered in the affir-
m, i've
Light, parson, Pm hardshell,
but you're welcome. / never lays
it up agin a man cause he don't be-
long TO my church, 'and the D,acon
received me with true mountain
hospitality.
'At Bedtime Bledsoe brought out
n well-worn family Bible and In
vited meto lead in prayer. | hac
not prayed since 1 was boy at
Sunday school, but was in for IL,
and, reading q chapter in the Bible,
We all knelt down ami l delivered
some sort of prayer. In my petit
tions l referred TO those sinners who
defied the laws Of God and man by
making spirits, and prayed the Lord
to turn them from their wi ked
ways. To this Bledsoe responded
with lond amen.
81 rose early next morning, and,
finding that breakfast was net ready,
l started for short stroll In
the woods back Of the house. AS
| LEFT the yard l noticed Bledsoe's
wife watching me with evident sus-
picion. l walked on down TO q
small branch which ran through the
woods, three hundred yards back Of
the house. i saw smoke rising
among the trees little ways down
the branch, and, walking down that
way, | found my host, Deacon Blei-
soc, building n fire under one Of the
largest moonshine stills / ever saw.
He seemed as much surprised as /
was, and in an instant 1t dawned on
me that Deacon Bledsoe and Moon
sinner Newton Bledsoe were one
snd the same person. Before he
recovered from his surprise [ bad
him covered with my revolver, and
telling him who l was, ordered him
to surrender.
".Drap that thar weepin'. /
knowed you warn't no parson,' said
a female voice behind me at that
moment, and farming ! saw Bled-
soe's wife. She had the drop on ne
with a long rifle, and l dropped my
pistol. Bledsoc picked up my re-
volver and l was marched TO the
house q prisoner.
srhar'sy your critter ready saddled
an here's bite TO eat; now git,'
said Mrs. Bledsoe, and she kept me
covered with the rifle, while her
husband handed me back my pistol
when l had mounted my horse.
"'won't you pray for us agin,
parson, fore you go-' said BIedsoe
with a grin as rode away. A week
later l returned with a strong posse.
captured Bledsoe and destroyed his
still. l could have made n case
against his wife, but wouldn't do
it.''-LirBiingham letter In 81. Loids
Globe De aocrot.