Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1890-11-08
WEST VIRGINIA OUTLAWS.

States Marshal y. u, Miller passed
through the city Monday hight, hav-
ing in charge moonshiner named w.
Fansler, whom he was taking to Mar
tinsburg, w. Va, for trial. In an in
terview with the marshal last week
we secured many points concerning
himself, his prisoner, and the latter's
capture. Officer Miller is "A stoutly.
built, handsome young man, with a
frank and pleasing address, aud talked
freely of his experience in the internal
! revenue service. He lives at st.
George, in Tucker county, w. Va,
and 1t was at a point SO miles sonth of
this place, far within the forest fast
nesses Of the Allegany mountains,
that he succeeded. last Thursday, in
baggIng his prisoner, after having
been on the track of him for several
| weeks. Fansler is apparently about
| rs years old, well-made, and rather
| good-looking, and is said to have
fair education. He was a member of
the smartest, most daring and success
full gang of Illicit distillers, counter
feiters and stock thieves that ever in
tested that paradise of moonshiners
and outlaws. "Canaan," and the
oOutn VI OCNt1Ons
Their headquarters were established
in a log house, strongly fortified, pro-
vided with loop-holes for its defence
with repeating rifles, and situated in
the most inaccessible part of the Back
bone range, surrounded for miles on
every side with laurel and timber so
thick as made an approach to it al
most impossible except by secret
path which for long time was known
only to its inmates. Here the band of
desperadoes had for several years
operated splendidly-equipped dis.
tillery with a capacity of IS gallons a
day, until they were betrayed some
months ago by one of their own uum-
Der, who led a posse of government
officers to the fort" as it was called,
at time when all of its owners we're
away disposing of their contraband
products at Philippi. The detectives
left not one log of the thief-harbor
resting upon another. and destroyed
the "still" and everything else Of
any value that was found about the
place. These summary proceedings
made home anything but sweet for
the friendless outcasts, and they scat
tered. Fansler being the only one that
made any attempt to "hold the fort"
and even he retreating to what he call |
ed his mountain place." many miles |
further south. Here his capture was
effected by Marshal Miller. He was
four days getting to the locality from
Saint George, and was so fortunate as
to find Fansler at home, and, strange
to say, without arms. Mr.. Miller was |
in m condition h,,k Il
walked in on Fansler and told him |
tie best thing he could do was to
"give up and come along with him."
as he had men outside to help take
him, and resistance was useless. |
Fansler seemed to be of the same |
opinion, for he started off quietly |
with his captor, but when they had |
gone some distance, and no reinforce
ments appeared at sight, the prisoner
turned on the officer and fought fierce |
ly for his freedom, though he was fin
ally overpowered and forced to walk |
on, under threat of being dragged feet |
first if he refused to do so. The two
men proceeded pleasantly on their |
journey until they reached the Dry
Fork of Cheat. and there an incident
occurred that was as amusing to the |
officer af it was humiliating to Fansler. |
The pair undertook to cross the stream
in skiff, but Fansler, watching his op-
portunity and catching the detective off
his guard, with great effort lifted him
Off his feet and threw him out of the |
boat into the water where it was up to |
his shoulders in depth. Fansler then |
jumped into the swift current himself |
and tried to escape, but Miller was too
much for him; for, turning quickly upon |
the would be fugitive he climbed upon
his back and with many sarcastic adiu-
rations not to get his feet wet, literally |
rode him to the shore. Fansler was
greatly disguised with the result of his |
break for liberty, and did not try to get
away again. There are three bench |
warrants against him, and many capiases,
and when he is released from old Judge |
Jackson clutches it will probably be |
long term in the penitentiary. The |
strangest part of the story is that the gang
of outlaws to which he belonged was not |
composed of hardup vagabonds as one
might suppose, but all the members of it |
owned fine farms. and an evidence of |
this Mr.. Miller said that one of the male
factors was recently released by United |
States court on his own recogniZance for |
S., 900, The queer and "moonshine"
departments of their business were man
aged with skill and energy, and they |
were assiduous and successful in the |
prosecution of their operations as dealers |
in live stock, frequently stealing as many |
as 200 sheep, or 80 or 40 cattle, at once. |
Many are the stories told by the people |
of Randolph. Tucker and Barbour counties |
of the wild orgies with which they cele- |
brated at their camp in the mountains, /
the successful issue of raid of this kind |
on thu barns and pastures of the farmers
of their vicinity. On such an occasion |
the festivities usually resembled an old
fashioned barbecue, an OK or sheep be-
ing roastsd whole. and other requisites |
for feast and banquet, especially fire.
water, being provided in abundance. |
were in the habit of singing and dancing |
around their camp-fres until they were
too drunk to stand up, when they would |
tumble over in state of ''innocuous de- |
suetude" and sleep till the effects of |
their spree had passed off. OF course |
when these Publications were INDUCED in |
they always had two or three sentries on
guard, who stayed sober and kept on the |
outlook for State and Government Off |
GERS. They would sell stock to anybody. |
and year or so ago disposed of $500
worth to Mr.. Sam Rees of Mineral coun-
ty. who paid cash for some cattle and
next day had them taken away by the
owner, who proved that they were stol-
en- property and belonged to him. IN
til recently no attempt to prosecute tho
outlaws, or get hold of their property,
ever succeeded, as they were sharp and
always took legal land some times illegaD
steps to hold on to every thing they man.
aged to get into their possession. Mar
shall Miller and his prisoner left this
moring Cumberland Ne,cs.
Bucklen's Arnica Salve.
Tho RnSt Galrn In tho rrorld Cor C,,ts