Montgomery County sentinel., 1891-03-13
MisCellamenMs.
SIoo-~oN--~~~-->o~,---~
NEWT BLEDS0E'S WIFE.


States Marshal sat in hotel corridor
at Birmingham, Ala, and talked about
hunting moonshiners, says Chicago
Times correspondent.
''Some of these moonshiners,' said
he, "are as treacherous as Indians, and
will shoot at an officer from ambush,
but they are poor marksmen and seldom
hit man. have been shot at a dozen
times without receiving scratch 1t
is this shooting from ambush and the
pranks the moonshihers play on reve-
nue. officer when they catch one alone
in the mountains that makes hunting
them exciting sport.
"I have often spent night Mt the
home of an looking noun
taineer and next morning found my sad
die and bride cut to pieces or my horse
turned out of the stable and driven
away. Up in De Kalb county once
spent the night at the house of man
who was supposed to be "a good citizen
and not in sympathy with moonshners
| slept in shed-room, and there was no
lock on the door The next morning
my pants were gone. Every thing had
been taken out of the pockets and left
in the room, but the pants had been
spirited away. My landlord expressed
much sympathy for my loss, but charged
me five dollars for q second hand pair
of his jeans trousers that were probably
worth one dollar when new, and | had
to pay him the money before could get
out of bed.
Tho wives and daughters of moon
sinners, as rule, are smarter than the
men and much more suspicious Of a
stranger | was over in Clay county
on raid once and was in locality
where almost every man owned still
In such place it is hard to locate Il
still aud almost impossible to obtain evil
dence against the owners unless thoy
are caught in the act of making the
mountain dew introduced myself
as land agent prospecting for mineral
lands, but the natives did not all be-
lieve my story aud | was regarded with
more or less suspicion. was after q
noted moonshiner named Newt Bled-
soc, who was known to have been oper-
ating still in that locality for two
years. | had trouble in finding place
where they would let me stay all night,
but finally native suggested that | try
Deacon Blcdsoe.
g 'Ther deakin's sot on 'ligion, tho
Bible, and sich, an o allus takes in
strangers said the native. | was di-
rected 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 tho
Bible" with Moonshiner Newt Bledsoe.
"In response to my hellos a tall, in
nocent- looking old countryman came
out to the gate, and by the light of a
pine torch which he carried in his hand
be looked me over. BE you uns the
new Methodist circuit-rider 7" he asked
l decided to play preacher for once and
answered in the affirmative.
"Light. parson. I'm hard-shell
but you're welcome. never lays it NJ
aein a man cause he don't belong to my
church. and the deacon received me
with true mountain hospitality.
Sat bedtime BIedsoe brought out q
well-worn family Bible and invited m'
to lead in prayer | had not prayed
since was a boy at Sunday School
but was in for it, and reading a chapter
in the Bible we all knelt down, and
delivered some sort Of a prayer. In ny
petition referred to those sinners wh'
dc6ed the laws of God and man by max
ing spirits, and prayed the Lord to turr
them from their wicked ways To this
Bledsoe responded with loud amen
II rose carly the next morning, and
finding that breakfast was not ready,
started for short stroll in the wood
back of the house. AS left the yar'
noticed Bledsoe's wife watching IN
with evident suspicion. walked VI
down to small branch, which RAT
through the woods three hundred yard
back Of the house. saw smoke risint
among the trees little way down tn
branch, and walking down that way
found my host, Deacon Bledsoe, build
ing fire under one OF the largest moon
shine stills ever saw. He seemed a
much surprised as / was, and in an in
slant it dawned on me that Deacon Bled
SOC and Moonshiner Newt Bledsoe wer
one and the same person. Before b
he recovered from his surprise | ha
him covered with my revolver, and tell
ing him who | was. ordered him TO sur
render.
"'Drap that thar weepin' | knowe
you warn't no parson.' said femal
voice behind me at that moment, an
turning | saw Bledsoe's wife. She ha
8 the drop on me with a long rife, aud
dropped my pistol. Bledsoe picked u
my revolver. and | was marched baC
10 the house prisoner.o
"Thsr's your critter ready saddle
an here's bite to eat; now git, sa
Mrs. Bledsoe, and she kept me coverc
with the rife, while her husband hand'