The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-04-06

uIlcH VIII HlDDu1lAa- Ate-at--A -
and the g bill would vanish. strong les
building near The rock is said to have been
used bv the noonshineFs as a fertilization
when revenue agents were afier them
EOS MILLER N JAIL.
Probable 100 people were at the railroad
station when the train arrived Al go0 p. N.
Friday evening. At least as many more
had collected around the entrance to the jaii
to get look at the two murdereIs, whom il
had been rumored had been captured and
would be brought here At that time. There
was considerable disappointment expressed
by the crowd when constable Scott passed
into the prison with his prisoner, who looks
more like half-gro boy than man o!
- years. A handsome young man with an
arnless sleeve followed close al constable
Scolt's heels. and when the door of the Sher-
if-s ofi;ce was locked he was inside. A
HKRALD reporter recognized him at once and
and when the sheriff bad searched Miller
and locked him in a cell, he called the Sber-
if aside and informed him that the stranger
wss United States Detective sheriff Good
and Mr.. Fisher, the detective, at once with
drew to private Office and held ooEsulta-
tion
The Sheriff had received letter from
Justice of the Peace Miller st noon, request
ing him to bring posse to Trent and assist
in running the muFdereTs down. He also
had telegram from Collector Mitchell say
ing that the Commissioner of Internal Rsve-
nue. had directed him to offer the services Of
IS Detectives in assisting TO capture the
murderers.
Alter an hours conference with the Sheriff
detective Fisher went TO his hotel and the
Sheriff began search for trusty men, whom
he could swear in as deputy sheriFs. By
mid night twenty deputies had been select
ed and sworn in.
SHERIFF GOOD AND PossE START FOE TIE MOoS-
SHINE DISTRICT.
At day break Saturday morning Sheriff
I Good headed posse Of twenty men, who
/ had been selected on account of their we'll
known bravery and fearlessness, and started
for Trent. In the posse were detective Fish
| er, constables Gilbert and Scott. Al Trent
they were joined by eight men Of that place
NDL-AlA4E LAEA III 0lAN dAlA -A4gAICA
man from lockwood. Here the teams were
left and then commenced the greatest man
/ hunt ever known in this section. At Trent,
/ Alfred Miller, second son Of the murderer,
was arrested by the Sheriff, and compelled
| to 20 with the posse. Miller was on his way
/ to work a: a saw mill. The posse was divid
( ed into three squads. the first under Sheriff
/ Good, the second under constable Gilbert
and the third under constable Scott. The
! three posses then took different roads lsad-
! ing over the mountain with murderer Bill
Pritts's housc, in Fayette county. as their OBJ
jective point.
The farmers about Trent all stand in more
or less terror Of the moenshiners and it IS
ha-d work TO get many Of them TO say any
thing about the gang for fear their houses and
barns viii be burned OF that they themselves
will be shot down while al work in their
fields by any enemy in ambush Ths better
and by far the larger class Of the people OF
Middlecreek township are as anxious for
the capture of the murderers as are the
officers OF the law, and believe that the time
has arrived when the gang must be broken
up and driven from the county. The Sheriff
was disappointed when lie found so many
men away from home as he hoped larger
number OF them would join his posse and
assist in running the murderers to earth.
The story gained credence that there was
an oath-bound organization and that the
moonshiners we're fortified in the cave near
William Pritis' place known as Jones Jail"
It was said that this cave Is large enough to
hold regiment Of men and that in this place
S0or 20 of the moonshiners were prepared to
make stand sgainst the county authOri-
ties. This cave was visited Saturday aAer-
noon. No one was found there.
Sheriff Goods posse met az the home of
Jonathan Hochsteiler. The iirst man to
offer bis services was William Hochsteiler, =
nephew of the murdered moonshiner. He
also gave information 10 the Government
detectives last winter when the famous raid
was made, and is now in daily fear of bis
life being taken
GIbert's party arrested ABE" Fletcher
and bis brother at the home Of Powell Nil
Ter and compelled them to accompany the
party.
At eBill7 Pitts house Mrs. Pritts and
four or five children were found al home.
A son Of Prtts'. who had been working ct n
sugar camp near Trent in the morning, was
one Of them. lie had started for home al
the first approach Of The sherifs posse.
Mrs Pritts said her husband was frequently
absent for weeks and that she did not know
where be wa.
When asked if be was moOnshiner she
said be vas too internally dumb to know
anything more about whisky than how 70
drink it. His still, however, was discovered
little further up the mountain, but all the
apparatus had been removed.
The posse then returned By another road
to the house Of Powell Miller. Young Pitts
was there TO greet them. The young mans
conduct, in keeping ahead Of the posse, Caus-
ed suspicion and the Sheriff ordered bis az
rest.
Sheriff Good had ordered his men to
search every house, barn, aud buildings Of
all description, when the posse left Trent
in the morning. His Instructions we're care
fully carried out, but no trace Of the mar-
derers could be found.
An Illicit still was found few rods from
Powell Miller's There was every indication
that il had been in raining order day or
two befo7e. but not a trace Of the appara tus
could be found.
Late in the afternoon tie posse was told
of into parties Of eight each, and as soon as
7 night bad settled down the houses Ct
Miller and Fletcher, and the shaniy where
the murderers bad spent the night after the
murder, were surrounded and guarded
throughout the night. The night vas lone
ly one ard it required men Of the greatest
courage 10 remain On guard in q country
repEied to be filed with blOod-thirsty out
avs. The nights watch was proftless-
No sign Of the murderers was seen at any OF
the houses guarded. Early in the morning
the three parties returned TO Trent and at
10 o'clock the entire posse set out for Sou,er-
| set. They arrived at Somerset 81 O'Clock
Sunday afternoon weary and worn.
Sheriff Good said to reporter Of the
HERALD, you can form no idea Of the con
ditiOn ofthings in the mOonshine district
: without going down there yourself There
} ! IS no question about there being a well or
b.,l II