Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1893-10-21
AFTER A MOONSHlNER.
Revenue Officers Experience in
the Georgia Mountains.
Finding an Illicit still-It Took Clever
Man to Devise 1t and II Clever
Omcer to Find and De-
str0y 1t.


certain locality in the Cut Log region
of the Blue Ridge mountains" said
Revenue Collector Chapman, as he
leaned back in his chair and chatted
with n New York Post correspondent.
awe knew very well that whisky was
being made in the neigh borhood, but
so carefully concealed was the habitat
OF the moonshincrs that we were un-
able to obtain any clew to it. There
had been distillery in that neighbor-
Elocd somc ten or a dozen years ago,
nun by noted moonshincr-old Rcub
Davis-but times had become so hot
for him that he suddenly decamped,
giving out the report that he was going
TO Texas. 1t had been so long since
his disappearance that people had al
most forgotten him.
"Still we were puzzled Our dcpu-
ties could find evidence unimpeachable
of the existence of a cOntraband dis
tillery by hanging around the little
crossroads villages and attending the
different gatherings where 'cornjuice'
and applejacll were plentifnl; but al
though the base of supplies could be
traced almost to the fountain head, the
exact place of deposit could never be
found. Many aad many a weary tramp
t;.ins and dark ravincs, night and day,
in sun and rain, but still we were
.Lafilcd.
''Finally we decided on making n
regular ring hunt for the culprit, and
brigas and early one morning started
out with three of ray lieenest deputies,
deter1nincd to make & haul before night
or else spend the frosty night in the
woods | sent two of the men in one
direction and set out across the Cut Log
ridge with Mcdonald. Reaching a
point near the summit caught Il Whit
of the familiar flavor and halting be-
gan eo look around for SOME clew as TO
its source Pcrched away up on the
qnountain side, overhanging brawling
brooa, that came tumbling down across
the road we were travelling, spied
shabby-looking cabin which would
have appeared uninhabited save for
little curl of smoke ascending la2ily
from the rough rock chimney. Bidding
- Mcdonald remain with the horses
climbed the mountain, and approach
ing the low doorway | accosted an old
woman who was looking after her
household work.
{, s'ESerything was as innocent and un-
suspicious as if there were not Il drop
IL of contraband within forty miles of the
.fets spot
+" May get light for my pipe? 1
asked.
",Ya-as wait a mint and I'll fetch
you a splinter
No don't trouble. I'll just come in
ard get it myself,
=" oh, the house amt fitten for ye to
come into,' she replied, eying me sus-
piciously.
That's all right, maam. I'm used
to that sort Of thing
''As ! said this stepped in, and. adj
vancing to the fireplace, stopped as if
90 light my pipe, but at the same time
it occurred to me that the chimney was
unusually thick in the back wall.
your old man isn't in?
81 Lord, hain't got no old man
You're widow, then?'
Eyes, so fur as | know My old man
went OFF more'n ten years ago. Said
he were a-goin to Texts, and l hain't
hearn a word from him from that day
TO this
why did he leave?'
"'On count of the revenue men. Ye
see he used to make little liclier and
they found out about it, and he had to
4 skin out
& HWhat is your name?'
"'Davis, Sary Ann Davis. I'm hav-
in hard time of it and have had these
many years. with nobody to look after
me but myself; but thank the Lord,
I've managed to keep soul and body to-
gether
"All this time she was talking in
(such meek and innocent way that my
(susnicions were half disarmed but
still ! was unsatisfed, as that Whit of
savory steam that thick backed CHM
ney, and the name of the woman,
coupled with the history of old Reub
Davis had aroused my suspicious
:" suppose traveller couldn't get a
little dram hereabouts2' remarked