The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1893-07-05
Rolled In O Barrel.

Detroit hotel the other evening, 81 was
deputy United States marshal in Tennes.
see, aud you will find it on record that l
have brought great many moonshiners
to law. am free to admit that l feel
, sorry for most of them, but they were
law breakers, and it vas my duty to hunt
them down. In the summer of 1876 /
got a month off and I determined to do
little prospecting in the Cumberland
Mountains. My headquarters were at
Clinton, almost south of Cumberland
Gap, and one day I got ready and started
of, having pack on my back and re-
volver on my hip.
"An wasn't looking for moonshiners,
1t did not occur to me that | would run
any risk. In fact, I hadn't done any
work to speak of in the direction of the
Gap, and Aattered myself that I would
not be recognized up there as a revenuer.
Everything went all right for three OF
four Gays, and then I happened along to
a hoase-raiaing one afternoon. The
event had called together about thirty
mouutaineers, and for the fast ten min
utes i was royalty entertained. Then an
old ian came out of the bush and gave
me away to the crowd. He was an old
mountaineer whom I had captured and
convicted about twenty months before
and he was sent to your house of correc-
tion here in Detroit for twelve or fifteen
months. .
II stood up and lied like q trooper, for
my life was at stake, but he was equally
as earnest in his assertions About one
half the crowd believed me, and the 9th.
or half him. If they'd all believed his
story it would have been good bye to
earth with me, for those men do not re-
gard 1t as crime to put revenue OFF,
Ger under ground. As the case stood
they did not think it just to kill me,
but yet they wanted to appease the
wrath OF the old man who had suffer.
ed imprisonment. It was, therefore de-.
cided to give me ride in q barrel. They
they had a big one and stout one with
water in it. They emptied out the water
and ordered me to get in. Of course l
protested and argued and coaxed, but it
was ro go. To save myself from greater
violeace got into the. barrel and they
tied ropes over the open end to keep me
in.
"Jast in front of US was side hill
which descended into valley quarter
of mile away. To tell the honest truth
I didn't anticipate it was going to be
much, of shower, as the saying is, and
was clad to get off so easy. expected
to be little dizzy at the end of the
voyage, but that wasn't going to use me
up. When all was ready they tipped the
barrel over and let Ter 60 Gallagher. 1t
hadn't got fairly started before I found
that I was off in my calculations. While
it wasn't tight fit as to breadth, being
a small man, it was as to length. Hav.
ing to scrouch to save my head, l
couldn't get brace, and simply ratified
around like pea in a quart bottle.
Gentlemen, I hope to live thousand
years, and if do I shall never forget one
turn of that barrel. 1t was like nothing
above or below the earth. It was sort
of combination of going up in a balloon,
falling down in coal mine and being
whipped around q shaft revolving 500
times minute. I wouldn't have be
lieved that anything created by the hand
of msu could revolve as fast as that barrel
did.
"It makes me seasick to even tell the
story, I felt as if my head and legs bad
been severed, and the pieces were tum-
EbliDg over each olber. Talk about an
eternity Of time Why, have always
believed it took that barrel ninety days,
with three days grace added, to get down
that :lill and half way across the valley
I vas in it when it finally stopped, but
I had lost consciousness long before.
They took me out and carried me to
'cabir and put me to bed. 1t was one
hour before I gained consciousness, and
two days before I could stand on my feet.
I was "barked" from head to heel, and
it was week or more before anything
would stay on my stomach. When l n
nally felt able to walk the whole earth
seem ed to be rolling over and over, and
l had to hire cart to get down to Gin.
ton. 1t was q full year before was en-
tirely rid of the sensation, and tell you
I never want another experience of the
sort. Tie me onto wild horse la Ma
zeppa-ride me on rail-give me a seat
on the back of Texan steer or Kansas
cyclcne, but don't roll me in barrel
dowr side hill in Tennessee or any 9th
or State.