Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1893-08-26


surprise, but acted with such prompt
ness that they almost turned the
tables The small mules attached TO
the wagons bounded forward under the
lash and had gained several lengths
before a shot was fred AT the same
instant the men Crasped their rifles
lying in the bottom of the wagon and
rolled off their seats promiscuously,
firing as they reached the ground and
rushing to cover. The first volley Of
the officers disabled the mules and
wounded several OF the moorshiners.
but the next moment they had scat
tered around the cover of the officers
and the bullets from their Winchesters
We're cutting the cedars in every di-
recdon. The splendid cover of heavy
cedar trees and big rocks saved many
lives on both sides
Phil Watson's courage was never
questioned even by his worst enemy,
but he values his life as highly as any
man, and understood that the odds
We're in favor OF the men he was hunt
ing. He had recognized Tom Harris
among his opponents and knew the
lighting men with whom he associated.
Then, too, he was aware that he was
in hostile community in which strang-
ers We're regarded with suspicion, and
then other mounshiners were liable
to be in the community and come to
the assistance Of Harris and his men.
Under these circumstances he gave the
word TO retreat Several of the officers
horses had been shot and before they
could get out of range of the moon
sinners rifles two men were killed.
Only one moonshiner was killed and
four wounded.
Many of the men engaged in moon
shining in Kentucky have been follow
ing the vocation since the war. Prior
to that time they had distilled liquor
on small scale merely for home con
sumption, and though occasionally
were never molested. Suddenly Ee-
guilty of a violation of the law, yet
turning from the front in 1865, many
of them found demand for whisky
in their community, and with the mar
gin Of 30 cents per gallon in favor Of
the manufacturer who could avoid the
government tax collector, they very
naturally preferred TO avoid the EN-
barrasSing details incident to comply
ing with the federal internal revenue
laws. 1t was no particularly difficult
matter TO escape detection, especially
in the mountainous districts of the
state. Here the sentiment fayors the
individual The natives fail to ap-
preciate the distinction made by the
government They understand that
they can raise corn, grind it into meal
and make bread thereof without inter
ference, yet when they attempt to
make malt Of their grain or extract
the alcohol from II Il government gauger
comes around, and after enforcing a
n most harrassing number of details
concludes by demanding one-haf the
value of the product Their limited
sphere has never enabled them to
grasp the ethics of political economy,
and the whole affair is contrary to their
ideas Of individual liberty. For every
dollars worth of the product of the
Illicit still destroyed IN Kentucky it
costs the government ten times as
much in salaries for revenue officials,
regardless of lives lost on both sides.
For every gallon of wildcat" liquor
intercepted en- route to market at least
ten barrels are successfully disposed |
of to the retailers. The desperation F,
which characterizes the actions of the !
average Kentucky moonshiner in his |
efforts to resist arrest cannot be at !
tributed to any particular fear he has |
Of the consequence of his lawless life, |
OF the hundreds arrested annually IN |
Kentucky and taken to Louisville for |
trial not one-tenth are convicted, and |
in case of conviction the sentence is |
only from one to three years in the |
None are ever convicted |
Of murder in connection with the death |
Of officers engaged in their capture |
This is explained 10y the fact that the |
particular author of an officers death |
can never be identified. Where prob |
ably a dozen revenue detectives and as
many mOonshiners are fighting from
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