The state herald., 1893-10-27
HUNTING MooNsHINERs.
BILL AND A BRAVE LITTLE
WOMAN TO THE RESCUE.
Honest and chock Fun 81 Courage --Raid-
Ing wild-CatterA In tho Pea Ridge
y-ChRracteristics of Moonshin-
ors-Put ON Paroe.
xas in 1889. l had been ordere

wtss In 1889. I had been ordered
TO report ut Gailatin, Tenn. Upon
my arrival l was surprised W find ten
or Il dozen Kentucky officials, besides
half As many from TeInessee, armed
with army breech-loadlng giins and
pistols, with, guns, pistols, and am,
munition for as, many more. II we
should find they wero needed, I was
informed that our destination was
the Pea Ridge country. spur Of
mountain land over twenty miles In
length and from four to ton miles
wide, commencing near the Overton
county line in Tennessee and running
In q fiortheasterly direction to Clin-
ton county, Kentucky.
II was tho primitive homo " enc
moonshiner. tho vi6lator Of tho
revenue laws, and The goods no manu-.
featured were noted all over Ten
lessee and kentucky. There had
not been d day within the memory Of
the. oldest citizen when "white"
whisky could not By had at any house
in that section 81 country. In the
bottoms at the foot 81 the ridge the
yield Of corn varied from fifty to 100
had no way OF getting 1t to market
in tho car they spiritualized 1t and
sold it in jugs. Small parties Of
revenue officers had slipped in here
and there during the night every
year and destroyed u still. and left
before the moonshiners could gather
their clans, says tho Globe Democrat
writer. Tho cowardice exhibited In
these raids. the brutal outrages COM
mitted in some instances. had aliks
emboldened and exasperated thosu
men, who were tho descendants Of
tho heroes of Kings Mountain, and
many of them held deeds to land
signed by "Daniel Boone. Agent"
One day, having destroyed seven
stills and captured tho leaders OF tho
moonshiners and being tired out we
started for Salina to dispose OF the
prisoners.
1t was about six miles from the
last place captured to the foot OF tho
ridge Of mountain, and when We got
near the point OF descent We discov-
cred a small spiral column OF smoke
ascending from n ravine on the oppo-
site side from where we stood. Spur
ricr Immediately pronounced it a
"cat," and we disposed OF our force
to surprise II. We could sec cabin
in corn field q hundred yards In
front OF the mouth Of the ravine
Descending the ridge we came to
beautiful stream. On the opposite
side was bank ten feet high, being
the edge OF corn field OF fifty acres
Leaving all our force except five ac-
tive men. we went up the creek bed
until we came opposite the cabin and
the smoke. Hitching our horses TO
tho roots that lined the bank. we dis
mounted in the water and climbed up
tho ombankment. Slipping along
quietly through the green corn,
which was in tassel, wo came TO the
inclosurc OF tho cabin. Springing
over the low fence We made break
for the house.
Rapid as our movements had been,
We were discovered within twenty
yards OF the house by little woman,
barofootcd and larehcadcd. who was
making soap at one corner Of the
yard. With soap paddle In hand,
she sprang over the yard fence. made
Of rails. and with the feetness OF a
deer rushed up the rlvInc. by the
stable, In tho direction OF where VIC
had seen the smoke. shouting or
screaming ut the top OF her voice.
"R-u-n. Bill, run! the revcnuers
are after yer! Rum. Bill. RUN! the
rcvenuors are aftor ycr!"
How far away Bill was wo did not
know. The stable was between her
and Bill. and to capture her or TO
get close enough TO Bill. when he
did hear her. was tho ambition OF
- ry man.
When she passed the corner OF ho
stable 10, We were from fifty to sixty
icot In the rear.
Rum. Bill. RUN! The rcvenucrs
nrs after ycrl" was screamed with
every move OF those nying limbs
She was within twenty yards OF u
large Lighthouse wildcat distillory,
located In II ravino Mt point scarce.
ly wide enough for tho building. We
wcro within forty yards. We could
see Bill moving about with his pad
DIE as II stirring his beer. Suddenly
he stopped. stopped down and loob cd
towards us.
"R-u-n, Bill. r-u-nl Tho rcvcnucrs
aro after ycr!" though faint. had ut
last reached his ears, and. with tho
pgility Of u cat, he sprang out at tho
coor. whiskod himself around tho
oasc. followed by four shots from
rl'es held by tired. nervous hands.
tnd was lost TO sight In tho deep un.
torgrowth. Tho little woman, God
blnss her, truo 10 her love. had fallen
exhausted and tainted when tho shost
wore fired
Leaving II man In charge Of tho
dls,lllcry. We picked her up tcndcriy
ana bore her To the branch near By
and restored her Two Of us accom-.
panied her back TO tho house. aftor
assuring her that "i,ill" was not
hurt and that we had not fred 70
kill Wo destroyed about eighty
gallons OF ilno whisky. over 100 gal
Ions Of beer and barrel OF singiings.
We were detained her. much
longer than wo expected. md the
main body moved on without waiting
for us, Tho little lady-for sho was
N lndy-on account OF our kindness
TO her, had bcen Induced to prepare
dinner Tor IN. our horses In tho mean.
tImo being concealed. While We
were eating. who should step into
Tho yard but l,illP Ito had dcd up