Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1893-03-09

there really is such a thing going on
outside of the pages of our dialect
stories-it proves interesting to the
catchers and the caught, to say the
Least. While talking recently with
prominent deputy marshal of West
Virginia, who has done much to dis
turb the usual security of many law
breakers in this direction, he laugh
ingly replied to my question by repeat
ing it:
Unpleasant work, this hunting men?
Why, of course it is, my boy; no man.
unless he is savage at heart, likes TO
hunt a fellow-man down like var
mint no matter how bad he Is; but
work is work, wherever you go, and
we can't all be choosers. No. I've had
very few narrow escapes-we' leave
those to our brethren in the books
that YOU fellows are always trying to
make about us; all we try to do is to
try and not let the sinners make any
escapes at all, narrow or otherwise!
These illicit distillers, by the way, are
not the desperadoes the people imagine
them to be; some of them are good fell
lows underncath-if their good traits
have been covered up by their manner
of living it isn't their fault so much as
their misfortune. OF course, for the
old men in the business | have no
sympathy, for they have no excuse to
offer, but it is fact that great many
of the younger men go into it because
thew can't help it--being forced toit by
circumstances, as it were. AS for their
fighting qualities, they are much like
their friends and neighbors, the noun
tain panthers, or painters, as they
call them. Both the men and the ami
mails will fight when cornered or
wounded. but if you give them the
chance they prefer in almost every in-
stance to vacatc, and leave you the field
free.
"There is one strange thing about
tbe business, however, and lhave never
understood it Why should these men,
great strapping, healthy mountaineers'
@o to breaking the law to make liv-
mo when they might make much bet
ter wages working like honest men on
their farms or for other farmers? 1T
must be the love of excitement born IN
4ham which makes them manufacture
moor whisky and sell it to poorer men,
Coming miles in the night to do so some
Zines. and risking the chances OF being
nabbed and put in the pen for several
wears. all the while. They are smart
men. too. and it takes an officer with
.he combined instincts of detective
and an old fox to deal with them with
ont their suspecting you OF being a
'rev'new man.
"A week ago we captured eight OF the
hardest tickets that have ever graced
This dishonorable business, ana IL was
,na Of the neatest captures we've ever
made. got wind OF them ana sent
80 - our men, whose face they didn't
Lrov mn to where they Were lie pre-
tended he was stranger IN the coun,
trv. and had lost his way and asked
theu TO keep him over night He's an
EASTMAN with full stock OF native
h,arnev. and he talked them into 1t be-
&C. they knew what to say. He stayed
49, tight. and seven more OF them,
,"a u vas such a good story-teller
,S.t he kept them laughing half that
,;oht with his yarns, and they asked
,,;s,, tbe next morning TO stop WIN
.har, He took them rightin with that
oily tongue of his, in fact VI course rs,'
S ~ ,ssayed and ashed and hunted with
them r. but though thsg Aintsd ~ tasE