New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-23
MOONSHINERS UNDER WAITER
DARING WORK OF REVENUE OFFICERS
IN NORTH CAROLINA
AN ILLICIT STILL DISCOVERED. WHOSE ONLY
ENTRANCE WAS BELOW THE


Raleigh n c.. Dec 90 (speciaD.-rhe ways Of the
moonshne- almost beyond the Ken oil 'he rev
erue officers Many and peculiar and various are
! the hiding places OF a blockade still ih''e j.
lcit manufacturers OF juice have been u'S'o'-
cred in almost every place conceivable Dy inc H"-
man mind: but the last find Of the ohce'a Oh
! Collector simmons surpasses al previous one
There Is a small island In the Pee Dee river IL
Richmond County about the size OF a ten-aore "''',
| The ground is studded with large cypress trees anu
the underground OF the bushes and hriars Is Nilos'
! impenetrable None OF the land has ever been cl.-
tivated because 1t is difficult 10 get 10 the siahd'
the water being deep and the banks steep ana Dan
gerous Wild hogs. wild cattle coons ana o'hcr
Wild creatures of various kinds alone inhA"' 'he
island.
Ever since the making OF corn into whisNey WAS
forbidden during the war there has been moon
shine distillerv on this island 1t has been raded
many times hy the revenue officers without diSccV-
erng the blockade plant The moonshlner h'8
been seen to land the island often but his Ie-
treat has never been discovered. The officers nave
probed the earth for cave or u'i'rSIo"iu It.
treat without success
Last week Deputy { olector =. \. Moflt and sev-
eral raiders occupied this island in the night time
and picketcd themselves 50 that no one coud ar
rive or leave the island without being seen. ADout
daylight canoe occupied by two men and contain
ing several ive-Eal,on kegs seen approaching
the island from the Richmond County Side Deputy
Moflitt gave orders for them to be allowed TO lana
and for their movements to BE- observed As soon
as the landing was made. j. Il. MacRae who mas
been suspected OF running the still on the Island
sunk the kegs in the river near where the canoe
landed This movement not understood by
Moflltt. but his surprise was unbounded when Mac
Rae and his companions began TO dSrobe them
selves. After they Invested themselves OF al their
| clothes and placed them in the hollow trunk 81 L
cypress tree. Mofftt dumfoundcd - see Mac
| Rae.punge headforemost into the river and dsap-
! pear from sight. His companions performed the
same feat. Molitt and his force waited all day ior
! the resurrection OF MacRae and companions Just
about shutdown 1t was noticed that canoe occu-
! pied by two men. who. upon examination by Moiir
| with his spyglass proved be MacRae and com
| ramon was nearing the other shore Whore they
had been and how they got away without being
| seen was too much for Moitt and his men
search up the river disclosed another landing place
| and a chain and lock whore the second canoe had
been fastened. 1t was evident to Mohltt that
there was an underground retreat on the island but
! no entrance TO It could be found.
Mofnt and his men made another night on tn isl-
| and and next morning MacRae and his companion
were observed returning to the upper landing II re
they undressed hid their clothes in "A tree. Owed
into the river and disappeared as before About sun
! down MacRae sand four men suddenly rose out OF
the water at the lower landing. Clothes were found
for all OF them In a the river bank. and
they dressed in less than three minutes. long
pole with an ron hook the end was then
| leaves. and with this dozen fve-gallon Kegs %
whskey were soon brought out Of the water and
placed in the canoes. As soon as they were loA'"i
they padded away TO the Richmond SIDE" MoiAt'
| and his men from their rendezvous had seen all
this That the Tnoonshiners' sim was under Tho
ground was certain. The moonshncrs had been
in and out of H. but how did they get into H. ana
how did they get out of it? This was the question:
! Finally one Of the men. by the name OF ONerdlne
said he would try and solve the mystery II Moi'i't
nd
soon took of his clothes and jumped into the river
headforemost the same place where he had seen
| MacRae and companion 70 in and come out.
Mofft; and his raiders waited for the return Of
their fellow-raider. and had grown uneasy at ms
! prolonged absence. he had been told 70 return
| in half an hour An hour passed without his APP
! pcarance. and Mofiitt discussing what to no.
when. all at once, Oxendinc popped up oni @i inc
Ma vested MYTH his clohes and then sat down by
the camp fire and gave this explanation OF the nyS
way toward the bank. keeping his eyes open while
under the water He was an expert swimmer ahr
the water and toward the bank. he rose ana iounI
his head @} of the anS FELT for the bottom and
perceived that he In water about five feet deep
in total darkness He crawled along some distance
until he discovered the live Goals o. .o nrr a Ile
body hearing any noise. He waited ana hstTnei,
| in a well-appontcd moonshine disiiloTy. me cave
| tunnel was twenty Ie'l WHO am 80
| high. Overhead the earth was held up ny Ht Az
| cypress logs. and the side was panKen up. Inc
| through rubber hose. Oxendlne followed the
tunnel to the other end and found 1t lke TIE one
back with light. and when he got to the water
mel me- wheh W %s @ on both sides bank
and which touched the Taier 0Kendne t IYod
| himself in the river in front Of his companions;
Great was the establishment when Oxendine had
concluded his narrative. He also stated that there
were several hundred gallons of whiskey IN me me
| tunnel and that the :noke from The 're appeared
to pass up into a hollow cypress tree but 'he Oh
fcers could not any smoke . ,,a
The next thing MAS MAS b capture 10 @ h a Was n"
occupy the disery and walt the coming OF me
and his men were not willing to undergo the
experience Of Oxendine; so they determined 10 dig
the tunnel ms hs way , rms M n ba S@ys dn ' With
his 9rse and 1aeed then at enG S
gan. Just after daylight the next morning MarItae
came in. and as soon as he got oui OF me water
be killed In quick succession the other four men
nss o and we and h sszTs as SO
great when he found his underground retreat occu-
plsa " for the time being He then asked how
they found out the secret. and when toi ne said
island to give the news that It was occupied This
had been done heretofore ana THIS precauon had
MacRae and his men looked with regretfu eyes
as Moffitt and his raiders destroyed the outfit
/ MacRae said IT had taken months to complete me
! tunnel and that the work had been done by de-
serers from the Confederate Army during the
war The earth had been thrown into the river.
so that there was no sign Of the excavation. Whls-
! key had been distilled by many of the persons who
| knew Of the mysterious abode. but only certain
! number were allowed to possess the secret; No
Installation had been done during daylight All had
been done night TO prevent the smoke from
! being MlcRae said the experience OF the men
! In diving and getting into the cave ana getting
/ out had been traGcal and ludicrous. Two men
! many wears ago had been drowned while trying 10
! get in when there II flood In the river and
others had been strangled and had to he fshed out
nv their friends several times before they made
| The Trip The excavation was also used by the
| deserters as a hiding place from the Confederate
! officers.