The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-07-24
BILL ARp'S LETTER.
Bill Arp Meets Two Prisoners on Train
Coming to Atlanta.
atlanta Constitution.

| along, Salu Ine uepuCy marsual, auu
four prisoners followed him into the
smoker and sat down where he point
ed. Two of them were white and two
colored. There were three officers in
charge and the party was bound for
Atlanta. The younger white prisoner
sat just behind me and after glance
at him and seeing his hand bound up
in rags ventured to ask him what
was the matter with it. He said that
piece Of timber fell on it and mashed
it. lie was young man with barely
any beard and had a pleasant face.
He seemed grateful that | had inquir-
ed about his hand.
"What have you all been doing ?"
said I.
"Moonshining, they say" he said,
with weak smile. The officer sitting
next to him then informed me that
this gang was captured in Polk County
yesterday, not far from Taylorsville,
and they had the biggest still that had
ever been found in the woods. 1t was
so big that it would not go in at the
car door and had to be hauled on fiat.
"Where in the world did you get
it ?" said I to the young man.
II didn't get it" said he, "but they
say it come from Rome"
"He don't admit anything" said
the officer, smiling, and you musent
press him too hard. He has just been
bound over to the Federal Court, and
if he can t give bond he will have to
lie in Jail till October. )"
""You are not married p I asked.
"No," said he.
"That's good," said I. ''How
about that other man ?"
she has wife and one child, !"
said he.
The other white man looked about
thirty, and was we'll dressed. He was
the designer and promoter, the capital
ist, and dident seem to be much con-
cerned. He bought some candles from
the newsboy and handed them to the
young man and the officer and the two
negroes, and was quite chatty. The
negroes seemed unconcerned and en-
joyed the ride. One said:
"Dis de fust free ride I have in a
long time. Hit beats scurshion."
After awhile one of them dropped
to sleep. But the young white man
was evidently suffering both physi-
cally and mentally. His face had a
sad and dreamy expression.
"Is this your first experience in
this line ?" I inquired.
eyes, sir, said he, "and it will be
my last. t never thought about it
much until was into it.
"How long has that still been run
ming there" said l.
"About three months" he said.
"Where do your folks live p
Cup in Union," he said, and I
could almost see his thoughts going
back to the old homefolks, where a
few years ago he was happy and free.
After awhile he was called on the
other side, and I discoursed with the
deputy more freely about their moon
shine business. He said it was in
creasing in his territory-that fifteen
or twenty seizures had been made in
Polk County within the last twelve
months-that generally the business
fell off in the summer months, but
this was a great fruit year and very
fair spirits could be made with little
meal and either apples or peaches or
blackberries mixed with it. And be-
sides, said he, the times are awful
hard on poor folks and a young man
like this one is easily drawn in. Some
moonshiners are bad men and desper-
ate, but these are not. But all Of
them get fooled sooner or later. For
ten dollars some fellow will tell on
them. I reckon there were twenty or
more men who knew about this still
and the meanest one in the lot is gen.
orally the one to give the officers a
hint. We don't know where to hunt
for stills and we never would find out
if somebody didn't give us cue"
"Where do they get the stills and
how do they get them to their hiding
places" I asked.
"They buy them in Atlanta or Rome
or Chattanooga and haul them away
in the night and keep off the public
roads. Some buy the sheet-copper
and rivets and make their own stills.
More than half we find have wooden
bottoms that set fiat on the ground
and the fire is built around the still
instead of underneath it. Sometimes
they use a big washpot or caldron.
Their hiding places are very peculiar.
They used to have them under the
floor of the house where the smoke
could go up the chimney, but that has
played out. They can hide them
from the officers easy enough on these
mountains, but they can't keep the
secret long from hunters and tramps.
Of course they have to buy these fel-
lows with whiskey, but that costs too
much, for one fly will draw another
and if they are not caught they have
to move. 1t is an all night business,
moonshine or no moonshine, and if
the poor devils would work half as
hard at something else they could
make good living. The most pitiful
part of the business is the suffering
and trouble it brings on the women
and children when the husband or the
father is serving a term in prison.
"Well, is there no remedy-no stop
| ming the business ?'
"No," said he. "There are some
people in every community who had
rather dodge the law than obey it.
They like the risk and the peril Of
moonshining. Regular honest work
is too tame for them and, besides,
they have spite against the govern
ment that allows rich man to run a
big distillery and says to poor man
you shan't run little one. The only
remedy that I see is to stop them all,
big and little, or turn everybody loose
to make it. But the government is
obliged to have that two hundred mil
lions Of revenue and Of course the
present system must go on. .
"What had these negroes to do with
this case p said I.
ooh they always have one or two
/ hloct lieutonants to helm around and