Mississippi leader. (Jackson, Miss.) 1892-1895, 1895-07-30
MOONSHINERS.
Bin Arp Meets Two Prisoners On
. Train Coming to Atlanta
The Danger Of Being Caught
There Is Somebody Who WIN Give
Away the Secret for .
Few Dollars

eiouB. SAID the deputy marsnai, hnu
four prisoners followed him into the
smoker and sat down where he pointed.
Two OF them were white and two color
ed. There were three officers in charge
and tbs party was bound for Atlanta.
The younger white prisoner sat just
behind he and after a glance at him
and seeing his hand bound up in rags l
ventured to ask him what was the mat
ter with it. lie said that piece of tim
Der fell on it and mashed It. He was a
young nm with barely any beard and
had pleasant face. He seemed CRATE
full that had inquired about his hand.
What have you all been doing 2"
said /.
"Moon,hining, they say" he said,
with a weak smile. The officer sitting
next to him then informed me that this
gang was captured in Polk county yes
terday, 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 haCled on a fat
where in the world did you get it?"
said to the young man.
II didn't get it," said hs, "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 a bond will have to lie in Jail till
October"
You are not married ?" asked.
mo" said he.
That's good" said I. "How about
that other man %
He has wife and one child" said
he.
The other white man looked about
thirty, and was wei dressed. He was
the designer and promoter, the capital
list, and dident seem to be much con-
cerned. He bought some candies 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 have had in
long time. Hit beats a scurshion."
After awhile one of them dropped to
sleep. But the young white man was
evidently suffering both physically and
mentally. His face had sad and
dreamy expression.
us this your first experience in this
line p" inquired.
"Yes, sir" said he, and it will be my
last. never thought about 1t much
until l was into it."
hoo that still hoon
ming there" said /.
"About three months" he said.
"Where do your folks livn?"
"Up in Union," he said, and could
almost see his thoughts going back to
the old homefo&s, where a few years
ago he was happy and free.
After awhile he was called on the
other side, and discoursed with the
deputy more freely about their moon
shine business. He said it was increas-
ing 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
great fruit year and very fair spirits
could be made with little meal and
either apples or peaches or blackber-
ries mixed with it. And besides, 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 desperate, but these
are not. But all of them get fooled
sooner or later. For ten dollars some
fellow will tell on them. ! reckon there
,-~,o %,uarfu or yv,nro man vvhC Luavu
about this still and the meanest one In
the lot Is generally the one to give the
officers hint We don't know where
10 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" asked.
They buy them in Atlanta or Rome
or Chattanooga and haul them away in
the night and keep of 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 fat on the ground and the fire is
built around the still instead of under
meath it. Sometimes they use 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 60 up the Chin
ney, 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 fellows with whisky, but that
costs too much. for one fly will draw
another and II they are not caught they
haye to move. II 10 m all night busi-
mesa, moonshine or no moonshine,
, and If the poor devils would work half
rs 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 ia
ther is serving term in prison.
"Well, is there no remcdy-no stop
ping the business p
mo" said he. There are some peo-
pie in every Community who had rath-
or dodge the law than obey it. They
like the risk and the peril Of moonshin-
Ing. Regular honest work Is too tame
for them and, beeidss. they have . spite
against the government that allows .
rich man to run big distillery and
says to . poor man you shan't run lit
tie one The only remedy that see il
70 stop them AL, big and littls, or turn
everybody loosp 20 make it bat the
government 10 oblfRed to hayo that two