St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-09-14
MOONSHINERS.
Fill Arp Meets Two Prisoners on
a Train Coming to Atlanta.
he Danger OF Being Caaght..Gensrally
There b Somebody Who viii Give
Away the Secret for
Few OOllarR

There b Somebody Who Will Give
Away the Secret for
Few Dollar&
Here! Come in here! Come right
along" said the deputy marshal, and
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 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 l
vcntured to ask him what was I he mat
ter with it He said that piece Of tim
Der fell ON It and mashed it. He was a
young man with barely any beard and
had q pleasant face. He seemed CRATE
full that had inquired about his hand.
What have you all been doing ?"
said l.
"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 yes
terday, not far from Taylorsville, and
they had the biggest still that had ever
been found in the woods. TWAS SO big
that it would not 90 in at the car door
and had to be hauled on dat
Where in the world did You get it?"
said to the young man.
Il didn't get it," said he, but they
say it come from Rome"
L ssun
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 will have to lie ip jail till
October"
'You are not married - asked.
| "No,- said he.
That's good" said l. "How about
that other man."
He has wife and one child" said
he
| The other white man looked about
thirty, and was we'll dressed. He was
the designer aud promoter, the capital
ist, and dident seem to be much con-
cerned. He bought some candies from
the newsboy and handed them to the
5c:ing 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 ?"' l inquired.
Yes, sir, said he, and it will be my
lsst. never thought about it much
until was into it,
''How long has that still been rum
ring there" said l.
"Abou. three months" he said.
"Where do your folks live?"
up in Union," he said, and 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 discoursed with the
deputy more freely about their moon
shine business. He said it was increas-
ing in his territory--that fifteen or
lWeuly SclLurCS HdO UCCu Oduc III DIX
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 aud |
either apples or peaches or blackber- |
ries mixed with it. And besides, said |
he. the times are awful hard on poor |
folks and young man like this one 10 |
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 |
were twenty or more men who knew
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 |
fnd 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 off the public roads.
Some buy the shect-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 10
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 MP 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 10 buy
these fellows with whisky, 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 busi-
ness. moonshine or no moonshine,
and if the poor devils would work half
rs hard ut 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 remedy-no stop
ping the business p
'sNo," said he. There are some peo.
;ole in every community who had rath-
er dodge the law than obey it. They
like the risk and the peri! Of moonshin-
ing. Regular honest work is too tame
for them and, besides, they have spite
against the government that allows
rich man to run big distillery and
says to a poor man you shan't run . lit
tie one. The only remedy that see ID
70 stop them all. big and little. or turn
everybody loose to make it But the
is obliged to have that two
million of revenue and of
course the present system must 70
on"
"What had these negroes to do with
this case ?" said ].
.'Oh, they always have one or two
black lieutenants to help around ana
buy corn. or steal it, and to sell the
whisky BY the jugful to other nesroea