Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-07-03
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BLOODSHED IN SPARTANBURG.
Moonshiners Killed and Dispensary Consta-
bles Wounded.

Moonshiners Killed and Dispensary Consta-
bles Wounded.
Spartanburg county has just been
the scene of another bloody dispensary
tragedy. 1t occurred last Friday MORN
ing at about l o'clock. Moonshiners
Jack Fisher and Bill Durham were
killed, and Constabes Pettigrew and
Toland were wounded. Pettigrew was
shot Just under the right nipple, and
Toland through the left lung.
Durham and Fisher were notorious
characters who lived in the mountain
Gus country adjacent to Spartanburg
and Greenville, where the line between
the two counties strikes the southern
boundary of North Carolina. They
had been in the liquor business all
their lives, and ever since the dispen-
sary law went into effect have been
engaged in hauling contraband moon
shine into Greenville and Spartanburg.
Their trips, though maybe not regular,
were frequent, and they were a great
deal of annoyance to the constables.
Not long ago, Constable Toland, of
Spartanburg, learned that the moon
sinners were scheduled to arrive sone-
time during the week with load OF
liquor, and made application to Con-
stable Eichelberger for sufficient
force to effect capture. Constable
Eichelberger detailed Constables Petit
grew, Toland, Stevenson, Bice, and
another man whose name has not been
published. The constables laid out
several nights waiting for the moon
sinners, who finally turned up at a
point some five miles from Spartanburg,
at about 1 o'clock on Friday morn
ing.
The moonshiners were driving a
double team hitched to "mountain
schooner" 1t was quite dark, and
the outfit could be but indistinctly
distinguished. The constables had
placed themselves on either side of the
road, two in one party and three in
the other. Constable Stevenson, who
was in command of the party, sudden
ly stepped out in the road, and accord
ing to his story, seized the bride reins
of the mules, informed the occupants
of the wagon that his party was COM
posed of State constables and told them
that if they were hauling contraband
liquor they must surrender. One of
the moonshiners replied GAIL right"
and letting 60 the reins, rose up with
Winchester in his hands and fired.
The constables were armed with dou-
BILE barrel shot guns, and fusilade
followed. The men could only see
what they were doing by the flashes
of light from their weapons. When
the shooting was over, it was found
that Fisher was dead and Durham was
mortally wounded. Both were lying
in the wagon with heads resting on a
liquor barrel and their feet hanging
over the front. Durham died about
an hour later.
The constables say that besides the
two men in the wagon, there were two
others behind on horseback, and these
also participated in the fight. Others
claim that the two men in the wagon
constituted the entire force of the
moonshiners, and subsequent examina-
ton of their weapons showed that
neither had fired shot. 1t is being
freely stated about Spartanburg that
the wounding of the constables was
the result of cross fire from their
friends. After the shooting, the un-
wounded constables gave themselves
up to the sheriff. The bodies of the
dead moonshiners were left in the wag-
on, subject to the action of the coroner.
A jury of inquest found that the two
men came to their death at the hands
of parties unknown.
In the wagon of the moonshiners
were two barrels and keg of whisky.
This was taken in charge by U. 5.
revenue officials.