Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-08-23

ShAOC IL NhNb W.
without food, and when We go
him out he was almost dead iron
starvation and loss of blood. n,
recovered, however, and Is Sill
alive TO day."
"WhO is the mOstnOtOriOus moon
sinner you have on the records 0
the treasury department, Col. Col
quittp L asked.
"I don't know" replied the chic
of the revenue agents. "One man
who has had a great deal of news
paper nOtOriety was a fellow nameC
Redmond, who operated in th'
South Carolina mountains. He ha(
been making mOOnshlne whisky
and had had quite a career when
a newspaper reporter spent
week with him at one of his still'
III the mountains. Redmond hat
killed two men, and he claimed tC
have done great deal more. Bt
gave this man the story of his ad
ventures, and this was published
IN the Charleston newspapers
This sren Ell to set Redmond crazy.
lie committed the most daring OF
acts after that to get his name IL
the newspapers. He was finally
caught and sent to prison. l do
not know whether be is alive today
or not.
"Ihe average moOnshlner," con
tinued Col. Colquitt, "does nOI
think his business is wrong. lie
argues that every man has the
right to sell what he makes as
long as he don't steal or tramp on
the rights of others. He has the
sympathy of the mOuntalneers,
and today our greatest trouble is
to get the courts of the South to
deal out Justice TO this class OF
criminals"
"WhO was the most curious
mOonshner you ever mad to deal
with, Col. Colquitt?' said l.
"Ohe OF the queerest," replied
the chief, was old Bob Simms,
who lived near BladOn Springs,
not tar from Mobile. Slmms was
a religious fanatic, and he had a
large number OF followers. His
people looked upon him as kind
of savior and prophet. They
had gathered about him, and he
had established a colony of his be =
levers. lie had a peculiar reli-
gion, one Of the teneIs of which
was that all men had equal rights,
and that no one could equitably
prevent another from doing as b u
pleased. lie SAID that tue law OF
the land was the 'deyipS law aud
that no respect should be given 1t.
1t was this deYil's law that taxed
whisky. The law of God which he
(SImms) laid down, provided that
a man could make and sell what
be please /, aud Slnms said ha had
a perfect right to make whisky ont
of his corn, aud chat GOd would
protect him. He defed the gov
erument; he built his still out in
plain sight in front of his CABIN,
and had a wide road running up
to it. When We sent a warrant
for his arrest be took 1t from the
hands of the deputy who served it,
tore 1t up and spat in the deputy .
face. There were number OF
men with Slmms at this time, and
the deputy did not dare to arrest
him. We then sent a posse after
him. Simms saw that our force
was greater than his, and he was
taken. He refused to walk to lil,
however. He said we might carr y
him, but he would not 60 of his
own accord. Upon this he was
picked up, put into a cart, ard
taken to Bladoa Springs. This is
a sort OF summer resort, much
fIequented by the citizens OF Z IA.
bama. 1t has no good Jail facili.
ties aud SImns was put into an
outnouse. and guarded during the
day, preparatory to carrying him
elsewhere. He was handcnffed.
He showed no disposition to be
ugly, however, aud when dinner
time came our revenue agent went
into the dining room OF the hotel
leaving Simms in the charge oi