Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-10-28
RAID BY REVENUES.

RAID BY REVENUES.
Internal Revenue Officer r. H. Dobson
of Yorkville, assisted by Mr.. P. w. Love,
also of Yorkville, and Mr.. Larkin Little of
Blacksburg, made an important capture
of moonshiners near Kings Mountain
battle-ground last Friday night. The cir
cumstance was favored with consider
able spice of adventure, and the under
standing is that there came near being a
tragedy.
Having gotten information that block
ade distillery was being operated in the
vicinity of the battle-ground by one Mar
Gus Whitener,. Officer Dobson managed
to secure diagram of the locality, and
on Friday, accompanied by Mr.. Love, he
set out to make capture.
Inquiry at Blacksburg developed the
fact that Whitener was an old hand at
the moonshine business. He had been
dodging the revenues" for years, and
although he had had several close shaves,
he had never yet been brought to grief.
His reputation was that of devil-may-
care, desperate fellow who would just as
lief shoot revenue officer as squirrel,
and his partner, Andy Boheler, was man
of the same general character. There
fore, Officer Dobson was advised it would
be we'll to proceed with prudence.
The information secured at Blacksburg
was only in the line of what the officers
already knew, and of course they were
not to be deferred from their purpose.
They deemed it advisable, however, to
take along at least one more man, and
after securing the services of Mr.. Larkin
Little man wellknown for his GOODNESS
and nerve under conditions of personal
danger, the party hired a two horse wag-
on, and armed with shotguns and revol-
vers, started off about dark on their
somewhat dangerous errand.
1t had been raining during the day and
fine mist was still falling. The moon
was up; but obscured by the clouds, its
light was of little service, and the men
had not gone great way before they be-
gan to experience considerable difficulty
in following the rough trails which serve
i'm the vicinity for roads. After proceed
ing about nine miles in the direction in
dicated in the diagram, the officers began
to figure that they were close in the neigh
borhood of the object of their search !;
but pretty soon it dawned upon them that
they were lost. After making judicious
inquiry at house near by, the proper
direction was taken up again. On account
of the broken nature Of the country the
wagon had to be abandoned, and the lit
tie party proceeded on foot. After mile
or more of tedious travel over hills and
hollows, in an almost inaccessible ravine
some distance ahead, one of the officers
saw fiickering light.
There being little reason to doubt that
the light came from the fire that was be-
ing used by the moonshiners, there was
hurried council of war, carried on in
whispers, and the three officers crept for
ward on their hands and knees until they
got within so yards of the suspicious
looking place. Here they came to halt.
Before them was breastwork Of brush,
and inside of it could be seen two upright
forks which supported in horizontal po-
sition stout pole. The bright glow Of
fire was shining through the brushy walls,
and although no men were to be seen or
heard, it was apparent that the pole was
intended to support a covering for an illic-
it still. Favored by the dampness which
prevented any rustling of the leaves, Mr..
Love cautiously crept nearer until he got
close enough to hear the murmur of a low
conversation that was being carried on in
side the roofless enclosure.
Although he had not been able to see
anyone, Mr.. Love made his way back
to his companions, delivered his report
and all three crawled forward to within
few yards of the brushy breastwork.
Then suddenly jumping to their feet, they
presented their guns. There were just
three men inside of the inclosure, all re-
clining about the fire. Their surprise
was complete. At the sudden rush of the
officers each arose to a sitting position but
none of them got any further. Two of
them were looking into the shotguns OF
Love and Little, while the other was COW
cred by two revolvers in the hands of Dob
son. The moonshiners looked about
themselves as if hesitating what course
to pursue; but this was only for an in
slant. In less than two seconds after the
move just mentioned, in immediate res
ponse to command from Officer Dobson,
there was slight change in the thrilling
tabeaux, and by the light of the distillery
fire the six arms and 30 fingers Of the three
moonshiners could be seen pointing in
the direction Of the cloud obscured heav-
ems.
The captured moonshiners, caught in
the act, were Marcus Whitener, Bill
Boheler and Andy Boheler. Still under
cover of the shot guns, they were marched
to one side and allowed to look on while
Officer Dobson gathered up four revol-
vers, and with all axe destroyed their
plant. There was probably about 700 or
800 gallons of beer and about 10 gallons of
beer whisky and on the hillside nearby q
large quantity of meal. 1t looked as If
the men had been calculating OH remain
ing in the neighborhood for sometime.
In all his long years Of moonshining,
Whitener had never before had such an
experience and his emotions can better be
imagined than described. While Officer
Dobson was engaged in the pittiless de-
struction Of his cherished apparatus,
through his clenched teeth, he Missed Ian |