The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-01
SHOT STOPPED THE DUEL.
1t Had Been Bloody One with
Knives.
From the New York Press.

From the New York Press
"Whoever says that the average West
Virginia moonshiner is merciful crea-
ture so far as revenue officers are con-
cerned, certainly doesn't know what he's
talking about" said a well-known rev.
enue agent to a Press reporter last night
Not long ago was in Bradford, Smyth
county, West Virginia. l heard that
moonshiners were operating along Tum-
bling Creek near the base of the Clinch
Mountains, and l determined to break
up their stills. / had been told that the
gang was a desperate one, and that if
went after them would probably lose my
life. l had dealt with makers of Illicit
whisky before. | started out at day.
break. accompanied by tall Virginian
who never experienced a thrill of fear
in his life When we got within about
three hundred yards of the place where
l had been told the still-house was situat-
ed we tied our horses and stole through
the wood toward the object of our raid
AS we neared the place we heard angry
voices. l looked out into the clearing
in which the still.house stood, and saw
two young moonshiners facing each other
"'Yo did tell EN-, yelled one of the
men.
THAT settled it. Out came their
knives. The blades flashed in the air
and it wasn't many seconds before they
were dripping with blood. They sIashed
into shreds, and ! knew that it was
but a question of time when both would
sink to the ground hurt or dead
while they We're fighting away l heard
yell. Next moment a short. heavy moon
sinner, with a thick yellow beard burst
into view, carrying a gun. Taking quick
went down like log. The other staggered
around to see who fired the shot. It was
his father.
'eThe son tried to answer, but he was
so weakened by the loss of blood and the
ferceness Of the struggle that he fell in a
faint beside the form of his adversary
Before we could raise a hand the old man
shot his sons foe a second time. He didn't
kill him; he only badly wounded him 1t
didn't take us a second after that to spring
out into the clearing and capture the old
man. You never saw such a surprised fell
low in your life: We tied him to tree.
How that old mountaineer did swear
and rave! ] never heard anything like IL
AS the wounded men were in no position
to prevent us from carrying out our plans,
we went and destroyed the still We turned
loose probably 800 gallons of Illicit stuff
When we stepped out into the clearing
again we found that the old man had
wrenched himself loose and escaped.
Take the case of Deputy Marshal Law
son Worrell. who was shot by moons hin
ers at the base of the Blue Ridge Noun
tainS, near HillsVille, two weeks ago.
Worrel and his companion, w. II. Thorn
ton, were told that some men were operat-
ing an Illicit distillery near the foot of the
once they would be able to destroy the
still as the moonshiners were away. They
regarded the man who told them the story
as a person who could be fully trusted
But, like all others of his class, he was
treacherous. The Inountaineer was a
moonshiner In disguise, and Worrell and
Thornton were led into am ambush. They
rode out into the dark, and kept on until
they got near the foot Of the mountain.
Then they dismounted, and walked to
the still-house. When almost in front of
the building, six men, armed with Win
chesters, rose up from behind a number
of logs and oDended fire upon the reve-
nue. men Worrel fell; Thornton escaped
in the darkness. A mOonshiner named
Jones, lifted. Worrel on his shoulders and
took him to a nearby house. Thornton
made his way to Mount Airey. n. G. He
saw a physician, and the next day he
started TO Worrelrs aid, with some rem
edies that the doctor had given him. While
riding along the lonely road he was set
upon by dozen or more moonshiners- Az
ter disarming him they dragged him from
his horse and beat him SO that he could