Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-12-03
AFIREWATER A SPRING
6ANGUlNARY PLANS OF WILD INDIANS
cLEVERLY FRUSTRATED.

How Smuggler on a Government Reser-
vation Laid Out Band Of Red Devils
With Forty Rod Whisky and Saved the
Lives of Six Prisoners.
A Star man happened to meet a man
who had served term or two or three
in various penitentiaries, hadn't served
several be should have served and is
likely to serve more before be il through
with himself OF course that kind OF a
man was interesting, and after time,
when he got to talking under the mel
lowing influence of things made for the
purpose, he was more interesting.
When / was years younger than
| am now. he said, II was out in the
mountains Of the west on a government
reservation, where l could make money
by selling whisky under post prices. I
was always on the make, and 80 SNUG
gled in dozen or more gallons and had
them hid in a cave ten miles or SO out
of reach. The cave was q kind of two
story affair, the upper story being my
secret, and there l had my jugs of liq-
uor hid away, and from there l carried
it out in smaller quantities for distri-
button. The lower part of the cave was
20 feet below the upper chamber, and
in this part was basin Of water, which
bad dripped from the upper part. 1t did
not contain more than gallon OF water.
knew it was easily exhausted, for I
spent many a night there, and found
there WASH water enough to boil ket-
tie with
''Well, about the time 1 got in my
second installment of fire juice the In
dians got bad and began creeping in
toward the settlements. l thought my
cave was unknown to the Indians as
well as the whites, but it appears that
it wasn't, and one morning barely had
time to slip out Of my down stairs room
and get up in the loft before ! 0 or ID Of
the bloodiest looking braves you ever
saw squatted il front Of my residence
and began holding a council Of war. In
half an hour or more all Of them except
one went away, and be remained to
keep watch.
AT noon three returned with five
white prisoners, and at O'Clock the rest
Of them came in with a girl about
years old. just what they were going
to do was not apparent, and it wasn't
easy for me to find ont, because when /
came down TO point where could see
was in danger Of getting caught my
self. / did see enough, though, to show
me that the five white prisoners, who
were all old men, hadn't much chance
for their lives, but that the child would
be carried away. To save myself had
been my first thought, and now to save
these poor wretches was first
"While I was debating what to do or
give it up as bad job one Of the In
dians went to the spring and got some
water. That was my cue. In minute
more I was back up in my chamber, just
over the headw aters Of the spring, and,
having turned the drip into another
channel, started stream Of that kill
at 40 rod whisky down the shoot and then
slipped back to watch the proceedings
They were discussing when to kill the
prisOners-I knew enough Indian to
know that. And when it was about de-
termined to hold them over day and
see if they couldn't pick up few more
and have a real big time, another Of
them went over to the spring for water.
This time 1t wasn't SO much water as it
had been. Whatever it was made the
ugly redskin give big 'Ughp Of delight,
and the others went over to him. Well,
it isn't necessary for me to go into par
ticulars
Anybody, even a reporter, knows
what becomes Of an Indian or a dozen
of them when there are unlimited guam
titles Of frewater at their disposal, and
as soon as saw how the thing was GO
ing hurried back and set another jug
to work. was little afraid they might
get ugly drunk and kill their prisoners,
but evidently they hadn't had much to
eat that day, and the liquor was getting
in its work on empty stomachs. What
ever was the cause, before 1 had any
idea that it was time for it the whole
of them was full and in few minutes
more they were lying around the little
basin Ct the spring so drunk they could
not move hand or foot.
"Then it was my time to play, and |
corked up the liquor upstairs for anoth-
er day and went down stairs. There
WASH L much time for thanks, because
we didn't know when the enemy might
make it unpleasant for Us. So told the
prisoners to take care OF the Indians
while 1 took care of the little girl. which
l did by taking her outside Of the cave,
where she could breathe the free air Of
heaven once more. You see, kind Of
thought they might like to attend to
things themselves, " he added apologet-
ically and stopped.
"And did theyf" inquired the report
er az the narrator seemed to think he
had reached the end Of bis story.
II suppose they did, Y he replied AT
least, wnen | went back to the cave,
about a month later, when the war had
simmered down somo, 1 found the bodies
of them Indians almost as well preserved
as if they had been put up in alcohol,
that dern whisky of mine was so power
| full, you know. / was always kind Of
sorry / hadu t sent the prisoners to take
care Of the little girl while / took care
Of them Indians BY cripes. never got
cent for the liquor they drankF'-
I