Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1897-05-21
The Moonshiners' Revenge.

The little group had been indulging
in "reminiscences through the smoke of
their cigars. The stories had taken on
n tragic turn. In the party was
Representative from a Southern State,
and when the others stopped as though
it had come to his turn he was slow to
break the silence. He ran his fingers
through his mass of iron-gray, hair as
if in meditation and then leisurely
consulted his watch
&C might tell you bit of history, :"
said he, "a story which was familiar
to almost all the inhabitants in our
section some thirty years ago, but l do
not know that / can expect you to
believe it, things are so different now
than they were then, you know"
There was general request to ego
on, aud during the time consumed by
the Congressman in relating the story
each one present sat as if bound by a
spell, no one uttering word from
start to finish. This is what he said,
to the best Of my recollection, and l
paid strict attention to every word he
uttered:
= At the time this little tragedy was
enacted the mountainous regions of
our state were infested with illicit dis
tillers. They were dangerous men,
and as reckless of the consequences of
law-breaking as they were dangerous.
1t happened that one day, after an
Eexciting chase, sheriffs posse over
fook and captured two of the moon
miners who were wanted, and as a
hsult of the trial which followe |, each
rceived long sentence in prison. |
remember the incident quite well and
lecall with distinctness that there
wee many threats, some of them
mae openly, that the witnesses for
theProsecution would suffer dire con-
seqences for having taken the parts
they did. One of these witnesses
was man of middle age, as fearless
as a ION, who lived in a small log
cabln,some three and a half miles
from te county seat where the trial
had ben held, in an isolated noun.
talnouSegion. He lived with his son,
younsfellow, born and reared in the
sectionR man who had seemingly in
herlted te courage and vigor of his
father. lie was one of my own age,
and as l las, and have since been, on
intimate erms with him, | am able
TO relate tse incidents which occurred
in an accutte manner.
Scarcei a week had elapsed from
the TIME thspair of moonshiners were
convicted W en the old man was sur
prlsed one aernoon, an hour before
sunset, Just he was entering his
cabin home. Two men had their rifles
ieVeied at hlslreast, and, being taken
unawares, ne I'D no course left but tC
throw up ms hads as they commanded.
As IL turned ou had the outlaws been
content TO shoofheir victim then and
there and thusended the affair il
would have heeltwell for them but
they were lhtehtllpon torturing their
enemy and the Ans they emploved
were the most fieAish and cold blood.
ed that par OF kut-throats' minds
could well coniureb. They followed
the old man into hhbome bound his
nands securely bend his back, tied
his feet tightly togeler and finally
lashed him in an upyht position to
the stonework of theirenlace They
next gagged their ploner. draooed
the heavy article of arnitnre which
answered for table toa nosition in
front of him, placing aold-fashioned
chair on its top. In antbar moment
they had securely fastenl the barrel
% the old mans rife totbe chair in
such a manner that its on, ,o,s mu11Ia
was directly on level vi his heart
One of the villains next 3rodpced n
piece of stout cord, carefI, rnoda a
slip-noose in one end ant Jrow tbo
moose tightly over the haniir Of the
weapon. The other end otbo cord
was soon fastened to a conyt;ant no;I
in the wall at the other iii of +bo
room, after which, with uihoroto
eoolness, the heavy table AZ oho;r
were pushed little nearer th,horrd
man until the rifle was almost a f,,lI
cock. 1t would be difficult ID anv
man accustomed though he NIL ~
to danger and death to imag;1 tbe
feelings of the prisoner as he re;9ed
that the seyering of the cord Aant
instant death He was not left na
in suspense as to the nature oihe
death-deaing means his enemies aJ
prepared for him, for in shorter L :
than it takes to relate it, they \
taken candle from the window 4
lighted it. placed it conveniently up
small box they had placed upon /
table in such manner that the fiai
had but to burn half hour until
should reach the cord and burn it
two. And in another moment, will
few tstating remarks, they were gor