The Chipley banner. (Chipley, Washington County, Fla.) 1893-1943, 1897-09-11
MO0NSH|NERS K|LLDEPUT|ES
SIX UNITED STATES REVENUE MEN
AMBUSHED BY OUTLAWS.
A BLOODY BATTLE IN ARKANSAS.
Two Deputies Killed Outright, Two Is-
tally Wounded and Two Mystsri-
ously Disappear.

A special from Little Rock states
that six men were probably msssacred
in the wilds Of the mountains Of Pope
county Sunday. Two were killed out
right, two were fatally wounded and
left for dead, and two have mysteri-
ously disappeared and are either dead
or being held captive by bandits. The
killed are: Captain B. F. Taylor, OF
Searcy county, deputy United States
marshal; Joe Dodson, of Stone county,
deputy marshal.
The fatally wounded are brothers,
named Renfrow, of Searcy county.
The names OF the missing men are not
known, but they are supposed to be
deputy sheriffs from an adjoining
county. The victims were all deputy
United States marshals and deputy
sheriffs, and the men who dM the
work are moonshiners of the boldest
and most desperate class.
The scene of the crime was q gulch
or ravine in the mountains Of Pope
county, at q lonely spot, thirty.fve
miles from Russellville, the nearest
telegraph Office, and ten miles from
Witt Springs.
The region is wild and isolated. II
has for years been the favorite rendez-
vous Of counterfeiters and moonshin-
ers and is q district in which no law
abiding citizen can live.
The officers for o long time have
been trying to break up the lawless-
ness in that vicinity and many battles
between them and the desperadoes
have occurred. Captain B. F. Tay-
Tor, the richest man in Searcy county
and man of much prominence, de-
termined to help the officers in put
ting down crime. He secured COM
mission as deputy United States
marshal and led the posse in the raid
that resulted in his death. A few days
ago a successful raid was made in the
same locality, in which dozen moon
sinners were captured and carried to
Little Rock. One Of them told the
officers that at least fifty large distil-
leries were operating in the same
neighborhood.
Taylor with his posse located q
+ large moonshine outfit Saturday night
and decided to make the raid Sunday.
Proceeding slightly in advance Of his
men, Taylor was within thirty feet Of
the distillery when he was fred on
from ambush and instantly killed. As
Dodson ran up to Taylor he was also
shot dead. Rifles began to crack in
all directions and volley was fred
into the officers. The Renfrow
brothers fell MORALLY Wounded and
lay by the roadside until later in the
day, when traveller named Pack
came by. All traces of the bandits
had disappeared, as we'll an two Of the
deputy sheriffs. The latter have not
since been heard from.
Pack hurried to Russellville with
the news and the coroner, together
with a sheriff's posse, Immediately
started for the scene. TWAS not known
by whom the crime was committed,
but the officers believe the gang is
composed OF desperadoes led by Horace
Bruce and John Church, two Of the
most dangerous characters in that To-
cality,
Captain Taylor was an ex-captaln In
the federal army. He had served two
terms in the state legislature and was
noted for his bravery. Marshal Coop
err Monday afternoon received the fol-
lowing telegram from the attorney
general:
observation-disclosures OF posse subject
to executive approval, not to exceed $4,000,
authorized; e50o reward authorized for cap
ture and delivery to marshal Of all persons
implicated in the murder. "McKESSA."