The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-06-26
The Moonshiners' Revenge.

The little group had been indulging
in "reminiscences through the smoke Of
their cigars. The stories had taken on
tragic turn, In the party was
Representative from 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.
Il 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 I do
not know that I can expect you to
believe it, things are so different now
than they were then, you know"
There was general request to "go
on" and during the time consumed by
the Congressman in relating the story
each one present sat as if bound by
spell, no one uttering a word from
start to finish. This is what he said,
to the best Of my recollection, and I
paid strict attention to every word he
uttered:
cat 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.
It happened that one day, after an
exciting chase, sheriff's posse over
tookond captured two of the moon
sinners who were wanted, and as
result Of the trial which followed, each
received long sentence in prison. I
remember the incident quite we'll and
I recall with distinctness that there
were many threats, some of them
made openly, that the witnesses for
the prosecution would suffer dire con-
sequences for having taken the parts
they did. One of these witnesses
was a man of middle age, as fearless
as lion, who lived in a small log
cabin, some three and half miles
from the county seat where the trial
had been held, in an isolated noun
famous region. He lived with his son,
a young fellow, born and reared in the
section, man who had seemingly in
herited the courage and vigor of his
father. He was one of my own age,
and as I was, and have since been, on
intimate terms with him, I am able
to relate the incidents which occurred
in an accurate manner.
Scarcely week had elapsed from
the time the pair of moonshiners were
convicted when the old man was sur
prised one afternoon, an hour before
sunset, just as he was entering his
cabin home Two men had their rifles
leveled at his breast, and, being taken
unawares, he had no course left but to
throw up his hands as they commanded.
As it turned out, had the outlaws been
content to shoot their victim then and
there and thus ended the affair it
would have been we'll for them, but
they were intent upon torturing their
enemy and the means they employed
were the most fendish and cold blood
ed that pair of cut-throats' minds
could we'll conjure up. They followed
the old man into his home, bound his
hands securely behind his back, tied
his feet tightly together and finally
dashed him in an upright position to
the stonework of the fireplace. They
next gagged their prisoner, dragged
the heavy article of furniture which
answered for table to a position in
front Of him, placing an old-fashioned
chair on its top. In another moment
they had securely fastened the barrel
of the old mans rifle to the chair, in
such manner that its ominous muzzle
was directly on level with his heart.
One of the villains next produced g
piece of stout cord, carefully made a
slip-noose in one end and drew the
moose tightly over the hammer of the
weapon. The other end Of the cord
was soon fastened to convenient nail
in the wall at the other side of the
room, after which, with deliberate
GOODNESS, the heavy table and chair
were pushed little nearer the bound
man until the rife was almost at full
cock. 1t would be difficult for any
man accustomed though he might bt
to danger and death to imagine the