The sun., 1897-12-05
THIS MooNsHINER UNDIsTURBED.
A Special Road Must he Buiit to Get Her to .
Court OF Justice.


KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Dec. 3--The internal
revenue officers Of this district are still con.
fronted with problem with which they have
been wrestling for years, nor are they any
nearer solution than when IL first presented
itself. In Hancock, one of tho widest of the
mountain counties of East Tennessee, there
lives a person who "stills" the ''dcw" that both
cheers and inebriates, in open violation of the
law; makes no attempt at concealment nor
desists ut the approach of tho officers. In spite
OF this the deputy marshals powerless to
bring this person to justice. And, moreover
this most daring and successful n,oonshiner Is
not desperate roaming the crags and peaks
with trusty rifle primed for the hapless ''reve.
noor,' but is woman. She is the famous
Mahala, or Betsy" Mullins. whose habitation
is one.roomed cabin on Ncwman's ridge, a
considerable cmincncc in Hancock county.
Betsy, as she is more generally known
though her given name is Mahala, owes her
immunity to the law to her avoirdupois. Her
weight for years has been the theme of song
and story in this region, and as n consequence
has assumed, in the current tales, fabulous
proportions. Very recently. however. a lover
of the truth went to the trouble of hauling
pair Of scales up the declivity. by way of a So
called road, and Mrs. Mullins obligingly tipped
the beam for him. and it was at 494 pounds
Although tho result disappointing to tho
mountain Munchauscns, who had hootcd at
anything under the 600 mark, it did not lessen
Mrs. Mul!ins's reputation for being the biggest
winning in these parts" The authenticated
weight was certainly sufficient to account for
the fact that Betsy had been permitted to
breathe the air of liberty undisturbcd by Uncle
81 ms minions of the law
Down the rough. mountain trail which leads
from her cabin 1t IL a physical impossibility to
transport Betsy. Unless an incline is built for
that special purpose or a pike constructed lead
ing to the mountain top. she must be loft to
pursue her. in the eyes OF the law, ncfarous
u .tfic. The marshals on several occasions
have been ungallant enough to destroy her rude
still but. this Is an insignificant injury TO tho
wildcattcr. Mash tubs and q worm are easily
secured again.
Mrs. Mullins is about go years old and is as
sisted by II daughter. The rest of her family
have passed away Those who have been to
her cabin, and no stranger passes through that
grimage, represent her very dark skinned
and unprcpossessing in appearance. She is so
large that in order to look after her process of
manufacture she reclines on a bed. Her
favorite product is "apple.jack," and when it
comes from the of her still il Is as crystal
ly pure as the water that gurgles from noun
tain spring. This concoction looks exceedingly
harmless. but it is the cause of many a shoot
ing from ambush and feeds the fires OF the fam
lly feuds OF the rough people living thereabouts.
The only courtesy expected of prying visitors
by Mrs. Mullins is that they make small pur.
chase of her stock in trade. She does not OBJ.
Jcct to the constant stream of callers, and
Several gentlemen of Knoxville. on tho occa-
sion of tho street fair and carnival given in
that city in October, thought it would be de-
this woman transported to that city to furnish
one of the sights of the fair. But in spite of
her Willingness to make the attempt Il was
reasons that have made it impossible for the
officers to bring her to justice.