The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-08-31
THEY TACKLED MOONSHINERS,
BLOODY BATTLE IN THE MOUNT
AIMS OF ARKANSAS.
Two Deputy Marshals Dead, Two Sc
riously Wounded and Two More
Missing-Besult of Being At
tackled In Ambush.

Little Rock, Ark, Aug. 3O.-Six men
were probably massacred in the wilds
of the mountains of Pope county yes
terday afternoon. Two were killed out
right, two fatally wounded and left for
dead, and two have mysteriously disap-
| peared and are either dead Or are being
held captives by the blood thirsty ban
dts who committed the awful crime.
The killed are Captain B. +. Taylor of
Searcey county, a deputy United States
marshal, and Joe Dodson Of Stone coun-
ty, q deputy marshal.
The fatally wounded are two 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 coun-
| ty. The victims were all officers. deputy
marshals and deputy sheriffs, and the
men who did the awful work of car
mage are mocnshiners of the boldest
and most desperate class.
The scene of the bloody crime was a
guIch or ravine in the mountains of
Pope county, an isolated spot miles
! from RuSSellville, the nearest telegraph
office, and ten miles from Willow
Springs.
A few days ago a. successful raid was
made in the same locality in which a
| dozen moonshiners were captured and
brought to Little Rock. One Of them
| told the officers that at least 50 large
distillers were operating in the same
| neighborhood.
| Taylor, with his posse, located a large
moonshine outfit Saturday eight and
| decided to make the raid Sunday in
daylight.
Proceeding slightly in advance of his
men. Taylor was within SO feet Of the
distillery when he was suddenly fired
upon from ambush and instantly killed
! As Dodson ran up to Taylor he was
also shot dead in his tracks Pistols be-
! gan to crack in all directions and a ter
rible Yolley was poured into the remain
| ing officers.
The Renfrow brothers fell mortally
wounded and lay by the roadside IN
til, later in the day, q traveller named
Pack CHANGED by. All traces of the
bandits have disappeared, as well as
two of the deputy shegiffs. The latter
have not since been heard from and
| are believed either to have been killed
! or wounded or taken away captive by
| the noonshiners.
! The traveller rushed to Ruesellville
with the news and the coroner, with a
sheriffs posse, started for the scene.
| Nc news has been received since they
/ denarted-
Pack thinks the Renfrow brothers
will be dead before the party reaches
them. It is not known by whom tie
murders were committed. but the off
GERS believe the gang is composed of
desperadoes headed by Horace Bruce
and John Church, two of the most dan
gerous characters in that locality.
The officers were today asked to Of
fer a reward for the arrest of the gang.
to which the state will contribute, and
a determined effort Will De made to cap
ture them.
It is very probable the effort viii lead
to further bloodshed
Captain Taylor was an eX-captain in
the federal army. He had served two
terms in the state legislature and was
noted for his bravery.
Marshal George Corser this afternoon
received the following telegram from
the attorney general:
Washington. Aug. 30.-Expense of
posse, subject to executive approval,
not to exceed $1,000. authorized Five
hundred dollars reward authorized for
capture and delivery TO marshal of all
persons implicated in the murder
I M KENNA''