Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-12-29
In MOONSHINE LAND.
LIFE As REVEALED NY AN EPISODE
THAT Is CHARACTERISTIC.
The story of Raid After Offenders
Against the United states Revenue
Laws and the Interesting Outcome
of the Expedition.
Courier Journal.)


moonshine country that lies far back In
the hills under the morning shadows OF
the Cumberland, and had captured only
one pot still, which hadn't capacity for
more than five gallons at a run, and was
scarcely worth chopping up. Late in the
afternoon. as we logged over the crest
of ridge Tom Hollifield. riding in front,
suddenly drew rein and sat motionless In
his saddle, gazing intently across the
valley at slender spiral of blue smoke
that coiled lazily skyward from among
the purple shadows OF cove in the
further hills. 1t was the same Tom Holli-
field who killed Arch Madden in the
brush with the Adams gang on Carr
water, when Deputy Marshal Wireman
went down before the murderous rifles
masked among the thick apple blossoms
Of Oldham Stampers orchard. With a
level head and nerveless finger on the
trigger to bolster desperate courage, he
was seasoned veteran of a hundred
raids, and at sleuthing out moon
sinners hiding place there was not man
In the service who could approach him.
Directly he turned with jubilant smile
to the rest of the posse, and said: There
is a still, sure, boys" And at the word,
as by one impulse, every spur drove TO
flank for blood, and the little cavalcade
went gathering pell-mell UP the valley
road. kicking up great whirls of dust
as it dashed away through strips of tim
Der, across the clear fords Of little
streams, by fields, and hill pastures,
glimpsed swiftly over tumbledown stone
walls or lichened rail-fences, and past
orchards lying buried in pink mists of
bloom.
AS we swung at top speed past way
side cabin, a girl in a homespun gown,
with a yellow bandana filleted about her
hair. rushed out of doors with a long
gourd mack in her neck in her hand.
Standing relieved against the pendant
masses of morning giories about the little
front porch, a vision of quick beauty to
the hurrying squad, she placed the gourd
neck to her lips and wound blast upon
it that fell on the air with the mellow,
mournful, long-drawn cadence OF fox
hunters horn. 1t was signal TO the
men at work at the base of that column
of smoke that there was danger in the
wind With a sudden stiff pull upon the
rein Bill Osborne. OF Magoffiu, brought
his mount back upon Its launches, and
leaping from the saddle, 5natched the
rude trumpet from the dauntless maid,
and all ungallantly shivered it TO shreds
against a stone. But the warning so
bravely given accomplished its purpose.
When We came upon the still-house, hid
den away in "a tangle of laurel and ivy
brush, the fire was still burning in the
furnace, the boiling mash was singing
h.. nd Dt1F
colorless liquor was dripping from the
worm through a gOurd funnel into an
earthenware jug. But the moonshiners
had found safety in the tall timber on
the heights.
The capture effected, the work Of de-
struction began. Cicero Cox, Of Hazard
crest his soul he died few years ago
in delirium with ghosts about his bed
ghosts OF the victims he murdered from
ambush. for hire in the Eversole-French
feud), was chopping the copper still full
of holes and battering and flattening it
out of all shape, when Revenue-Agent
Brown. in command. ordered four of us
off on a hurried expedition to attempt
the capture of a noted law-breaker named
Jesse Combs Combs was reputed
TO be a swashbuckling, dangerous fellow.
who drank his own private brand OF
liquor and snapped his fingers at the
statutes. He was supposed TO live at
the head of a ravine that debouched into
the valley. With no chance at the bonny
brown Jug that sat temptingly beneath
the drip of the fakestand. nor with so
much as a swig from the barrelful OF
cold, white beer that stood in n still
house corner, we four, of this unwelcome
detail, set out upon our quest Old Joe
Wilson went along as captain of the
squad--Joe Wilson, Of Adair. grim OF Wis
age, iron-gray of hair. inhexible in the
performance of an official duty. and CAL
loused by years of service. We took the
back trail to the mouth of the ravine.
There we dismounted. and having teth-
cred our horses in the underbrush
skirting the road, struck up the hollow
on foot
1t was already growing dusk the SKY
was overcast and ravels of sombre clouds
were dragging over the tops OF the
shaggy heights with threat Of rain. In
view Of a possible ambuscade, we unslung
our rifles and carried them ready, with
our thumbs upon the hammers. as sports
men do who watch alertly for the quarry
to break cover. Picking our way eau
tously among the trees, we came al
length to a little bowlder-covered sum
NIT and saw the black silhouette of a
cabin etched against lurid streak OF SKY
that famed between the dark clouds ano
the shadowy hills above the point where
the sun had dipped. We halted for a
whispered council OF war, and old Wilson
| crouching behind a mass OF rock with ms
| rifle across his knees, unfolded his plan
| of action. One posseman and myself
were TO make a rapid detour, flank the
| position and attack from the rear; WI
son and the other were to storm the
| front. With the wariness and silence OF
moccasined Indians, our movement was
carried through The assault of our di-
| vided forces was simultaneous. Wher
Wilson and his companion burst oper
| the front door my companion and 1 flung
| in at the back. For a moment after We
| had gained the thresholds IL was all sc
| dark inside that we were not sure there
| was any garrison at all in the fortress
we had been at such pains 10 take, bu
| as our eyes grew accustomed to the OBJ
scurity we were able to look about Vi
| and discover with whom we had to do.
There was but one room in the cabins
dlney squalid room, with bare walls anC
smoky rafters. barring the dark space:
| beneath the gable, and furnished in Z
wretched style that was eloquent o.
| poverty. A roughly-made bed sat at on
| side. There were few rickety chairs, {
table, and spinning wheel on In cor
ner. A tongue of flame lcaed ttfullN
about a log on the firedOgs in the deel
omen chimney, and went out in smoky
eclipses A slip of a boy was tumbiin,
! about the puncheon floor, absorbed In pla!
with some squad young person In pima