The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-09-05
woMAw As M-oorsHrrER.
Ezpcrsspee 90 = For,nsr nsvsnue OG,cer In
Tennessee.

tFlCL NOuTb ~ ENhSuNDlO, lonn., n DrOI6hHlOHhl
approached me cautiously In the corrt-
dor OF the Custom House and asked mo in q
whisper h I would pay him IL ho
wo I'D lead me to q moonshine still. l told him
that the amount paid was from q to Sl2. I
pnid nothing for finding the still, but would
employ him as 'guid~" at the rate of q per
day, and a. guard at the sane ratio, pro.
the latter was necessary. He told me
that when he located II he would write, and that
I must be sure and meot him and follow his d.
About q month after this interview
I received q letter from him telling mo to
como 10 Lawrcnceburg on II certain day. and
after dark TO start out on the Waynesboro road.
Six miles from town, at a double log house, the
roads forkod, aud ] wa to take q plain left
hand road, follow this for four or Ave miles,
and l would arrive at a house with a well Oh
the side OF the road that had Ia long sweep over
1t, After passing this about 100 yards | was
to take o path leading m u hollow TO the right,
folio " this path about q INTO until ! camo TO a
cross-holow, turn up the right-hand hollow,
and blow my whistle and lo would moGt me.
No ono but u revenue officer would start out
at night to destroy q citiEon's property, en-
dure the hardships and fatigue, AMI run the
risk OF being ambushed and killed ulou such
Information, especially when 1t was known that
the suLhor WAS Infinitely meaner than Tie party
to be despoiled and arrested.
revenue officer, | arrived al LawronceVurg on
time, aud rom inquiries learned that the seo-
s sos..! !. %e o%iSs 70 4. v russ "a s cssrs %iiiisui' WI 2,
hired horses at the Livery stable. and After sup
per sailed forth. We had but little dihiculty
In finding the rendezvous and our guide,
though the latter was so completely disguised
with lampblsck and eheepsktn wliskers as TO
BE- s,r snrssSIai ,1ss: s s9 pS - y ; 1snsjD: NJ fAI ,i, .;lt II;
lie declared that he did not Know; that he
had come upon 1t UNEXPECTEDLY while hunting,
ascertain. lie carried us through the woods,
along what l took TO 10 = hog trail. over an ex-
tended ridge, down Into o ras inc, whore we
and as many inches i'll depth. Turning up thus
and following 1t for several hundred yards, We
s sRHfiDs'h ppob a S0Fr los S0t feet. 'ig st Spiansn' vs. n" in
front OF q heavy underground springiuy frOu.
The swamp formed by the branch spreading oAt
100 yards beyond. We divided orr forces,
two Of the party crossing over the swamp and
going Txns up Jo; on the me U % o.. p,s siao' ' Ne f "Syss ana I'd
cautiously a. tho Indian surprising his victim,
and when within twenty PAGES = low signal
was given and we sprang forward
II was unoocupied.
We round q furnace with Il nice ifteen-Railon
copper ON 1t and the dry wood piled up around
ing the copper boiler with the worm stand
In which was a copper worm, something an
uhual. as they are generally maze oi lead mash
tubs and barrels full or beer ready for dlstiiiu.
ton. The apparatus was under a brush arbor
made BY arriving four posts in the ground. with
forks at the top. and the whCle Enclosed by nail
ing poles TO the posts. Tbs was done to prevent
stock from trespassing upon the premises. Tne
floor was dirt. WAS struck with the neatness
OF tho place. The floor had been swept with b
bundle Of switches that WIS setting ag4ins; u
beer barrel. We could destroy the still a; any
time, and considered II OF higher Importance 10
capture thoee who operated II We therefore
concealed. ourselves, determined TO await the
S @ aiotH a. a. n sh' 9ee' soSIa hear ts w eS.c hsm s sSSwi .
on the hill above US. and, after daylight, voices,
indicating that there was d settlement near Us.
About : o'clock we heard persons talking aid
evidently approaching from above. Presently
o woman about 80 years Of age with an ord nary
garden hoe IN her nand. followed by a boy Of -
with All ax Iii his hand and small single barrel
shotgun, was seen approaching from The dircc.
ton we Judged tho settlement was. We per.
United them 10 BASS unnu!cstod. They climbed
tho low tenco. Ihe woman LAID her bonnet Oh
an empty box after .ho aSd set heT hoo down,
sot mis- gun down within thc Enclosure.
At this rIuInent the !utal deputy ami mar.
shall appee red and 1 followed from the opposite
but regarded US for a moment with as
much contempt as l felt ut being placed ia
sueh. q position. Finally sho sp!ed our guide
him CLOSELY from head 10 loot and said: You
are the poor. ni-ernble SKUNK that ptlpted these
time nashing with Indignation, he said: II DO
noL.blame you'ns. You arc only doing your
duty, but tha. m!se:at.e wholp yondsr 10 had
long as I would lie, him have Il. aud Ven /
retl sea him no run. or and brings you'ns here 4,
recognize him II MS miserable Old head was on,
ict alone BACKED and trimnod with the SKIN OF
Some sheep thai he stole nskei her n"mc.
suuundrti gave II To you l assured her mat
he had not, bat. on the contrary toll u, that he
was ignorant o! it. The sneaktnG liar! lie
ha, been here a dozen times, and owes mo now
Sl2 Tor wAiskey," she then gave MT Aer uano
l told her 1t was my duty 10 place her and h,g
son under arrest and destroy the property. AT
this aho broke down alIu commenced crying.
Her sou walked up 10 where she Was and tried
to comfort her by assuring her that they could
make "a living some other way; that no would
told her that l would take her personal re.
cogutZance to appear before tho Commissioned
at SONS future time when II would suit my con.
vcnlence and ncrs, and that l would pay her II
khe Won d return 10 the house and prepare Us
unexpected kindness surprised hor. and shs
commenced crying again. aud started TO tho
the lad To get tho horses, and when they wore
al gone cut up the copper and worm and emp
tied out the toer, leaving tho barrels for her
While waiting for our breakfast . / noticed 4
small account book Oh tbs mhntel board. aud
/ found the entr'cs made in u masculine ham
and accounted for tho sale OF whiskey. roceipts
When breakfast was finished and we TO
paired to the room where l had found the book
! the only room they had except q shed affair tina,
oDrvg1 lD0 uOuDlu puEIOHC " u ktttuUN ana am
! ing room, I took the hook from the manic
board and asked her To explain It's contents
Her statement WAS az follows: "My HUSBAND
bought the stu that you'ns have DESTROYED
from n ncighbor whose name | cannot give
He paid about half on II, when LIE died. lenvins
me with six children that you see here around
me. ! had helped him about the business be
fore we moved here. and as | understood II, IN,
gentleman Us owned IL and sold 1t 20 my nus
band lowed that | could continue the business!
and that the officers would not ba likely TO dis
turb ne. ] told him ! had no education. II,
said he would help me, and he fotch that bool
and sets down for me what whiskey he gifts nnC
what others git. and who is entitled to whlske,
whom a run Is made. on account OF furnishing
meal. l fatten my hogs and get enough mea
TO make my bread out'n II, but II II was no
for the rascals and deadbeats that Kit it on
credit and never pay | could do pretty well.
asked how much the guide owed her, and sh,
said she thought It was Sl2: that it was "sot'
down In the book. She WAS especially iucenset
at him becn use he got tho whiskey, not to drink
but 10 sell. / paid her for our breakfast an
feed and left. From the account book / got al
tho facts necessary to discipline tho neiShbor
hood. / had tho former owner, the guide, every
body who carried meal there 20 DO made mi,
whiskey on shares, arrested at my leisure.
used her and her son ~ witnesses against them
They were allowed mileage, and ATTEND
ance' before the Commissioner, eighteen mile
away, In each case; mileage" and ATTEND
.n,nS5 h.Snra tho JTuitad Statas No,., N, NJ