The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-08-31
KILLED BY MOONSH|NERS
y. s. Deputy Marshals Fired
Upon From Ambush.
NOTED RENFREW BROTHERS
Were Wounded in the Battle That Followed
Near the Illicit StiIl-POpe cOun-
tvs Richest Man Dead.

Little Rock, Ark, Aug. 3O-Two deputy
United states marshals are dead. two are
seriously wounded and two more are
missing as me result of an attack on a
posse of officers by band of moonsniners
in Pope county yesterday.
The dead are:
B. F. TAYLOR. of starcy county.
JOE DoDsoN. of Stone county.
The wounded are:
THE RENFREw BROTHERS.
The names of the missing men are no.
given. but they are supposed to be deputy
shesiffs OF searey county.
Taylor, one of the murdered men, was
60 years of age. and was lhe wealth.est
man in searcy county.
Dodson was a well-known deputy and
had been a terror to moonshiners for
years.
The six officers were on moonshiner
raid, when the fatal affair occurred. They
had approached to within thiuLy yards os
an iEtcit distlllery, when they were fired
upon from ambush. Taylor and Dod5oa
fell dead at The first volley. The shoot
ing occurred thirty-five miles from Rug
1lxvfl1o vxv.4a
Springs. The locality is in the noun
tainfs, and has for MANY years been IA
vorf.e rendezvous for moonsniners and
eounterfeytere. The news Of the tragedy
was brought to Russellville this morning
by DR.. Pack who came for he coroner.
The men who did the shooting are sup
posed to be gang of moonshiners led
by Horace Bruce and John Church, two
of the most desperate characters in that
raris of the state.
The victims were ali United States
marshals and deputy sheriffs, and the
men who did the work are moonshiners
of the boldest and most desperate class
The scene of the crime was a gulcl or
ravine in the mountains of Pope county,
Isolated, thirty-five miles from RUSSELL
vile, the nearest telegraph Office, ard
ten miles from Witt Springs. The re-
gion is wild and isolated. 1t has for
years been a rendezvous for counterfeit
ers and moon sinners and is district in
which no law-abiding citizen can live.
The officers for a long time have been
trying to break up the lawlessness in
that vicinity, ard many battles between
them and the desperadoes have occurred.
Capt. B. F. Taylor was the richest man
in SeaIcy county and a man determined
to hslp the officers in putting down crime
He secured company of deputy United
States marslha1s and led the posse that
resulted in his death. A few days ago a.
successful raid was made in the same 10
cality, in which dozen moonshiners
were captured and brought to Little
Rock. One of them told the officers that
at least fifty large distilleries were oper-
ating in the same neighborhood. Taylor
with his large posse located a large
moonshine outfit Saturday night and de-
| cided to make the raid Sunday.
| Proceeding slightly in advanc- of the
| posse the captain was within fifty feet
| of, the distillery when he was fired on
| from ambush and instantly kil.ad. As
| Dodson' ran up to Taylor he was instantly
| killed. Rifles began to crack in all drec-
| tons and volley~w firsd into the
| officers Renfrew brothers fell instantly
and lay by the rcaj iside when a travelling
man named Pack came by. All traces of
| the bandits had disappeared, as we'll as
| two of the deputy sheriffs. The latter
| have not been seen or heard from. Pack
| hurried to RussellviTe with the news
| and the coroner, together with a sGleriffs
posse, Immediately started for the scene.
| No news has been received since they
departed. Pack thinks the Renfrew
brothers are the only ones alive.
l. The Urtted States au. horities were to-
| day asked to offer a reward for the arrest
| of the gang, to which the state viii con-
| tribune, and a determined effort will be
made to capture them. 1t is very prco-
able the effort will lead to other blood
| shed.
| Capt. 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 Cooper this afternoon received
| the following telsgl am from the attorney
| general:
4 "Washington, Aug. 30-Dispose of poSes
4 spbjec. Ito executive authority. No. to
i exceed $1,000 authorized Five hundred
i dollars reward authorized for the cap
i fure and delivery to marshars of all men
i Implicated in the crime.
4 (Signed) "M'KENNA"