Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-05-06
FOUND IN A CAVE.
Kentucky Officers Discover a Moon.
sinners Outfit.
a Crooked Whisky DistiIlery u Mile
Under Ground-Success of
Desperate Under
taking.

When, some weeks ago, Deputy Col
lector j. G. Wilson, of Harrodsburg, KY,
and Deputy Tom Austin, of Lancaster,
quietly perfected plans to visit Rock
rastle county and raid the moonshiners
still in what is known as Salt Petre
cave, they did not dream of the find
they would make. This cave is situated
on Crooked creek, in one of the widest
sections of country to be found in Ken
lucky, and has long been known as q
rendezvous of the worst class of law
breakers, and for this reason hasalways
been given wide berth by government
men, none of whom ever dared explore
it. When they began their preparations
for The raid they were warned by some
who were familiar with the desperate
character of the outlaws to forego the
undertaking, but this they refused to
do.
One morning the posse leftLivingston
station, ON the Knoxville branch of the
Louisville & Nashville railroad, and,
after ride that lasted until nine that
night, arrived at the cave. Entering the
hole in the side of the mountain, they
traversed O distance of GOO feet and
came to narrow defle which they
were compelled to pass in single file,
and which led them into spacious
apartment At the further side Of the
chamber was On opening that led down.
ward to q depth of 30 feet, the bottom
Of which they reached by means of a
role placed there for that purpose by
those who utilized the cave for their
unlawful purposes.
Reaching the bottom, the passage led
them straight forward for quarter Of
q mile, where they were again com
PEELED to go down 80 feet on crude lad
der; thence there was agradual descent
for nearly half q mile, and then the way
led upward for fully GOO feet, which was
easily assembled by means of steps cut
in the dirt.
From the top of these steps astraight
and level passage led them for fully 200
feet, and from there on, for about the
same distance, the way again led down
a gradual incline. Then for Geo or 700
Yards level md smooth path led to
another chamber, where the officers
found q clear spring of'sparkling water,
and within q few feet thereof was q
trough filled with water, and within a
few feet of the trough was found q
nloonshine still in a furnace of the
finest masonry. The capacity of this
still was 100 gallons, with eight fer
1nenting tubs of 500 gallons, each full of
new mash and ready for operation, and
leaning against the wall here were
found four Winchester rifles.
The distillery apparatus was de-
stroyed and the firearms confiscated.
Proceeding 100 yards further another
still of the same capacity was found,
end near by three Winchesters, which
were also taken.
Between these two stills, in On out
of-the-way corner of the chamber, was
found box containing the bones of two
skeletons, while the bones Of another
Law by the side of the box. The ofl-
GERS also found evidence that the place
is frequented by gang OF counter
feiters. 1t is the opinion of the revenue
men that these bones are the remains
Of some government officers who had
met instant death at the hands OF the
outlaws, or Of members Of their gang
who had betrayed them, or who they
feared would give their secrets away,
and, acting on the theory that dead
men tell no tales, had murdered them,
or that they might be the bones of those
who had met death in battles with the
officers.
There were many side passages lead
ing devious ways, and the officers be-
lieve that if they had continued through
the cave they would have found another
opening that led to the outer world.
They were disposed to explore more OF
this cavern, but their guide, John Mul.
Inns. a fearless mounta;nccr. warned
them that if they valued their lives