The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-21
MERoF FOR Il MooNsHINER.
why the Court Imposed the Lishtest Sentence
on . Georgia Mouutaineer.
From the Chicago Times Herald.

Why the Court hmponou tno hhenteht beutouce
on . Georgia Mouutaineer.
From the Chicago Times Herald.
When the United States District Court was in
session in Atlanta the other day o dusty and
trayel.stained mountaineor walked up to a law
yer who was standing in front OF the Court
House and engaged him in conversation. The
shabby and weather-beaten stranger had q pitt
full story to tell. Hank Jones was his name. and
he was In trouble with tho Government.
"Yer see," he explained to the lawyer, "thar's
a warrant out nRin mo fur sellin' whiskey. I'm
OUTLYING doubt about that-an'1 want TO plead
guilty an begin servin' my sentence at once.
Id like ter be sent to jail In time fur the evenin'
meal. ain had q bite since yistiddy."
Several pointed questions brought out the
facts Of the case.
Old Hank Jones lived In Pickens county among
tho mountains. He had o little cabin and q
small farm, which was too unproductive to sup
port him and his wife and two hnlf-grown
made a little moonshine .whiskey and sold II on
the sly. 1t was impossible 70 conyince him that
this was wrong. He argued that II Il was right
for him to raise corn and sell u, there was no
harm in distilling the corn and selling the liquid
product. 1t was simply corn In another shape.
lection until a pint OF whiskey sold BY him to o
water. The. neighbor told a Federal deputy
lldTbuhl, uHu III oliiSO NV" 'N'
TO tho cabin to arrest Jones,
The mountaineer parlcyed with his visitor for
thing in his bedroom before starting on his trip
TO Atlanta. His request was granted, and he
stepped into q back room. a.,
II jist nachually disappeared, he said. y!
some meal an meat II I won't TO Atlanty, an I
prised, but that wus his business. yer see. Wen.
1 knocked around a couple OF weeks, an got
somo rations fur my fam ", an then l tuck q
l,hnr 49, fnrty cnnta nm walled down hHr9.
eighty-six miles"
""Got any money left T. asked the lawyer.
it. that's why I must git in jail in lime to git
+ j; the last day Of court TT, said .. the ,;e, lsEy y g.
dict you. Tho case will have to wait until the
torney called up two deputy marshals. who lis;
tened to the moonshiners confession that ne mad
S Ssfa Psssss sfsf w f. sell fh e pint aiies ct ~ im@ssis sGs :
obtained. and the District Attorney, when the
to take up the case. The prisoner was arraigned.
aud stated. that he desired to plead guilty.
% s4mSsn' and II he oi asked iasf a Few questions.
where are the witnesses against your he
oh. them deputies will do" said Jones. II
confessed TO them SO they could git the indiot-
ment. Yer see, JedPe, ] want to git In jail at
once, an begin servin' time. an git q Squar
The Judge smiled and seemed q little doubt
full. Then Hank insisted upon telling the whole
wound up. BY saying that he was guilty and
wanted to be sentenced without delay.
His lawyer asked the Court to be as lenient as
possible in view Of al the circumstances. but
the Judge did not need such an appeal; nose,
months copanement in the JAZZ Of your home
ShS S1e ysalE Tass ali i loe way g' Lore and paid your est
penses on the way, the Court will see that you
shall be sent back At the expense of the Govern
Vas. sub. 'ThSnfy Jedge." replied the Gull
prit with q grin.
MARSHA me iSf ta sHte h hHsS Mith me to get a drink and
sssestss Etb 10 e srI.o s"se 'n "Y !SSS can ~ trust ssn me- re %
bring him 6ack.'.m
bring mo PSsk!" snoTted hn the man from tho
The marshal laughingly consented, and old
Hank walked OF with his friend, practically en-
joXing tho freedom Of the city Srd y, an ,o,- md
who VIII had done fuli justice 70 his liquid refresh.
Uncle Hank" said a nswspspsr man, "do
"Heser in tho worldi'' was the emphatic
"sapposs tho ane is raised to $1,000 as tho
"shuofsl' grunted Hank; that would do no
"supposo we make it imprisonment for ten
nv good. ! toll yer. responded the old man.
wed make .whisiey all tho same" tho
1.-THE Government might mako 1t a hanging
offence" suggested the newspaper man.
"See here, boy |" growled Uncle Hank. when
wo raise our own corn wen 40 what we please
for the law. II the guy'ment is agin us, so much
tho wuss fur the Ruy'mcnt. That's what / say,
an my neiRhbors agree with me. We are goin'
y stand up tyr our rights spite Of this big
And no amount of argument could make the
old fellow change his opinion. Alttle later tho
prisoner was Furnished CIV VIII h1s bo ncso T. apa WAS
county. where he was 70 serve his sentence. He
I'VE Cannot help sympethizins with such q
Hank. THE law must be executed, however.
and 30 q nominal sentence has been imposed:
Doubtless he is a popular man IN bis county, and
o would him mot o u be pn many suf iiSasties II f AZ i shsne 81,
are. that he will be permitted to 20 home at
night and q many ways his punishment will DO
What viii finally become OF him r.
II fear that no will get into more serious
trouble. In tho course OF time other cases will
he made against him. He win DO arrested so
often that she SGIs' OF T him aeS and "a he eut S,6 Go Sa az. 10
fenced 10 a years confinement In one Of the pris-
ons up North. That will finish hun. When q
Southern moonshiner gets intoa Northern prison
Inconsistencies / have known many such cases"
"of course It is" nswered the oficiai. "The
CAN'T psat Il into his head that is has no right 10
turn his corn into whiskey and sell II. Nine
times out Of ten poverty drives him 70 II. He
must make a few dollars that way or starvo."