The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-02-08
Mo0NSHINERS IN A BAD MOOD.
UPRISING THREATENED IN THE
MOUNTAINS OF ARKANSAS.

Makers of Fire Water Infuriated by
Revenue Raid Which Resulted
in Five Arrests-The Prosecuting
Attorney Calls for a. Force to Pro-
tect the Public Safety-Large Force
Needed to Cope with the Outlaws.
Little Rock, Ark, Feb. IAN uprising
Of moonshiners is threatened in the noun
tain district of Clabourne county. and the
United States authorities have been ap-
piled TO for assistance to protect the law
abiding citizens of the locality.
The trouble is caused by lawless ele-
ment whose chief occupation is the unlaw-
ful manufacture OF whisky. and was
brought about by raid made last week
by depdty United States marshals.
Internal Revenue Collector H. L. REM
mel this afternoon received the following
telegram from John T. Hicks, prosecuting
attorney at Searcy, Ark:
Threatened uprising of forty men near
Hrma, Clabourne county, caused by re-
cent raids. Send force tonight suficlenr
to protect public safety. Very import
ant. John T. Hicks.
Prosecuting Attorney"
The collector replied as follows:
Collector has no authority to employs
any one TO assist you; but have wired the
commissioner of internal revenue the situ-
alton. If the Sheriff cannot handle the
case, why not call upon the Governor?
III. L. RemmeI"
Last week was an unlucky one for Ar
kansas moonshiners and the revenue off,
GERS did some good work. AS the result
of two wcll-planned and executed raids,
seven men were captured and fve Illicit
distilleries destroyed.
Forty miles northwest of Searcy, In the
mountains Of Clabourne county, Is post
office known as Gin. Gin is located In q
territory infested by Illicit distillers, who
have hitherto enjoyed immunity from the
Interference of revenue officers But
Raiding Deputy T. B. Burris planned to
throw a bombshell into their camp. About
ten days ago he disguised himself as q
rough mountaineer and went into the VII
cinity to familiarize himself with the sit
uation. Returning to Little Rock, Mr..
BuTris perfected the details of the raid
secured his posse and late last week left
for the scene.
The posse consisted of seven or eight
brave men. They reached the neighbor-
hood OF Gin about o'clock Saturday
morning. MI. Burr1S divided his force
into two parties and each concealed them
selves by one of the three stills. The
third still was necessarily left unguarded
as the posse could NOT bS further dfvid-
ed When the moonshiners appeared tsie
officers pounced upon and captured theni.
giving them no opportunity to ESCAPE
The stills were captured about the same
time. Five men in all were arrested, John
Moody and Henry Brown, by Burris' par
ty, and Jim Phelps. Hugh Shook and Alex
Carter by the other party. One man got
away. He was pursued by a deputy and
the moonshiner and officer had a running
battle for half mile.
Enough beer was destroyed to make LOO
gallons of whisky. The country had never
been ralded before and the stills were op-
Grated with confident air of security. The
prisoners were brought to Little Rock ana
landed in the state penitentiary for safe
keeping. It Is now said that the friends OF
the lve men arrested are getting together
and will cause trouble Very few people
live in the vicinity except those engaged
in moonshining, and IL the trouble is as se-
rious as asems to be indicated by the tele-
gram from Prosecuting Attorney Hicks. IN
VIII take large force Of men to cope with
the moonshiners, as the country Is very
mountainous and full of ravines