The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-08-02
STORY OF A RAID.
How the Revenue Men Capture Illicit
Whiskey.
atlanta JOulWdi.
John, wake up. The revenues are


coming!'
'Wha-ar?'
Down the road
And old John Crompton. the most
aotorons blockadcr in Pauldin county
was out Of bed quicker than lightning
AID swiftly disappeared behind the
-ousc in ravinc. There he planted
:. keg Of freshly distilled mountain
lew in a spot where lie hoped it would
escape thin eagle eyes of Uncle Sam $
ificers, whose duty it is to DISCOURAGE
.rafic in liquor that does not bear tax
IT the rate of S1.1O per gallon.
1t was well that one Of his co-labor
crs gave the warning, for in truth the
revenues we're at that moment bearing
down on his lonely house, bent on
finding the corn juice that had been
run off that afternoon.
At -i:l5 last Saturday afternoon
deputy Revenue Collectors j. W..
Martin and r. II. Moore and myself.
boarded Southern train for Villa
!Iica. There We wore joined by the
guide, John Lane, who can smell an
illicit distillcry five miles and has
probably located more copper than
any one man in the State Of Georgia.
A drive northward over the mountains
brought US to Pumpkinvinc school
house, near which We ambushcd our
hack and team and prepared to raid
the still for which the guide had fur
nishcd way bill.
1t was about $50 when the little
party fled out over the side Of the
mountain, and after circuitous route
Of what seemed to be three miles, dur
ing which many halts were made to
listen and to scnrcn the dense under
brush for lurking blockadcrs, the trail
was at last reached. We followed it
up the creek for probably half mile,
when the aroma SO familiar in that
district told us that the object Of
which We were in quest could not he
far off.
The raiding party came to halt for
an instant, when the sound Of scurry-
ing footsteps up the opposite hillside
told Of the fleeing blockadcrs, and at
the same time their ever faithful dogs
set up yelping that warned their
co-laborcrs for miles around. A few
pistol shots were sent after the fleeing
moonshiners, which were returned,
without effect. Guide Lane then
advanced about one hundred yards
and signo''ed for US to approach.
He had located the still, but it was
discovered that the run had been made
that very afternoon and the liquor
carried away or hidden. The block
aders were i'll the act Of removing the
copper when scared off by the raiding
party. It proved to be one Of sixty
gallon capacity and was soon cut up
into thousand pieces and forever de-
barred from entering service again.
The fermenters were cmp:;cd Of their
beer and likewise placed hors dc COM
bat.
A search was then begun for the
missing liquor, and it was while in
pursuit Of this that the humorous,
pathetic and tragic sides Of life among
the blockadcrs in the Pumpkinvinc
creek district Of Paulding county were
ro:ealed.
Up the side of the hill two hundred
yards from the still little ramshacklc
hut was reached, before which four or
five lank but 6ercc-barking dogs stood
guard, but they were soon silenccd.
The guide informed us that the house
was occupied by Mrs. Taylor, sis
ter of John Crompton, who conducted
the distilleries when the men folks
happened to be guests of Uncle Sam.
\ dim light inside made it possible
to get view Of the interior, showing
three beds in one room, each with
single occupant. Deputy Martin rap
ped loudly on the door, which brought
forth the query, in piping female
voice:
"Who' thar
Revenue officers"
What's yusc WANT
"We want to search your house for
liquor"
"Wa-a-l, wal. i'll I git on me dress
and.lllslet yu'ns in, but you won't
find anyilicker ere.
In few.moments the wooden latch
was thrown back and the party entered.
A thorough search of the room and
the loft failed to uncarth any contra
band goods, and the old lady and her
two nearly grown sons who occupied
the room with her, stoutly denied any