Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-06-05
A .MOONSHINE STILL.
On Exhibition at the City Hall in
Ottumwa.
THE PROPERTY OF SAINT KIRKPATRICK
Was Captured In the wilds OF North
Carolina I'm ls93-A Desperate
Fight In Which Jim Carter
Got the Worst oft

Got the Worst ofik
From Saturdays Daily.1
Moonshine" whisky and the meth
DDS of making it are the principal sub
jectS of conversation at the city hall
there is on exhibition there an old cop
per still which was captured in a
noonshiner's" camp in North Caro-
lima q few years ago, by Special Reeve
nue. Collector SAINT Kirkpatrick.
MI. Kirkpatrick is known all over
the country as one of the most daring
and successful sleuths that ever trailed
the paths of the moonshiners. He
came very nearly losing his eyesight a
few years ago while attempting to ar
restaa law breaker of this type, in Vir-
ginia. A moonshiner shot at him, and
altho his sight was impaired considera-
bly, by the injury, it did not in any
way blunt his instinct in the direction
OF locating and capturing this partic-
ular class of criminals. Mr.. Krkpat-
rick has had this still for some time
and only recently decided to bring it
to Ottumwa and put it on exhibition.
To Courier reporter he said that it
cost him just IS to get it here but that
he considered that Is would do his
many friends here that amount of good
to- inspect continuance Of that ma
ture, and he did not regret the outlay.
Mr.. Kirkpatrick said the still had
been IN operations twenty-fiv years be
re he located it and finally succeed
lin getting his hands on it in 1898.
said that he supposed at least 10000
gallons of lincolnshire" whisky had
been made on it, and perhaps even a
much greater amount than that. The
old still was captured down on the
Pedee river, in North Carolina, after a
most vicious fight with the two men
who v conducting the unlawful bus
inesk e still consists of three piec-,
esq gest of which is the kettle,
tEa (iece being the cap, and the
worm. The method of oper-
al o. be still is to place the grain in
the kettle and build fire about it.
The pot is set to boiling and as the
steam rises it is condensed as it runs
thru the worm, and thus converted in
to alcohol.
story Of Hts Capture.
The still was formerly the property
OF Jim Carter. Mr.. Kirkpatrick locat-
ed the base of his operations and made
q raid on it in October, 1898. The
still house was located at the forks of
the Yadkin and Uwharie rvers near
where the Great Pedee river is formed.
IT was in most deserted nook, and the
raid was made on one of the darkest
nights that ever existed. It was rain
ing and the mud was knee dep. Mr..
kirkpatrick was accompanied by two
men. They left their horses several
yards from the house and proceeded the
rest of the way on foot. When they
arrived at point within a few feet
OF the place, one of the detectives was
sent ahead to reconnoitre. He APP
preached to within a short distance of
the door, when, of sudden, Jim Car
ter, one of the proprietors Of the still,
sprang at him. The detective was inn
mediately forced to defend himself
against the attack of Jim and his part
ner, the latter being also on the spot.
The sleuth felt Carter's grip on his
throat tightening, and realized that if
! anything was done before SAINT and his
other partner came up that it would
have to be done quickly. He reached
for his revolver and putting the muz-
zle OF the gun against Carriers stom-
ach, pulled the trigger. The. hammer
struck the detectives thumb, and the
cartridge was not exploded. There
! was not time for another attempt to
shoot the gun, and the doughty officer
raised the heavy weapon high over his
head and brought it down with such
force on Carter's head that the blow
fractured his skull. Carter dropped as
if.dead. Just then Mr.. Kirkpatrick and
the other detective came up and placed
Carter and his companion under arrest
SAINT shouldered the still and placing
his men in custody of the other off,
GERS, started to Greensboro, North Car
DINA. The ''moonshiners" were turned
over to the authorities, held to the fed
eral grand jury and were released on
bail. Carter was later taken into GUS
tody and while enroute to trial, es-
capped from the deputy United States
marshal, jumped thru the car window
on which the were riding and has new
er been seen or heard of since.
"A great many people have visited the
city hall today for the purpose of
viewing the still, and this brief history
of it and its capture, will be of espe-
cial interest to such persons. 1t is
what is known as sixty-gallon still,
and has capacity of ten gallons per
day.
from fridays Daily.]
Burglars got in their work at a
West End grocery store last night and
attempted to get into q Clay street
residence but were frightened away.
a Centerville man lost a team of horses
about $3.50 o'clock last evening and to
date this morning had not succeeded
in finding them. He is engaged today
Ia telephoning surrounding towns IN