The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1900-05-17
HORRIBLE AFFAIR.
George Sullivan Shot, Robbed
and Left for Dead.

$500 ~ HNC N'hhA1, "a, OH HI
Friday night, the Ilth inst lie,
ApPalachia, Va. was, perhaps, fatal
shot by All unknown assassin. robbie
OF his money. and left for dead.
Mr.. Sullivan was found Ssturls
morning in the edge Of Powels Rive
III an unconscious condition. lie hs
two bullets of 80 caliber in his hea,
one had struck him in the back ,
the head and fattened against tn
skull. The other entered the LEI
templs and lodged near the RICH
cheek bone. The bullets wer
taken out by the attending physician
and there il a possibility Of bis re
cOvery.
Mr.. Sullivan gives the folIowin,
account Of the horrible affair:
Coming from federal court the Hi
inst, he says he nlssed the l.. Il n
train at lntermont junction. and tina
he met, soon after his arrival at tn,
junction a strange man, who appear
Ell very friendly, and after some con
versatlon between them, the strange
proposed that they go to near b,
house and get some supper and som,
whiskey. lie consented, and on ar.
irving at the house they did not gel
any supper. but got the whiskey, and
ne drank some of it and does not re.
member anything else.
Here the curtain falls. Mr.. Sulli.
vans mental faculties were DESTROYED
by the damnable fund that iattens
grave yards aud almost chokes hell
with it. bloated victims, and covered
by the darkness Of the night the
demon committed one Of the blacklist
crimes known to civilization. The
suspected assassin was most of last
week on crazy drunk, the fruits Of
the moonshiners work in the vicinity
OF Appalachia, Va. 1t is an astound-
ing fact, that within distance of a
half dozen miles of this place, there
are not less than a dozen "blind-
tigers" and at Preacher emily two
miles from Appalschia, on Saturday,
the 18th inst, two of these law de-
flying tigers" we've wide open and
selling their goods to any and all
persons wishing to buy.
In this section of our county crime
is on the increase, law violations are
more defiant than any other section
this side Of Hell's-half-acre. Why,
and how these violations are allowed
is a mystery to all law abiding ci,i-
zens, when the statutes Of the state
are so rigid. The statutes declare
that "any Justice of the Peace, who
shall have reasonable cause to suspect
that any Of such liquors aforesaid are
sold without a license, shall issue his
warrant requiring search to be made
or the liquors aforesaid, and if found, |
-equire their seizure, and if the place
De adjudged nuisance, or the person
,r persons residing or doing business
here be found guilty. Under this
sct OF selling liquor without a license
10 to DO, all the liquor so seized shall
,e forfeited to the commonwealth"
A nuisance is a common law mis-
lemeanor, punished under statute by
/ fine not exceeding $4,000. The
tatutes Of Virginia declare that the
cling Of liquor without license so
o do nuisance. AS long as
IS this statute remains a law, there
s only one excuse for moonshiners
With their tigers" to remain within
he limits Of the commonwealth.
There is but one reason, there cannot
e but the one, and that is magis-
rates and officers do not do their
uty. They have the right to search
Inspected premises. to seize all
liquors and persons in charge of same,
o fine and impri,on the persons ar
ested, to adjudgc the place nuis-
nee, and to confscate the liquors.
'hese violations are chargeable to
he officers, and not to the law. The
Ulcers cannot plead ignorance, they
now the law is violated with inn
unity, and as result they are guilty
violating there oath of office.