Daily camera., 1901-05-28
MOUNTAIN
AND THE MooNsHiNE WHISKY
WHICH SHE SOLD.
Hhe Was = Highnite and She Ran Away
from Nobody-A Little Heroine Who
Sacrificed Her Principles For Her
Mother.

When Ellen Hignite, mountain
girl from Clay county, KY, was put on
trial in Louisville before the United
States District court recently on the
charge of selling illicit whisky. she
was not left alone in her trouble. says
the Chicago Tribune. BY the side Of
the shrinking little mountain maid
sat Miss Alice Castleman, one OF the
proudest beauties of Kentucky, the
belle of the New York horse show two
years ago. and one OF the handsomest
women in the south. Miss Castieman
and her mother had heard Of the
mountain girls sad story and they
went to her help because they be-
and persecution. and that while she
had disobeyed the revenue laws and
sold Illicit whisky as charged, still,
she had done 1t only to save her
mother and baby sister from starving.
So when the case of the People vs.
Hignite' was called the court room
held notable crowd. Around the
mountain girl sat Miss Castleman and
her mother, Mrs. Samuel A. Miller,
Mrs. Basil Duke, and other society
leaders OF Louisville. Gen. John B.
Castleman and Gen. Basil Duke, two
OF the most renowned soldiers of Ken
tucky, who during the long years OF
the rebellion wore with distinguished
honor the uniforms OF gray and who
a quarter OF a century later wore with
no less honor the old army blue OF
the Union In the war OF reunited
country against foreign foe. had
come into the court to testify in the
little prisoners behalf The story be-
gan with the breaking out of feud
between the Hignite family and the
moonshiners OF Letcher county. The
Hignites refused to make Illicit whis-
ky themselves or deal in it. Their
neighbors declared that some OF the
Hignite boys were spies OF the gov
ernment. One night Cob Hignite was
killed while going home to his cabin.
Old man Hignite and his other two
boys went out to avenge the murder
and all were killed. The night after
they were buried the little log cabin
OF the Hignites was burned to the
ground and Mrs. Hignite and her baby
and her l7-year-olt daughter. Ellen,
fled to the woods for refuge The next
morning when they returned to the
ruins OF their smoking cabin they
found a notice tackled on tree The
lotice read:
''Ef you 'uns so an dom mex no
mo- fuss We 'uns won't do no mo- 10
yo' all"
dren and fed through the mountains
towards Clay county. where her peo-
pie lived. For three weeks they wan
dered through the mountains. Then
they sank down In the ruins OF an old
hut. They could go no further. All
through the night the baby moaned for
food. II was easy TO see that its III
tie life could not last much longer.
In the morning Ellen staggered out of
the hut door.
back, We're a-starvin'. but we're Hig-
mites TO tn end. and We amt a-goln'
TO ask favors OF anyone"
Il hain't a-goin' ter ask favors.
said Ellen, but I'm goin' to get you
all suthin' to eat"
The girl went blindly down trail
that she recognized. 1t led her straight
TO Jim Clark's moonshine still. Then
for weeks Ellen Hignite peddled moon
shine whisky for jim Clark. The story
spread all around In the mountains
and the people came for miles to buy
whisky from old Bob Hignite's girl.
the "prettiest gal In kaintucky." Jim
Clark's still couldn't keep UP with the
demand and Jim Clark fairly coined
money and grew fat laughing at The
bargain he'd made. A few days later
federal marshal started from Louis
VILE for Clay county. and in his pock-
ct was a warrant for the arrest OF Ell
len Hignite on the charge OF selling
liquor without government license.
The girl heard the marshal was com
ing. but she did not run away. Il sold
licker," she said. Il sold 1t to save
ma and the baby from a-starvin'. But
I'm a HIgnite, and run from nobody.
The next day she was arrested. Jim
Clark got away.