Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1901-06-30

a plea of guilty and turned states evidence.
 Several weeks ago information came to Deputy United States Mar shal John Tate that a gang of moon sinners was operating in Yell county, of which Danville is the county seat.
 Tate quietly went to work and in 3 few days had located the headquar- ters of the gang, as well as learned the names of a number of the mem bers. Then he laid the evidence he had collected before Commissioner Hall at Dardanelle and the necessary warrants were issued by that official.
 Armed with the warrants and Winchesters, Tate took posse of three men and made bee line for the retreat of the outlaws. They ar rived just in time to catch their game red-handed in all the evidence needed to convict, as they were loading still, whisky, mash and their provisions into a wagon preparatory to seeking more secure hiding place in the mountains, the outposts of the gang having borne to them information of the contemplated raid of the officers.
 Taken off their guard, with guns out of reach, there was nothing to do but surrender, and the posse then ar- rested Irwin Biggs. Cal Lee, Sam Driskell, Tim Hall, Pink Smitheas and John Hutchinson. These were taken to Fort Smith and lodged in jail, after beng bound over to the fed eral grand jury by Commissioner Hall
 \ few days ago. while walking along a street in Fort Smith, Tate saw another of the conspirators, Walter Lindsay. and arrested him. Lindsay was working in woodward at the time of his arrest, and it is thought the reason for his presence in Fort Smith was to aid in any way he could his companions in jail.
 The arrest of Lindsay completed the list of the members so far as answer to the charge of manufacture ing liquor in violation of the revenue laws, all at first entered pleas of not guilty, but Hutchinson weakened and changed his plea to that of guilty Then his companion held consulta- tlon with their attorney and decided to also plead guilty They were given jail sentences.
 The organization of law-breakers was known as the Farmers Union. The object was the deliberate viola tlon of the revenue laws, and it was held together by an oath to not only engage in the illicit business. but to take the life of any officer of the law sent against the band. and to protect the fellow-members with any means. even to that of muroer
 The members themselves were a motley crew, led by Irwin Biggs Biggs is a gray-haired, shaggy-brow- ed mountaineer, seventy-two years of age, with the shambllng gait typiasl of the backsWoodsman and g furtiva. glaneing gray eye. Among the band were young fellows barely of age. who had been drawn into the gang bv his Influence. although none were excused from taking the oath against the law and life of it's upholders.
 The first Information secured bv the officers that the band was held together bl an iron-clad cat was ob- tained from farmer living in YeN county, in the neighborhoed of the place where Biggs held his reyals and made the illicit liquor.
 The outlaw crowd held regular meetings in the old school house and there they discussed the progress of their nefarious business and the re- ports of the members who were de tailed to keep posted upon the move ments of the revenue officers were Ye- ceived.
 One night. attracted by the light from smoking kerosene lamp that shone through a crack in the school house, the farmer crept up to the building, unconscious of the guard outside, and by whom he vas luckily undiscovered, and applying his eye to an aperture, saw a strange sight
 Sitting around table on the benches of the school were a number of the members of the moonshiners' organization. Biggs, the gray-haired leader, stood before them. After dis cussing a number of things relative to the business of lne "union." and Just before the meeting broke up, Biggs raised his hand and the others followed his example. Then in unsion the men, standing, repated the oath Of the organization: