The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-01-23
RAN STILL FOR
HIS GIRLS SAKE.
Old BeIIef|aul Saw No 0thsr
Way TO Make a Living.
OFFICERS TOOK LITTLE PLANT.
Aged MsonshInG Was Also Arrested, but
His Pathetic SiuD Secured His Re-
lease FTsm CUSTODY.
OFFICERS TOOK LITTLE PLANT.

New York. Jan. 3-Propcrly speaking.
an Illicit whiskey stiil should be located
in "A dark ravine in the mountains of
North Carolina or East Tennessee. and
the smoonshiners should be long haired.
dialect-talking mountslneers. But this IL
licit still had no such picturesque sur
roundings
IL was located in one corner OF lit
tie basement room in the double apart
ment house, lS2 and iS Seventh street.
and the wicked moonshiners were old
Joseph Bclleneur and his little daughter
Marie.
The "revenuers' swooped down on the
still yesterday and captured IL and the
simple old man who was running H.
Marie-she Is l9. out so small that she
seems a mere ch!ld-sobbed bitterly when
her gray-haired father was arrested. and
! begged 20 he allowed 10 go with him and
the officers SO they took her along
Revenue Collector Thompson and his
| deputies, Fellows and TAYLOR. made the
raid. They found the tiny still I'm
corner % the bedroom. and they also
found half barrel OF mash made OF
sugar ana potatoes all ready 10 be dis
titled into alcohol
The officers poured kerosene into the
mash. and one OF them took the sun
under his arm. Then the party boarded a
car and went 20 the office OF Commission
er Shields, in the Federal building.
TO SUPPORT HIS CHILD.
There old Bellefeur. with Marie sob-
bng by his side. told HIS story He did
not attempt 10 deny that be had been
making alcohol and selling IL 10 a sa-
loon-keeper. who diluted IL and colored Il
IA
had made only three gallons, and had
done that because he could see no other
way TO make a living TO support his
daughter and himself
He had worked as a machinist in
Massac chusetts until he grew too old 10
be useful To his employers and then he
had come 10 New York. Here he had
tried 10 make a living selling hooks and
surgical instruments and doing odd jobs
but he had hard work 10 get along He
had sl20 in the bank and he drew
little more than half OF it and sent "a
Paris for a little still that he might
make perfumes He thought there would
be money I'm that. but when he tried II
ne found he could not combete with the
big manufacturers.
Two wens.s ago he drew the last Of bis
money from the bank so that he might
live. and then II was that the saloon
keeper suggested to him to make alcohol.
Old Bellefeur calculated he could make
n dollar day in this way. and he
tried 1T He knew II was unlawful. but
the care ~ Marie came frst I'm his way
OF thinking and he took the risk.
IL was simple tale but II bore cvi-
dences Of being true ard Commissioner
Shields took IL at its face value He
made the old Frenchmsn promise he
would not do so any more and let him
60 on his own recoEnizance.
The old man and Marie were AZ home
when a reporter called on them YESTERDAY
afternoon They live i'm two rooms.
scsntily furnished. but very neat In one
corner was r music stand and violin.
TOO OLD TO WORK.
or you write anything please say
did not have 70 go 20 prison. said the old
man. MY son would never get over n il
he read had gone 10 Jail He is 2 gen
tleman, YOU know No | will not tell YOU
his name or where he is had 20 maks
a living for my daughter ana I was
getting too old 10 work as ! used 20. 81
] made the alcohol They asked me TO
tell them the name ~ the man wha had
bought IL from me, but ! would not tell
g.
"fIe did II to help me and would not
cause him trouble They told me that
they would let me 20 n I would give his
name. bat told them I would rather go
10 jail than betray a friend who had
helped me. And they let me of anyhow
II am sorry for my daughter more than
for myself She has been brought up
~ Ast4.4,-t-4A-sl4A -tia@~- work
because she Is so little but she Is learn
ing 20 play the violin and she sings She
used 90 sing In the choir in Montreal
where she was educated I'm a convent
Now. what am ! % do? All my money
Is gone and I fnd it hard 60 get a living
selling books. And Vet we must live
Marie and l. Poor child. She helped
me make tho alcohol. but she did not
know IL was wrong. She never thought
her father would do anything wrong"
The girl. slight and delicate looking
with a pale face and great brown ewes
nestled close 10 her old father and
stroked his withered cheek with her hand
Never nina. dear. We will get alonE
somehow. 30 she said sec how lucky we
have been today, and I'll help all 7 car.
You wait and see. I know well act
along