The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-09-07
STORY OF A MOONSHINER'S
DEVOTION AND REFORM
His Iady-Love Killed Man Who Slandered Her, and
Was Imprisoned at Raleigh. The Scene Laid
Principally Near Tryon City.

| Lou were engaged to be married.
Ralph was a moonshiner and had been
| engaged in the Illicit distillation ant
sale of whiskey all his life. The scene
of his operations was in the mountains
around Tryon City, and so securely had
he hid the place of his distillery that he
had ESCAPED detection and arrest up to
/ the year 1894. He had many hairbreadth
escapes, and was among the number who
aided in breaking into the jail\in Ashe-
/ Vile and releasing the noted Anderson
/ who had killed a man in Mitchell coun-
/ ty. and who was then under sentence OF
/ death. He had kept this part of his life
/ a profound secret from his sweetheart.
! AS soon as the family took up their
residence in Tryon city, Miss Lou bios
somed out into the acknowledged belle
of the town, and young William John
ston became desperately smitten with the
charms of this rustic beauty. The at
tention of the town beaux was something
new and novel to Miss Louise. and her
woman's wit soon developed those co
quettish airs and graces and manners
which few women possess to charming
and fascinating degree, and she led the
Tryon City young men merry dance for
few months, but remained as true as
steel to Ralph Redmond
After some months of general associa-
tion Of this kind the young men of the
town gave way to Johnston and he push
cd his suit to the test. and was quietly
but firmly rejected. Such a result had
not been expected because in the social
scale and as to property, Johnston was
much the superior of Miss Paris. For
these reasons his rejection was a dread
full blow to him. He became fearfully
+ jealous of any man whom Miss Paris
permitted to pay her attention But as
one after another was politely refused
it began to be suspected that Ralph Red
mond. who came now and then to sec
Miss Lou might be the happy man.
This idea reached Johnston. He in
vestigated the rumor and satisfied him
self that it was true. Johnston knew
that it was reported that Redmond was
moonshiner, and special effort brought
forth positive information that Ralph
had been running a moonshine distillery
for several years, but his plant" was so
we'll hidden in the Tryon mountains that
the revenue officers had never been able
to detect him. The necessary informa
ton was furnished Special Agent A. H
/ Vanderford of Salisbury, n c., and this
( vigilant officer laid his plans so well
/ that he caught Redmond and several OF
/ his helpers redhanded with the still run
ming at full blast They were all tried
and sent on to the Federal grand jury
at Asheville.
! At this iuncture the older Redmond
came upon the scene of action. He knew
2 - u IL hi L ivoorr
4 and friend to be convicted and sent tc
/ the penitentiary (they were all linked to-
gether in the business) and he feared
that some of the others might turn trail
tors and tell the whole story, that would
involve 100 men and women in the viola
4 ton of the law. So one dark. rainy night
when the wind was blowing a hurricane
and the water was descending in streams
and everybody in Columbus town was in
! bed and asleep, Rdmond, senior, and
| twenty of his best friends, all armed and
/ equipped for battle, entered the town
/ quietly surrounded the Jail, and in a few
minutes Ralph Redmond and all his
/ friends were making tracks for the crags
and Businesses of the Tryon mountains,
! Ralph, Redmond was now a marked
man and reward was offered for his
| capture. He was no more seen in TryoI
I City. Now and then, in the darkness
/ he would come into the town to see Miss
Paris for a short time, and then return
10 his den in the mountains. His en-
forced absence gave Johnston a clean
field He renewed his suit, and Miss
Paris treated him as if he had not 1d-
dressed her heretofore.
In the meantime. the friends of Red
nond had not been idle. They had salts
lied themselves that johnson had turned
| .nformer and had furnished the informa
tion to Vanderford on which Redmond
and his friends had been arrested anC
Jailed and the dstillery broken up. Mis-:
Paris was informed of this fact, and shC
was fearfully wrought up. When John
ston made his next visit he was charged
with treachery to Redmond and wa
shown the door and advised not to return
unless he was sent for.
Johnston now became desperate. Hi
love turned to hate and he endeavored t.
slandering her to the young men Of thu
town. His declarations were soon mad
known to Miss Paris and she sent him
note asking him to call and see her H.
came promptly and she saw him on tn
front porch, and after telling him of rht
lies he had told on her, she plunged
knife into his bosom, and JohnstOi
died at her feet in a few minutes.