The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1902-05-16

~ plain marks for the antaS~-
/ y nists. Internal Revenue Agent
X. A Hancock and Special
Deputy Jeff Cundiff fought three hid
den moonshiners and killed one. The
exciting midnight battle took place
Monday night on Big Meeting Greek,
in Hardin County. Asa Humble, a
young fellow just twenty-one. fell be-
cause he wouldn't run. After the fight
they found him with two empty cham
bers in his pistol and the weapon half
cooked. Major Hancock bears an ugly
red welt on his face where a bullet
scraped the cheek.
Asa Humble was one OF gang that
has been making "moOpshine' in that
vicinity for some time. \ few weeks
ago Major Hancock and JEFF Cundin
thought they had located the still. II
was in a cave that opened out from
the bottom of a sink hole within few
yards Of the county road. To enter
the cave meant almost certain death,
but Major Hancock and Cundiff de-
termined to try.
They crept out one dark night and
dropped down into the hole. Just the
length of a mans leg down in the hole
was a ladder that dropped away into
darkness Without a light, and as
silently as possible, the two men
climbed down the ladder into the uneX-
plored cave, not knowing what might
be awaiting them. Once in the cave,
they used dark lanterns. Ii so hap
pened that the moonshiners were not
there, so the officers. after exploring
the cave, noting the moonshiners' plans
for defense, and securing evidence 10
show who were the members OF the
gang, crept away without disturbing
anything. The moonshiners had hid
den the worm, and still too securely
for the searchers 10 find them.
Nothing more was heard of the gang
until JEFF Cundiff got information that
the outfit was located on Big Meeting
Creek, four miles north of Big Clifty
Major Hancock left town Monday
afternoon at 4.30 o'clock for Big Clifty.
JEFF Cundiff met him with five posse
men. The party left Big Clifty at 1890
o'clock Monday night, going north.
1t was about midnight when they came
into the neighborhood of the still.
The outfit was located under a shelly
ing ledge that jutted out from a big
cliff, around which Big Meeting Greek
makes sharp elbow. Thus there
were two paths, one upstream and an
other downstream, for the escape of
the moonshiners. Leaving three men
at the downstream or lower path Ma
jor Hancock with JEFF Cundiff and the
other two possemen crept back of the
ledge around to the upper path. The
two posSemen were placed on guard
here, and then Hancock and Gundiff
went on to surprise the sinners. The
still was just around the elbow.
Creeping as close as they could by
taking advantage Of the ground, the
officers from a distance of twenty-five
feet watched the sinners at work,
There were three of them and they
were just preparing to stop work for
the night. Hancock and Cundiff crept
up 10 fifteen feet, and then suddenly
stepping out into the light with their
pistols drawn:
Surrender in the name Of the Gov
ernment"'
Two moonshiners jumped back into
the shadow of the cliff, the third leaped
sidewise and crouched behind the
worm. And then three shots rang out
together. \ bullet scared Major Han
cocks face, spinning him around.
JEFF Cundiff's pistol had already be-
gun to work. As the old soldier
Strengthened his hand went up and his
big forty-four-calibre Colt spoke out.
with the deputy's gun. The two were
standing straight up in the freight.
plain marks themselves. and with only
the flashes of their antagonists pistols
to shoot at. For a minute ii was like
the sound of corporal's squad firing
had jumped back against the cliff
broke away and ran down stream.
The boy crouchinG behind the worm
only took more careful aim at the Of
Ulcers. In another instant the firing
was over; the boy was dead.
The men who had run brushed past
1.-THE guards on the lower path, taking
Ia pot shot as they ran past, and es-
|caped.
Major Hancock and :eff Cundiff ex-
lamined the young man who had fallen
He was dead. with a bullet hole
Through the lower part of his mead
Both recognized him as Asa Humble
|one Of the men for whom they were
searching. Next. while some Of the
posse laid him out as decently as they
could. others destroyed the still.
Major Hancock spread his handker-
Lchief over Humble's face Then they
scattered the fire and came away.
leaving the dead moonshiner lying
here beside the chopped up remnants
pf his still.-Louisville Courier.Jour-
pal.
BY the Alderman's Teeth.
Alderman Louis Wallaces sound