The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-03-10
A WOMAN BL0CKADER AND
HER UNDERGROUND STILL
The Clue Given by Ducks on the Neuse is Patiently
Followed by Two Officers Who Effect
Capture.
(J Z. L. Harris. In Richmond News.)

HJldah Mines, white woman plead-
ed guilty to running a blockade still
and was sentenced at the recent Decem-
rer term of the United States court in
this city to two years in the penitentiary
at Nashville, Tenn, where she now is
The convict is a woman of good sense
but without education, and is a typica |
moonshiner. She IS about forty years
old, and if she had on good "store'
clothes would be a comely woman.
She appeared before the court wearing
an old split bonnet and with a snuff
dipping toothbrush in her mouth, the
corners of which We're redeemed by the
snuff she had been dipping. She is about
medium height. with light hair, and with
rather pleasant features. Her 'block-
ade stir was successfully hidden from
the revenue officers for ten years. The
officers knew there was still near
Hester and Thompson's mill, in the
northern part of this county. This por-
tion of the county which adjoins Gran
vile county, is known as the dark
corner" and along the banks of the
Neuse river there is an immense cane
brake which is known among those who
live in the dark corner" as the 'har-
licane" The land forming the "Harri-
cane" is uncultiyated and is covered by
dense growth of cane which is from
seven to ten feet high. The ground is
swampy. and the strip covered with cane
is about three miles wide and five miles
long.
WARNING ALWAYS GIVEN.
In this cane brake the moonshiner:
do a flourishing business all the year
round. A public road runs through the
west end of the swamp, and at this point
two men by the name Of Hester and
Thompson have a mill, which is propell-
ed. by Neuse river; there is dam
across the river about fifteen feet high
and Hester and Thompson do a thriving
business grinding corn and wheat, saw
ing lumber and ginning cotton. For years
the revenue officers have been searching
for a blockade still' near this mill
They have found several places where
stills had been set up and run, but they
had been pulled OUT when the officers
got there, they had raided every foot o.
land for a mile around the mill without
finding any signs of still.
DUCKS GAVE THE TIP.
During. the month of November las
Revenue Agents Starky Hare and DR.
Perkins were raiding near this mill, anC
they found many wild ducks on the river
The agents concluded they would xii
ducks for a few days. While they were
ambushed on the banks they observed
that the ducks were continuously eating
something that appeared to be on th'
top of the water. Investigation proved
this to be bran from cornmeal and i
appeared to have been cooked. Hart
and Perkins were hunting below the mill
and they at once concluded the bral
came from the slop of a still which wa
being emptied into the river. Again
the search began for the still withou
success The officers came to Raleigh
because their presence was generall
known in the neighborhood They Wen
back Immediately and by another route
They could not find any bran about tn
mill dam but Immediately below tn
dam they found bran. FOR this reaso
they were satisfied the still was con
4ected in some way with the mill-house
WATCHED THE MILL.
This structure is Of wood two storie
high, with chimney at the end near I'll
dam. in cold weather the mill-hous
is heated by huge fire made Of WOOD
The officers had before this hid them
selves in the woods some distance ava
from the mill and watched with thel
glasses all who went to the place me
had seen Huldah Mines go in and RENAL
a short time and come out, but they ma
never seen any kegs or barrels brough
away from the mill. For days at a TIM
the river would show no signs OF bran
then again bran would be seen on IN
surface of the water for several conse
cutive days but the officers could no
find whence it came In hunting up an
too hat
ed to be landing place. further ex
animation of the water exposed severa
kegs. One Of these was taken out an
proved to be full of newly made cor
Whiskey. It was put back and non
OF the kegs were molested.
The dam across the river is about III
teen feet high and about eighty yard
long. Water pours over the dam a.
the time.
Hare and Perkins returned at night I
the mill house, effected an entranc
themselves and awaited Development
This was early in the night. They re
luained in the mill until nearly oay
night and no one came. They then lei
the mill and hid themselves in the WOODS
and all day watched the structure WI
'helr glasses. Early in the morning the
saw the miller, a man by the name
RAY and Huldah Mines go into the ml
Ihey observed the miller during III
day, but did not see Mines again UNI
nearly dark, when she came out OF III
mil and went off in the direction
her home which was about two mile
from the mill
MISS MINES VANISHED.
During the day the chimney had pee
giving out continuous heavy, blacl