The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-02-07
Savad hv a. Cool Head.

Captain J. c. Duff was -MarshaI Ivins's chief deputy, and so great was his suc- cess in tracking the moonshiners mat they in time feared him more than the old Boy himself He was well known by sight to everybody in that pat of Tennessee. and whenever he was out on an expedition the word of his coming, as it was passed from mouth to mouth by the mountain folk, flew before him as if 1t were on wings. The law officers were more feared than respected. and .he ma tority of the mountaineers sympathiE d with the moonshinere, for nearly every one of them was in some way connect ed with 8 still and this was one of the reasons why the revenue men had 50 much trouble in making headw1y against the illicit industry.
 Bird Toomey, a typical moonshiners, six feet in height, weighing over 2OO pounds, and a very dangerous customer in @ fight was well known by the revenue men to be making wildcat whiskey, but they never could catch him red-handed. Toomey did not know what the word fear meant, and was as cool as cu- cumber, and this coolness pulled hlm through some tight places.
 "Once he stopped at store at Cog Hill with his wagon, in which in plain view were two barrels of white-corn whiskey which he had just turned out at his plant. While he was talking to the storekeeper the village blacksmith ran LID and shouted to Toomey, Git! as Cap tain Duff and his men came down the hill only few hundred feet away.
 But Toomey wouldn't git He grao- he'd A. bunch of hay from the bottom or the wagon and carelessly flung it over the barrels, and then coollly remained on the seat of the wagon while Duff and his marty rode up. When Duff reached the store rooney got down from the wagon saLlted the Captain and then held his horse while the latter entered the store.
 "Ervervbody was shivering with appre- baraion for if Duff discovered those bar rels of whiskey 1t would mean several ,nontbs in prison, at the least, for Too nnev hut he seemed to be the least con- cerned of any of those present. Upon com ing out of the store Captain Duff looked hard at Toomey, who never moved an eyelash; glanced rather suspiciousiy at tbs Ua gon. as all thought, but mounted hia horse gave Toomey cigar for his trouble. and then rode away, while Too mey. with a laugh at the way he had fool od the officer got into his wagon and drove to his destination.
 Some EPious" Mopnshiners. "Ijtt1a Steve Borin was another noted cbaracter in those days. He lived in the heart of an island of about 250 acres, in inc Hiawassa River. known as The Fem jtentIarv.' near the North Carolina line. Whenever a big meeting was to be held Steve would dust his best suit of brown leans. wash his bottles and fill them mar ness his old mule to buggy that ne had made himself, and under the seat ne would stow several dozen quart oottles of white lightnin'.'
 'Then, Bible in hand, he would drive to the place of meeting, always making lt point to drive past the front door so that he could be certain that eVeryoody would see him, but there was no mistak- ing that buggy a mile off. for 1t was probably the most wonderful and fear fully made vehicle that ever run on four wheels.
 After hitching the mule to a convenient limb Steve would proceed to the amen | corner where he would sit until the ser mon was over and the collection was be- ing taken up. when he would suddenly discover that his mule needed his atten- ton. Spread out on the old shawl that served as cushion for~the seat of the buggy would be coins ranging from a nickel to a dollar. Steve would lift off
 the top of the seat, and then stand to
 one side while each customer would come
 forward! and get his own goods all the time Steve repeating that he wished he