The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-08-18
Tenth Page

NOORJAAo"p A"vvp W Ws We NhapAA0A
In the early 70's moonshining was
rampant, especially in Kentucky, Ar
kansas and Missouri and the working
OF the secret service branch OF the
government had been at times far
from satisfactory. The district Of Ken
lucky, Arkansas and Missouri was In
charge OF general superintendent,
who In turn divided his district into
smaller ones each In charge of a su-
pervisor. These supervisors had in
dividual stats of operatives and on
their shoulders devolved the work of
arresting moonshiners.
Moonshining was crime against
Federal law and as such was punish
able by United States courts. In the
summer Of II the federal court sit.
ting at st. Louis was especially active
In Investigations; grand juries work.
ed daily and many indictments were
returned and warrants issued. The
serving OF these warrants was no easy
matter because the moOnshiners
maintained pretty good look out"
In st, Louis that tipped off all Offend
ers. The culprits generally lived
down in the interior of Missouri and
Arkansas and when the secret service
men arrived, the bird had flown"
and the warrant would be returned
Jim Fleishman, native of North
Jim Fleishman, an alive OF North
Carolina, but an active Arkansas
m0onshiner, was one of the most fla
grant offenders. Numerous warrants
had been issued for his arrest, but not
an officer had been able to bring him
in. Judge Treat, presiding Judge Of
the federal district court sitting In st..
Louis, was great stickler for action
In his court; when a warrant was h.
sued he wanted 1t served; 1t was a
United States warrant, and II one OF.
ficer could not serve it--"get two, get
three; II necessary, get troops" were
mis- commands. Particularly wroth
was the Judge over the failure to 80.
cure Mr.. Jim Fleishman. II was rN-
mored Fleishman had been In st.
Louis and had made sighting 70.
marks about the United States au.
thorities in general and Judge Treats
court In particular. Again Mr.. Fleisn.
man would appear down In Southern
Missouri or Northern Arkansas. Il
was told he even played poker with an
officer on a Mississippi river, boat
while that dignitory was on his way to
arrest him (Fleishman)
Gen. John w. Noble, afterwards In
Harrison's cabinet, and at that time
United States district attorney for
Missouri, also was greatly exasperat
ed over the secret services inability
to land Freshman. Judge Treat and
Gen. Noble had q consultation one day
and sent for Capt Jacob Morgan,
acting United States marshal, to come
into court, and when he arrived the
judge raked him over the Goals In
good shape. In substance his honor
said:
This court does not propose to oa
trifed with any longer. Warrants
have been issued time and again for
the arrest OF Jim Fleishman, but new
or served, Now I want one served
The court wac informed that dill.
gent efforts had been made to land
Fleishman; money had been spent
freely and men killed In the attempt.
The judge admitted that all this might
be true, but the fact remained fetish.
man was still at large defying the gov.
eminent and bringing the courts into
disrepute. Get more men; spend
more money; call In the army II nee
essary; get Fleishman," said the
Judge. Il don't care how you do It:
just get him.
Capt. Morgan was q gallant old SOL
der, not afraid Of man, beast or devil;
the judges words stung him and no
resolved to get Fleishman or quit his
place. He assembled his star and
sent for Capt. Val Pruitt, deputy
United States marshal at Poplar Bluff,
near the Arkansas line.
val Fruit had been a "forty-niner,"
q bull-whacker, scout. shotgun mas.