The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-06-25
TIKI RAID IN STONES.
" ell Armed Ofhcsrs Make D~~z-nt
Upon Isswles- Community Of
BfoCkader<

Biockader>
The following particulars ~ the rev
enuc raid in Syok e~ county. heretofore
reported b. telegraph In this paper.
are copied from the Mt Airy News
For years. since the war. smith
town has been noted AN section OF
stokes county that openly dened the
Federal government ia the violation
Of the internal revenue laws smith
town is section OF country In the
northern part Of stokes and is
broken hilly region we'll suited 10 the
life and occupation of the blockader
In this section Is one neighborhood
whore the block aders seem Ia have
congregated in late years and any
man took his life In his hands when
he dared 10 go there u interfere
Time and again officers have made
raids on stills and were driven out by
the fire OF men who shot from the ivy
thickets II was suicidal 10 attempt
raid and for years the section has
been ier to work out It's own destiny
The people have neglected their farms
and their schools and churches, and
state OF lawlessness has existed that
the bravest men dared not invade the
territory
The little town Of Madison. in
Rockingham has barrooms and II is
said that hundreds and Thousands OF
gallons OF liquor were hauled In open
day light from the blockade stills 10
the saloons in Madison II also
hauled ard peddled in all sections in
the surrounding country. Dozens OF
men were engaged in the business.
and they were organized and had
system by which they could collect
their forces at once. and put TO rout
a small army Such are the reports
1t is said that two governmen ent de-
tectives went INTO the section a few
months ago. started blockade stills and
made themselves very intimate with
the people They were ardent oppo-
sers OF the government as the oldest
moOnshiners for the time. But while
they were playing this role they were
making a map Of the country ana ac-
curately locating every hranch ana
spring and foot path All this Is de-
MED by the local revenue officers who
claim that they went on the raid with
out any special Information.
Some weeks ago raid on that sec
tion was planned by the officers, and
men in different parts Of the state were
To meet here in Mt. Airy Tuesday of
this week One day last week heavy
box marked 'urveyors Instruments
was shipped here. and when II was
opened II was found that the box had
contained large number of Winches-
ter rifles and steel pointed bullets.
1.-The officers from other parts OF
the state among whom was Tom Nc
Coy Of Asheville member Of the
famous Mccoy family Of kentuck y.
came to this city Tuesday AT noon ana
twenty-five men, each armed with
heavy Winchester rife and two large
pistols, started for Smithtown in car
riages and on horseback They traV-
eled during the night, and reached
the heart OF the block aiding settlement
about four O'Clock "Wednesday morn
ing They knew the names Gf tn"
men who were the supposed leaders.
and divided into three squads. one 70
take charge of the horses and the 9TH
er two to operate In different sections
Of the neighborhood. They first went
TO the houses OF the leaders and ar
rested and handcufed them and
made them go along on the raid 4
long ridge divides the neigh borhood.
on either side Of this ridge Is creek
into which smaller streams empty IL
IS on these that the stills were located
II was no trouble to find the places.
All the officers had to do was to follow
up a branch and they could not miss
the still.
1t was some time in the morning be
fore the blockaders got in action, and
then they We're handicapped for the
want OF leaders. But they were not
willing To allow the raid 10 be made
without a fight. and some time after
sun rise they began 70 fire on the ON
GERS from ambush. This vas done Al
a number of POINTS but not an officer
l.
moonshiners were seen In the open.
While the airing was going on some
were seen to fall. but whether or not
they were hit or fell - dodge the offi-
GERS fail to know. But some arc said
to have expressed the opinion that Il
is probable that a number Of men
were killed or wounded. one old fell
low a cripple. was arrested at a still
and begged the officers and pleading
innocent they turned him loose. Later
he way-laid them and shot Into the
crowd and when he Was captured he
had a Winchester and two pistols
They brought him in with the others
Several % the still were IN very good
houses which were burned when they
could be made TO burn. Many Of them
were under shelter but some were IN
good log houses. and showed that they
had been in operation for long time
At one place the capacity Of the stall
was fifty gallons per day. and thou
sands OF gallons Of beer ready To still
out were cut down and destroyed
The officers kept up the hunt until
noon, and BY that time the news had
spread until il was useless 10 continue
the search The men had been UP all
night and had about as many prisoners
aS they could handle