The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1908-09-08
.N00NSHINE8S P-AI
MADE our or EVENTS THAI
SENT THEM TO prison.
Author Is Man Accused Of Selling
Liquor Without Federal License
TO Be Presented When
Men Are Released.


Frankfort, Ky.--A jail for a theater,
the cells for dressing rooms and the
corridor for the stage form the EQUIP.
ment that the federal prisoners in the
county jail here. practically all Of them
moonshiners. are using In rehearslng
q play that will be staged when they
are out of confinement again.
The play is called The Moonshln-
ers' and was written BY Sam shep-
pard, who is accused Of selling liquor
without a license from the federal gov
ernment He conceived the idea Of
writing the play and rehearsing It to
occupy the time until the date Of his
trial.
The actors have met with such sue
cess In their rehearsals that they have
determined to put the play on the
stage as soon as they are released
from Jail They are to meet in Corbln
on December to have their last re-
hearsal before the opening Of the sea-
son in the mountain towns. The court
houses will be used as theaters, and
the members of the troupe will not be
far from home II they get stranded.
I The plot Of the play Is laid among
the hills OF Harlan county. The first
act opens With a lot Of moonshiners
sitting around still, drinking the
white whisky and playing cards. Dur
ing this act every detail in making
moonshine whisky will be exhibited
A spy discloses the still to the rev.
enue men, who raid the place, and the
curtain falls amid revolver fire
The second act deals with the burial
of mountaineers who were killed in
the moonshine raid. While the ox-cart
hearse is absent in the rehearsals
there is a place for 1t in the play. The
mountain preacher, who never con
demns the making Of moonshine. be-
cause the moonshiners contribute to
his living, has his part In this act, lad
sings the funeral dirge, While the men
dressed as women gather around the
casket to mourn.
The third act deals with the chase
Of the revenue men after the moon
sinners. Some Of the moonshlners are
captured and marched into a court
house. The daughter Of the mountain
judge pleads for their release. Her
beauty impresses the revenue men,
especially young member Of the par
ty. and while she engages him in a
conversation, three OF the sinners make
their escape. The session Of court
breaks up in disorder. and in the last
scene the young woman, rife In hand
leads the moonshiners in a battle with
the revenue agents, who are routed.
and she gives her hand to one Of the
bravest Of the sinners.
In the fourth and concluding act Of
the play the spy is captured and the
moonshiners hold a court and sentence
him TO death. He is hanged as an ex.
ample OF what will happen to moon.
sinners who give information to rev
enue men.
The actors and their characters are:
Sam Sheppard, mountaineer Of Whit
ley county; OF Wilmington, revenue
man Of Whitley county; W. S. James.
bootlegger OF Rowan county; f. d.
Richie, 'stiller Of Knott county, who
is serving a term in jail for making
moonshine; Sunland Meyers OF Row.
an county, bootlegger; Dan Trout,
revenue man Of Pulaski county; Henry
Boulden. bootlegger Of Harlan coun
ty; Ezekiel Anderson, whisky peddler
Of Leslie county; VIII Sturgeon, spy OF
Floyd county; Wick Terry, mountain
Judge Of Rowan county; Thomas Ma.
gee, mountain preacher Of Laurel
county.
Magee was selected as preacher be-
cause he has been converted since he
came here to Jail and may join the
Salvation Army after the theatrical
season Is over.