Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-06-21

and reported his absence. Detectives
were sent to the scene by the railroads
and worked on the case for weeks. but
never obtained a clue that offered So
luton of the case. Kent was engaged to
be married to young woman in Pennsyl-
vania. Several letters. follow by in
Quries, came from her afterward con-
corning her sweetheart He left the
camp wearing rough clothes used in en-
cheering work and never returned to
claim his personal effects. including
camera outfit and instruments valued at
several hundred dollars.
Revenue Men Killed.
Several revenue men have met death In
these mountains while attempting to cap
ture moonshiners or outlaws. The Black
mountains are just across the state line
from the notorious home Of the Kentucky
outlaws in the eastern part of that state.
and that entire section. owing to its wild
and unsettled state. has become rem
devious for criminals from other sec
tionS Once in these mountains. miles
from civilization. and among the moon
sinners and outlaws, they are safe from
the arm of the law. They naturally be-
gin moonshining, because the conditions
are proptious for the illegal manufacture
and sale of intoxicants. The entire coun-
try Whereabouts is under prohibition law
and whisky cannot be legally sold within
hundred miles Through the mountains
there are thousands of miners and there
is demand for moonshine whisky
About three years ago Chief of Police
King of Norton led a posse into the Black
mountains to raid a big still. 1t had
been definitely located But. however. be-
fore arriving there they were attacked
from ambush by supposed moonshiners.
and in the conflict that followed during
which the daring mountaineers came from
their hiding, the gallant chief was shot
and instantly killed and his assistants
were glad to escape with their lives by
fleeing. This was in the section where
Wentz lost his life. IT Is alleged that the
moonshiners thought he had been instru-
mental in having their stills raided. be-
cause they were squatters on the lands
owned by the Wentz estate and plans
were being laid to GUST them.
Suspicious Of All Strangers.
In this section all strangers are looked
upon with suspicion. Every stranger is
revenue man until he proves himself
otherwise. and in the country where the
slogan of the outlaws is Dead Men Tell
No Tales" it is not difficult to theorize
on the manner in which young Wentz and
the others lost their lives, coupled with
the fact that Wentz had been antagonis-
tic to the mounta1neerS.
The moonshiners and squatters of that
section, many Of whom have crossed the
line into Virginia from the mountains of
eastern Kentucky, are a peculiar class OF
people. While they are ignorant as to ed
ucation in its restricted sense. they have
many good qualities. some of which are
seen and appreciated by the better class
of people who live in that region or whose
business calls them there None of them
can read or write, but most of them are
rather intelligent and interesting CONVEX
sationalists. They are timid in the pres
ence of strangers. but are usually gener-
ous though very slow to form acquaint-
ances with persons they do not know
Big Stone Gap is the home of John Fox,
jr., the noted mountain dialect novelist,
whose material for his popular works was
secured in the mountains and among the
mountain folk.
Strangers are very slow to venture into
the mountains where so many persons
have mysterously disappeared. There is
always the proba bility of being mistaken
for a revenue officer and shot down from
ambush. while many think that the noun
tain bandits murder chiefly for the pur-
pose Of robbery and hide the bodies of
their victims. People residing in that
section. however. are apparently little
afraid of being disturbed This is largely
due. however. to the fact that they are
acquainted with many of the inhabitants
of the mountains and have learned that
'Silence is QoIden'