The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-10-04
MOONSH|NE MAID
D[F|ES GOVERNMENT
Pretty Mary Fouts, II, Oper-
ates "StiIF' in Eastern
Kentucky.
BATTLES FOR RIGHTS.
skiRMIsH BETWEEN WOMAN HID.
DEN BEHIND ROCKS AND REEVE.
NUE. MEN RESULTS, PROBABLY
FATALLY.

hind a natural fortress of huge bould-
ers in Eastern Kentucky a woman
who has not yet seen her thirtieth
birthday is calmly, intrepidly and sue
cessfuIly defying the mighty govern
ment of the United States.
A few days ago, single handeu she
beat back posse of the best revenue
officers Uncle Sam could muster. Her
aim is true and her belief in her SOW
ereign right to make her own brand
of whisky from her own corn is SUI
preme and immovable.
Mary Fouts, aged twenty-seven, is
Americas only moonshine maid, and
she is a moonshiner by birth, inclina-
ton and training. Her father was
moonshiner before her and the several
qualifications of her family hold rec
ords for battle with revenue officers
that any mountaineer might envy.
For forty years the Beaver Creek
district on the Observation-Disclosures
border. has been a moonshine strong
hold, the scene of many pitched bat
tie between moonshiners and govern
ment officials Blood of both sides
picturesque mountain paths. If a rec
ord OF lives sold for the mountain
brew had been kept doubtless the
greatest number of notches would
have been cut by Uncle Sam. But
when it came to this woman, this tall,
stalwart. calm-eyed. sure-aiming young
woman on her native heath, Uncle
Sam was baffled. Chivalry died hard,
even when backed by law and justice,
and to send his picked shots against
a woman was more than even Uncle
Sam wanted to do. In time the clash
had to come, yet the woman won
against the law and it's armed officers.
Mary Fouts was born in the rude
home where she now distils what is
said to be the best brand OF whisky
obtainable In all Kentucky. Her baby
eyes studied the still. and her baby
ears learned to catch quick, ominous
whispers. Just as the child of the pro-
verbal artist accepts poverty at the
price OF parental genius. as the child
of the king believe that royalty can
do no wrong. SO this child of the
mountains believed that making whis-
ky without government consent was
the inalienable rights of hill people.
Her parents were ambitious for the
little Mary, however, and sent her to
school, where she proved exceptional
ly bright and acquired an amount of
book learning which dazzed her hum
BILE relatives But she never forgot
her love of the mountain life and new.
er lost her grip on mountain tradi-
lions.
When other girls were writing notes
to each other in school or making pa
per dolls, Mary Fouts was drawing
pictures of stills, and finally she pre-.
scented to her astonished teacher a
perfect reproduction of still, includ-
ing the worm which she had evolve
from some odd bits of copper that
came her way.
During her twelfth year. when home
on her vacation. she made run of
very fair moonshine whisky in an old
coffee boiler in her mothers kitchen
At sixteen, her education finished
Mary Fouts declared against muslin
frocks and crossroads dances. She
wanted the free IL hazardous life OF
the moonshiner.
woman moonshiner, Even bold
Kentucky gasped.
Women there were who had pro
tected their men," and fought for
their men" and even died with their
"men"-but a woman who wanted to
be leader of men in moonshining
well. that was going some.
A few years later. Mary Fouts came
into her own. Her father died, and
she became the head of his household
and the manipulation of the famous
still.
And what was more, Mary Fouts
made whisky of no mean reputa
ton. She raised her own crop of corr
and coaxed it as only a farmer who
loves his growing things can coax
And then she made it into the right
sort of whisky. pure and unadulterat
ed.
Il would not adulterate my whisky
for any price, nor for the whole world
said Miss Fouts in recent intervie VI
and she meant it. No head of a
great food factory ever regarded the
output Of his establishment with great
er reverence and pride and affection
than does Mary Fouts the product o,
her Illicit still. And down there in
Kentucky when man wants the real
thing in whisky he demands Mary
Fouts' whisky. willingly paying the
higher price asked for her brand.
Now. of course, the United States
government, with its mighty system
of officers and spies, was not ignorant
OF Mary Fouts and her calm, unwav
ering violation of the laws. But how
to reach Mary Fouts without sacrific
ing national pride by splitting the blood
OF woman who sinned only because
she thought it no sin, but her right
was problem even for a great gov
eminent. II Mary Fouts would kind
~ sneak out of her stronghold anC
murder man in cold blood, then the
law might take its course But Marx
Fouts was distressingly peaceable AND
Industrious. She attended strictly IL
her own business.
Mary Fouts did not come to towr
nor haunt highways. But she certain
ly knew how to guard her property
particularly her still. This had a nat
ural barricade of rocks and behind
this barricade Mary Fouts kept a col
lactiou IF Uinrhe~{orc ana