Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-07-07
BOOM IN MOONSHINE
Unprecedentedly Busy Year with
Illicit Still, Government Reports.
One OFFICER Killed and Five Wounded,
i'm 90 Dnys-Dcsperate Fights In
the Mountains Follow Attempts
10 Wipe out Traffic.

Washington special to the New York
World says: During the fiscal year which
ended June 80 there was an un,,i ecedcnt-
cd hoom in the moonehne whiskey bust
ness. While almost all lines of legitimate
tation incident to the cnacting of a tariff
law early in the year and by trust prose-
BUTTONS and Legislative uncertainties dur
ing the past winter and spring Illicit dis
sitting fourishcd
Prohibitory legislation in the Southern
States coupled with the advance In the
price of legitimate corn whiskey to $3.50
a gallon, created such a demand for this
product. and at such profitable prices,
that the moonshiners have extended their
operations to a startling extent and dou-
h'cl and trebled the work of the revenue
service.
When his official report for the year
Just closed has been compiled, internal
revenue commissioner, Royal Z. Cabell,
says 1t will present some surprises No
official figures are available at this time,
but unofficial estimates place the num-
Der of Illicit stills ralded and seized dur
Ing the year at over 200. while the figures
for the year ended June o. 1859 were
1,7t3.
one revenue officer was killed and five
were wounded during the last % days.
kentucky popularity supposed to be the
hoonsh'ners paradise. is not Included In
the moonshine belt, although some Illicit
distllling goes on in that State.
DESPERATE FIGHTS IN MOUNTAINS
Deputy Collector Anderson lost his life
by being ambushed. He and one Of his
deputies We're shot down without n
chance for their lives In fair fight. The
deputy was wounded but escaped Three
rnoonshiners were captured and received
sentences OF 90 to 30 years
Collector Dunlap OF the eastern district
of Tennessee rtsked his life within two
weeks after he had received his commits
sion. II Is seldom that revenue collectors
take part In raid. but Dunlap had for
merly been the United States marshal for
that district, and when he located q still
through his agents. he organized n raid
and headed II himself, The party charged
the still In the face OF a broadside from
the moonshiners, Dunlap sustained a
minor wound but did not fall
When tho moonshners saw that the
nailed their surrender, and Dunlap was
about to hnndcuff the leader whom the
man drew weapon and started TO fight
again. Dunlap clinched with him in a
rough and tumble struggle in which they
rolled down the mountain side. Dunlap
was severely injured In addition to the
gunshot wound he had sustained but he
got his man, There were six persons at
that still, four men and two women.
One of the most spectacular encounters
which the federal officers have had with
noonshiners In recent years was the raid
headed by Agent Sans In North Carolina
three weeks ago. A pitched battle took
place, In which over 400 shots were OK
changed, but no one was seriously in
iured. and the moonshinors surrendered
after long siege.
MOONSHINERS SHOT TO KILL,
Moonshiners realize that arrest and con-
viction mean long terms of Imprisonment.
Consequently they rarely submit 70 arrest
without a fight and shoot to Kill Many
of them feel that they are justified in kill
| ing the officers. Local sentiment is In
| varably with the moOnshlners. Still 1000
stills were captured during tho last eight
years.
The last quotation ON moonshine
| whiskey was furnished Commissioner
Cabel by "A man who dropped into his
Office recently. who said he had Just
bought some of the article down In Viz
ginia for Sl.o5 a gallon.
| II had never tasted any moonshine," he
said. land was curious to try It. | had a
hard time getting it ana don't know now
from whom got 1t. but got It Just the
same-and 1t was good whiskey."