The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1912-04-26
A Good Moon Sinner Story.


mems souls in the moon-shinlng dis
trlcts of the south I recall one nerve
testing, yet bloodless close-in that 1
missed getting into. and, while l was
not present, remember the time and
case we'll and will tell 1t as 1t came to
me.
There had been a general roundup
planned up in the moonshlne strong
hold, near where the north and south
prongs of the Chatooges join. In this
raid was new recruit fresh from
Washington, -. G. We will call him
Charley" His equipment for stamp
ing out the moon sinners industry was
of the latest and largest make that
would set butchers teeth on edge
Charley was good boy, meant we'll,
and clean as YOU could wish, but
never had seen wild cat still, and
raiding was not his strongest forte. Our
men, the night in question, had no
guide. but merely description of the
plant and its location. one man in
the party had once been familiar with
these words in years gone 10y, and they
were on a flat mountain or ridge COW
cred with trees and under brush, and
all hands were Searching for signs
leading toward the creek that passed
down the west side Of this mountain,
The map showed there was WELL
beaten trail that passed over this
mountain. Charley had his great guns
ready fof action, while he was beat
ing the brushes for this trail. lie had
been cautioned to keep sharp looks
out for the droves of slop.fed still-
house hogs to be found piled UP in
beds near a plant while 1t Is in opera
ton, and when reused at night will
rise with a great guffoo and make
bee line for the still house every time.
He was tod to follow their lead as fast
as possible. for sure as lot of wild
hogs go laundering into plant after
dark the moon sinner goes laundering
It does not require a college professor
TO convince him there is trouble Of
some kind on foot In the woods where
they came from, else they will remain
quiet until day break, and unless you
go in at night with the hogs you will
miss seeing the moon sinner go out
Charley had not told the men of his
ran into big bunch Of sleeping swine
and started them on the run, he fell
in behind like a veteran, and was soon
well up in the bunch, like he had
wings In place of feet, and when the
pigs hit the beaten trail and headed
down the west slope of the mountain,
straight for the still house 1t was neck
crs. with some of the men bringing up
the rear, who heard him jump the
drove and so off like the wind. You
can well imagine the racket this pro-
cession of wild hogs and revenue men
kicked up going down the west slope
Of Falt Top Mountain. AS usual, this
plant was built up against the west
side of this mountain, and in going
down by the route Charley's process
sion went the trail came sheer down
to the door, which was on the front
with 1t and then took sudden curve
to one side and down by the end of it
to the door. which was onthef ront
or farther side from the mountain.
But Charley was not on to all these
sudden curves, and he could not be
expected to know how and when to
cut corners and head in to avoid going
on over the plant and into the front
yard SO when the drove cut corners
for the low land Charley shot straight
ahead and came down slap dab in the
middle of the still house roof with
his $50 pounds of bone and boots. and
the loose boards parted before this
human ball like so much paper, and
one of the moon sinners told me after
he had served his sentence. the word
run never entered his head he was
SO astonished. The four men present
never heard the racket till it was
nearly all over and never connected 1t
with a red raid when Charley came
crashing through the old board roof,
but first deemed it mad rush by
some wild steer with an attack of hol-
Ter horn, and said he stood there look
ing down at Charley. who was all
doubled up on the dirt floor and bent.
half alive until he looked up to see the
rest of our bunch pointing their Win
chesters in at the daar and command
ed "hands up" Then 1t drawed on him,
he said. that the mangled heap on the
fleor at his feet was in some way u
part of this roundup gang. and by
some means had come through the
roof. but for why he could not guess ut