The Hartford republican., 1913-05-09
MOONSHINERS
Kill OFFICERS
Battle Staged In Kentucky
Mountains.
Sister Of Outlaw will Lead In
Hunt Of Outlaws and
Murderers.

Pikesville, KY, May 4.--Caught In
an ambuscade of negro moonshiners,
whose liquor distilling plant they had
destroyed, United States Deputy Mar
shals John Sloan and Marion Ramey,
of Elk Horn City, we're shot to death.
Deputy Mart Potter, of Pikesville, was
very seriously wounded. All have
families.
The fight occurred in the Cumber-
land mountains, about noon today at
a point known as Blue Ridge, near
the Virginia State line. Pike Coun-
ty Sheriff Hiram Cauley and several
deputies went from Elk Horn and re-
turned with Potter and the bodies Of,
the dead men just before dark to-
night.
No attempt has been made SO far
to catch the murderers. The entire
county is worked up to a condition Of
intense excitement and anger. A posse
will be organized in the morning In
this town and in Elk Horn to hunt
the moonshiners. They will be guild
ed by Lucy Hall, fourteen-year-o
negro girl, whose brother. Dan Hall,
iA the chief of the band of outlaws
and Illicit whisky makers.
This girl led the Deputies to the
scene OF the killing and brought word
of the tragedy into Elk Horn. She
came in to Deputy Marshal Potter
here Friday afternoon and told him
she would lead officers to the pIace
where her brother and his men were
running still. She said her kins-
man had driven her from home and
she wanted to get even.
Potter consulted with Ramey and
Sloan. The trio believed that the
girl was telling the truth and decided
to follow her. They left here at 1880
o'clock this morning and went to
Elk Horn City. Procuring horses at
that point, they followed Lucy about
eighteen or twenty miles into the
hills. She led them to the still. which
was hidden near a cave on top Of
Roundhead Peak.
The officers destroyed the furnace,
chopped the worm condenser into
pieces, packed the stuff on their
horses and started back toward civil
ization. They had neither heard nor
seen the moonshiners up to this time.
They had gone about three miles,
pushing their way slowly through the
rough bride path, interlaced with a
continuous thicket of forest growth,
and were making their way up hill
lock when the first shot was fired.
The bullet wounded Sloan's horse and
1t fell under him. Powder smoke
showed that the outlaws were hidden
in the brush at the top Of the hill.
The officers pulled their pistols.
Before they could fire, though. volley
ripped forth from the hilltop and all
three men fell. Potter arose to his
knees and tried to respond. At that
instant a second volley laid Potter Low
again and blew the pistol from his
hand. He rolled ten or fifteen feet,
got Sloan's pistol and shot twice at
the enemy.
Hidden in deep gulley. the little
negress witnessed the tragedy. She
caught Potter's horse. which had run
down the hillside and brought the
message of death into town about
3 o'clock this afternoon. ="
The Sheriff and his men went az
once. The girl led the way for them.
The wounded deputy. who had bled
almost to death. was found first Be
fore he lost consciousness he had
crawled to a spring.
The bodies OF Sloan and Ramey lay
twenty yards away. about ten feet
apart. Each had received more than
one body wound. The dead men were
strapped to spare horses. Potter was
carried in an improvised swing Isus-
pended between two horses.
II was sorry party which got in
to Elk Horn just about dark or a lit
tie after. The wives OF the dead men.
with their children. were waiting with
the crowd at the only church in town.
Potter was rushed to the hospital
All the flesh was torn from his right
arm and his back was ripped clean
TO the ribs. The physicians say to-
night that he may live. notwithsnnd-
ing because they have found no brok-
en- bones.