The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1913-06-06
MOONSHINER'SLIFE
APPEARS CHARMED
Seems Child of Fortune I'm
mune to Bullets.
Charlie Mahaffey Roamed Ten
nessee Fearlessly Making
Illicit Whisky.

Chattanooga, Tenn, May 30.-Few
yellow novels have characters rivaling
, that OF Charles Mahaffey. which he
depicted in a thrilling confession of
his record OF CRIMES TO a reporter in
the presence of Deputy Sheriff Bert
Newport the other day. Robin Hood
o. old and Harvey Logan OF recent
times would have to take off their
hats to Charlie Mahaffey, If they could
see him and hear the story of a series
of events which finally eliminated in
his temporary Imprisonment in the
Hamilton County Jail and a sentence
from Judge Sanford that he must
spend a year and a day In the federal
prison at Atlanta. then return to Ten
nessee for eleven months and twen-
ty-nine days in the County Jail Of
Bradley County.
The Federal Government had Of
fered 500 for Mahaffey's arrest since
he led a Jail delivery at Athens. No
vember 10. Sheriff Bivens of McMinn
County added SIS to the Govern
ment's reward, all of which was claim
ed by Tom Curtis, an amateur de-
teOtive OF Blue Ridge, Ca, a few
into the grip of the law. He was tri-
ed and convicted in Federal Court
for Illicit sale of liquor and resisting
Slrrest. the aggregate sentences
amounting to exactly two years in
confinement OF man who has spent
the last ten years OF his lie in the
mountainous parts of Polk and Nc
MINI counties. in Western North
Carolina, and Northern Georgia, liv-
ing as free as the eagles and birds
OF the forest as they flew around his
cabin and nested along the paths to
his stillhouse in a secluded cove un-
known to the revenue officers, who,
suspecting him, patrolled his neigh
borhocd. but were deluded until one
day late last summer-then his story
began.
Marshal Welch and two deputies,
armed with regulation army rifles,
surprised us-me and one companion
and when we retreated to the cabin
they opened up with severe fire.
i had been drinking pretty freely and
didn't care what did. SO returned
the bombardment with my pistol.
"All this happened near Cog Hill
and Stars ilountain. Since the cabin
was only II feet in length and breadt
and the officers were close by and US
ing cartridges of strong penetration,
we were in very dangerous quarters.
The shot fairly hailed through the
walls, tearing holes in the logs that
i could put my head in.
frightened, and taking off his shirt.
dashed out the door. waving to the
yevenue men that he surrendered.
Seventy -seyen charges of buckshott
were fired into that cabin where |
was quaartered, tearing up every
thing, completely demolishing the
dishes on a table where We ate.
couldn't lay down and be protected
anywhere, and yet be able to shoot.
and as | stool in the center OF the
room, big buckshot whizzed past my
head, my shoulders between my arms
and body, between my legs.
Several times l was hit in the
back, but that didn't bother me. !
wasn't afraid. for l am lucky and
don't get hurt.
after the seventy-seven charges
of shot had been fried into the cabin |
SO that daylight was coming through
all around, flung the door open, and
as surrendered Mr.. Welch fired
another charge of shot at me, but II
didn't hurt. .....
"I1l tell now how broke out OF
the Athens Jail. for they put me In
there for shooting back from my
cabin before they arrested me. The
truth OF it was that a negro did the
saving and chiseling on those bolts,
and when he got them loose we got
a steel bar and made every man
IN that part of the jail help pry OH
two small steel plates. 1t sure was
hard work, but had my eye on the
room where we knew the sheriff was
while he was eating supper want
ed TO watch him."
He measured off q space on the