French Broad hustler and Western Carolina Democrat. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1915-1916, 1916-07-06
Thrilling
RAID MADE
IN POLK CO.

Lacking none of the essential thrills
Of the most dramatic moving picture
moonshine play ever filmed was a raid
made by Asheville revenue men in
Polk county Tuesday which resulted in
the Shooting of one OF the alleged
blockaders and the lodging of his aged
father behind cold steel bars says the
AsheviIle Citizen.
Continuing the story, the Citizen
says: Thomas Gregg, Jr.. is at the
Mission hospital, suffering from a
gunshot wound which may prove fatal
fired By Special Employe Thomas ].
Boyd after the revenue man had been
felled to the ground by the brawny
Tnountaineer. AS the agent fell he
drew hisgun and the first shot brought
Gregg tumbling down the steep noun
tain side TO his feet.
The wounded mans father, Thomas
Gregg, Sr., made no attempt to escape
when Deputy Collector Galloway and
Spectal Agent Boyd, accompanied by
Sheriff Drake Of Henderson county.
and. Chief of Police Newman of Saluda,
surrounded the still within two miles
of that town, and commanded the men
to throw up their hands.
The modern copper sill was in full
blast when the revenue men. after
creeping for a long distance through
the dense and matted underbrush,
came upon their prey. A run was just
being made, and the white corn liquor
wast bprgling musically into five-gal-
Ion demijohn when Deputy Collector
Galloway leaped over intervening
boxes and with leve1ed gun cried: !:
hands up!''
Thomas Gregg, the son of the an
cient n1ountaineer now resting in Jail
here ma 5e "a desperate leap for liber-
ty Special Employe Boyd, slightly
built man, but nervy, leaped after him.
The moonshiner grappled with the
revenue man. The struggle was des-
perate. but short, for soon the burly
mountaineer had worked the smaller
man around in front of him, and with
blow behind the ear had sent him
spraWling down the side of the noun
tain.
But almost before he had struck
the ground for the last time the agent
had drawn and fired. The bullet found
it's mark, and Gregg tumbled after
his captor, He was unable to walk
to the waiting automobile which had
brought the revenue men from Ashe-
vile to the foot of the mountain where
they discovered the still so stretcher
was improvised of hickory poles and
old tow sacks. and with much labor
he was brought out of the mountain
to the motor car. With him was
brought his father, seventy-nine years
old.
More serious to the suffering block
ader. however, than his wound, and
the possible consequences of violating
the revenue laws, of his country, was
the welfare of his aged father. He in
sistently begged last night that the
old man be not placed in jail, and
piteously cried again and again that
if such should be his fate it would
kill him. He is a burly. well Sbu1lt
man as the slighter revenue agent
who attempted his capture single
handed is well aware. and his sincere
concern over the welfare Of his father
was a touch of affection for which the
revenue agents were quite unprepared
The capture was made in an eX-
tremely wild and rugged part Of POLK
county. 1t is supposed the still had
been in operation for a considerable
time. and it's product disposed of at
no great distance from where it was
| located.