The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1916-09-21
||OOUTLAWS
PUT UP HOT
SkIRMISH
Virginia Moonshiners
Jailed After Fierce
4 Clash
REVENUE OFFICER
BADLY WOUNDED
Carriers and Smiths
Prove Dangerous
Families

= man hunt lasting nearly two weeks
40 members OF the Smith and Car
tes families OF Smithtown settle
ment, In Stokes county, have been
landed In the jail OF Stuart county
- await trial for participating In
nght with revenue agents and
With violating the federal liquor
hws.
NJ Early In the week the revenue
men, with bearded chins and the
mud Of the Blue Ridge mountains
still clinging to their clothes, passed
4 through here on their several ways
hOme. elated over the success OF
their dangerous undertaking, al
though Deputy Collector b. H. May
IWns wounded In tight between a
ruiding party and the Smith clan
some days previous.
The scene Of the battle was at
, Uetcher Smiths house. which is
oae Of dozen or more forming
Omithtown Settlement, almost upon
the dividing line between Stokes
ccunty. North Carolina. and Patrick
county, Virginia The raiding party
% three men had traiIed a wagon
Joad Of moonshine whisky from
Ronn's store on the Virginia side
- Fletcher Smiths house. and II
was when Mays had raped AT the
doOr and asked Fletcher to appear
that be was shot through the stom-
aoh By Jim Smith The house was
full or Smiths and a few members
~ the Carter family. and while the
raiders were retreating TO cover a
n0ooshiner In the woods near the
house flred another shot into Mays
q be lay on the ground. The fed
osa1 onlcers fired several shots into
No house from what scant cover
they had found. One OF the be-
sieged party was drawing bead
upon Deputy Collector Ross when
Nays. who stiIl lay bleeding on the
around, with his revolver shot the
moonshiner in the shoulder.
II while the raiders were conveying
their wounded companion to the hos
pitai at Stuart the Smiths and Car
tsrs ned. Thomas @. Burch. the
marshal Of the district, wired for
ofDcers from adjoining states. and
he following day the officers and
citizens Of Stuart took up the chase
through the rugged slopes of the
Blue Ridge mountains.
N Despite the size OF the posse.
which worked In groups. the odds
were heavy against them. for they
were In the enemy's country and
there were many who secretly as
pisted the fugitives In the Businesses
Of the mountains. carrying food TO
them by night. The Smiths, FIVE OF
them, were captured singly by fol
lowing those who carried food TO
them. Another group was rounded
up hiding In q tobacco barn COW
cred up with the leaf. Finally 10
Of the mountaineers were made
prisoners.
Smithtown Settlement for years
has been dangerous ground for the
revenue man. In the early days
when Uncle Sam sought TO put
down Illicit stilling the little town
chip staged similar fights to that
recorded Far from the railway
and In mountainous country. the
stalwsrt hIllsmen stu hold il to
be their inalienable right TO max,
moonshine whisky. and II goes or
virtually ell the time. At one tirnt
the government threatened TO CO..
nscate the holdings OF the Smith.
but this was In the days when q
stranger was regarded as an enemy
and he was shot upon the slightest
suspicious move on his part. Ten
years ago a revenue man was killed
near smithtown. Fletcher Smith.
the recognized leader of the clan.
vas sent TO a federal prison for
eight years for his part in H..
Despite the severity OF Nays
wounds he Is convalescing. jim
Smith. the man shot by Mays. is in
serious condition. his wound hsv.
ins become infected during his so
journ In the woods, when he was
afraid to summon aid.
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QHo~ha& Nat AfralA AZ eaaL.