Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-02
AMBUSH OF OFFICERS
INTENDED AS WARNING
Moonshiners Take This Way OF Pre-
venting Future Raids on
Their Strongholds.
RESENT ANY INTERFERENCE
Take Ground That Their Forefathers
Made Illicit Liquor, and They
Should Be Permitted to Do Like
wise-Virginia's toughest Section.

Especial to The Times Dispatch.1
LYNCHBURG. VA. September L.
Tho section OF Nelson County. in which
Deputy Marshal Chappelle, Deputy
Collector Q. T. Wood and Detective
Mann. tho latter acting as posseman.
were ambushed by moonshiners on Fri
day. Is probably ono OF the worst the
revenue men have to deal with in tho
mountain sections of Virginia, and it
seems certain that it will be a long
time before the Federal government
can break up tho Illicit making Of
liquor in that section. If, indeed. that
can ever be accomplished. For genera
tions tho people have made liquor.
Their ancestors made It before tho
Federal government thought of taxing
spirits for revenue. They look upon
this as privilege. and have no re-
gard for any law. State or Federal.
which interferes with their personal
privileges They are credited generally
with taking the ground that their fore
fathers were not interfcred with, and
they should have tho same right.
MOONSHINERS FALL
OUT AMONG THEMSELVES
For long time it was thought the
making OF Illicit liquor in the fast
| ness of the mountain section above
years ago n report that illegal stills
were hourishing there was Indignantly
| denied. The report was believed un-
I'll the moonshiners seven or eight
years ago fell out among themselves,
since which time it is an open secret
that the district. somewhat limited
| one. teens with unlicensed stills. About
eight years ago the moonshiners charx-
ed one OF their number with placing
| poison In some moonshine liquor. In
a short time this man. Frank Howell.
was shot by a man who was hidden on
the wing OF mountain range above
Howell's houxe. Later John Moore
was arrested and charged jointly with
tho murder with Howclrs wife Tho
| trial of the two prisoners was allowed
to proceed at Lovingston. but when a
Jury acquitted the vile and convicted
Moore. a mob appeared soon after
| wards at the county Jail. ove-powered
the jailer and liberated him after he
had been sentenced to electrocution.
Moore has never been apprehended.
The section in which the revenue
| men were ambushed Is declared to be
as rough there Ia to be found in
Virginia. Short ranges and gorges
through which run small streams.
make the country SO that it is we'll
sinners. who know every inch of the
land.
INTENDED AS WARNING
TO REVENUE OFFICERS
1t is believed that Fridays incident
was intended by the mountaineers as
a warning to the revenue men to stay
out of that territory, but. even with
this 1t Is hard to understand how any
Of the four men In the ambushed au-
tomobile escaped with their lives. AS
the result Of the set-to Deputy Marshal
Chappelle Is carrying an arm in a
sling, having been shot in the Shout
der. Deputy Collector Wood with a
scalp wound from a bullet, and a bull
let in one OF his knees. Is about to
be out on crutches. Detective Mann
member of the Lynchburg police
force, has only a slight wound on his
left. arm which appears il he was
merely touched by bullet or was
struck by spent one.