The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-25
Still IS CAPTURED
AFTER RIFLE BATTLE
Big Haul In Cape Henry Desert.
But Moonshincrs Get Away.

Dul NxOObAShAAAANAS wv away
Norfolk. Va, June 24-An up-to-
date still capable OF making forty gal
Ions of liquor in night and four gal
lans of brand new moonshine corn,
were captured on Thursday night near
Rainey's Creek in the Cape Henry
desert by Princess Ann county Of
Ulcers, Land Wagner and Deary. after
a pitched battle with Winchester
rifles.
The still was located BY Officer
Land last Tuesday, while hunting. on
Rainey's Creek about two miles
from the point where the creek emp
ties into Linkhorn Bay. About 10
o'clock Thursday night the three Of
ficers, armed with automatic shot
guns and shells loaded with buck
shot. started up the creek in row
boat. AS they got within about 400
yards of the still one of the officers
shot-guns was accidentally discharg-
cd Immediately perfect hail OF
rife bullets swept down the creek
from the direction of the still
Unable to return the fire with their
Shot-guns at that range, two of the
officers jumped overheard in water
up to their shoulders and waded
ashore where they hid in the heavy
underbush along the bank Officer
Wagner. standing up in the boat.
reached for the small overhanging
limb of tree to pull the boat in to
shore and out of range of the moon
shinres' rifles. AS his hand grasped
the limb rife bullet cut it off clean.
The officer jumped overheard, pulled
the boat to the shore and hid with
the other two officers.
For half an hour the three officers
lay concealed in the underbush
along the bank of the creek until the
moonshiners had quieted down. Then
they quietly sneaked back into the
boat. rowed nosolessly down the
creek to the point from which they
had come and armed themselves with
rifles. Making a detour on foot they
the still again from the
opposite direction. When they had
located the spot from the noise of
wood -choppinG and the Emell of
smoke. the three officers crept to the
edge of small opening, where they
came full upon the moonshiners at
work One OF the officers called to
the men to throw up their hands His
answer was another hail OF rifle bull
let's which came from clumps OF
bushes on the opposite side of the
clearing while the men at work sour
rted to cover. =
With bullets whizzling close around
them and cutting down twigs a few
feet above their heads, the officers
returned the fire for fifteen minutes.
Finally the moonshiners abandoned
their still and beat a retreat through
the desert. The officers chased them
for a mile or more. but because of
the dense underground were
forced TO give ii up finally Return
ing to the clearing they found the
still which they seized and destroyed.
together with four gallons of new
made corn whiskey and several bar
rels of beer, which the officers be-
lieve the moonshiners had brought
in, in boats.
The still according to Officer Land
who was in Norfolk today. was the
biggest and most up-to-date any of
the Princess Anne county police have
discovered. 1t was made entirely of
copper and of size large enough to
produce at least forty gallons at a
| time.
Within the past several months
Princess Anne county officers have
broken up half dozen fourishing
stills in various parts of the county
They are confident, however. that
there are still number OF them in
operation in various parts of the
desert They are unusually difficult
of access, because of the lack of roads
through the desert and the dense un-
dergrowth at this season of the year