The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-09
WHISKY PIRATES
TERRORIZE UPPER
RIVER REACHES
FreebOoterS Have Common
Practice of Making Each
Other Walk the Plank.
Bottoms Was High Card.

Night life on the Mississippi river
is n series Of thrills for the boot
logger who attempts to bring in a
hOatload OF booze from his cache up
stream to the Memphis market. II eX-
erptS from tales dropped here and there
are to be believed.
River pirates infest the stream, these
tales say, as completely as lean
Lafite's crew did Barataria. They do
not prey on freight vessels, but Turk in
the dark, only to dart out and swOop on
the booze.laden craft in the fashion APP
proved by the buccaneers OF old. And
a life, more or less, means nothing TO
his lawless gentry, who live by prey
ing on other lawbreakers. which may or
may not be commendable, according TO
ones prohibition proclivities.
Braced behind a shotgun, or a pair OF
~SiN-shooters, the pirates command their
victims to stand and deliver" Usual
W. the victim is ordered 10 pilot the
boat TO the bank at n point selected
amid the desolato wastes Of some
pocket, whore the c~ottonwoods and will
lows grow in profusion. Sometimes a
mid-stream cargo transfer is made.
One tale is told Of Archie Bottoms,
now held in the county Jail On a
charge Of murder, in connection with
the killing Of George Cashion, both
whisky runners. Bottoms admitted
that he made George Cashion walk
the plank" for his booze. This process
Of stealing whisky from a bootlegger
is known amsng the booze dealers as
high lacking But Bottoms denies
killing Cashion.
However, the tale told Of Bottoms has
in it no murder, although 1t does in
clude the %wounding of a negro with a
pistol bullet, and the high lacking" OF
$4,000 worth Of whisky.
Sixty Cases at One Haul.
Two 'leggers. known here. had loaded
their boat at a point near Caruthers-
Vile. with 60 cases of booze. Just be-
fore they started downstream, two men,
one said to be Bottoms, begged them
for a ride down the river. One logger
protested, but his partner, softer OF
heart, finally persuaded him TO let the
two men ride,
Under the stars. on a night OF little
moon, the craft slid downstream, On
into the night II Travelled. Past neal
and distant bluff. leaving behind pocket
after pocket dark shrouded in Vegeta
tion. vcering off from an occasional
towhead, the whisky boat floated south
on the placid surface OF the big river.
All was serene, Occasionally a star
oyrie sounding hail from the distant
shore. And on, and on, and on, travel
ing with the big muddy" winding to-
ward profit should the blockade b.
safely run,
The two strangers lolled in the sterr
OF the boat, The owners Of the booze
were amidships, while the negro roust.
about did the few things necessary.
Suddenly the silence OF the night wal
cut by q sharp command, The 'leggers
stirred from their reverle. And Their
jumped to obey the order of "Hands
up you -'
Each OF the strangers had produced
q pair OF pistols, Their business ends
were directed toward the 'leggers ant
the negro. The latter did not obey
rapidly enough to suit the twentieth
century Capt Kidd and Morgan,
Shot Broke Long Silence.
"Blaml" roared out a pistol, shat,
tering the silence. The bullet hit The
negro, inf1icting a flesh wound in the
shoulder. Over. the side Owed tn,
bobbed onto the surface while the rapit
flash Of his arms told Of an Australian
crawl stroke toward the distant shore
No further shot VAS fired at the flee
ing man, but he knew the river and II
denlzens. Time ana again no divec
swimming under water, coming up onl
for air. He escaped.
The pirates turned their attention I
the 'leggers, Still those unwaverinI
pistol points menaced the pair.
When a certain point was reached
whore a pocket showed by a silver,
curve In the stars reflection on tn
water, the 'leggers were commando,
10 turn the head OF their boat inshore
They had no choice but to obey, ant
no inclination. after witnessing tn,
mlshap of their black employe.
In shore, the 'leggers and one plrat
unloaded the $4,000 worth OF booze
The guard, whose pistols had not beef
returned to their holsters, commando,
the 'leggers TO climb into their boa
and beat II right now
The 'leggers got back to Memphl
with their boat, and their lives, mourn
ing the loss OF the booze, but stil
thankful that worse had not befallei
them.
And this Is only one tale Of what
h%o0tlegger who brings his" In owe
the river route has to stack up against
Big guns, determined lawless men, an
black river water that tells no tale o
the dead men who sometimes turn u
as ''floaters,' swollen beyond recog
milton, but more frequently do not shoy
up at all, when once the ripple tina
marked their plunge reaches the cute