The spectator., 1921-01-28
Sensational Charges
 Against Former Officers

ment Officer Tisdale made some very sensational charges against Is. s. Crawford and Hugh Me Clellan and against the citizens of Jethro last week, when he sen= fenced the men from that neigh. borhooi for moonshining. Be- low we give their accusation and 1 MT. Crawford d's denial:
 It is an alarming situation when an entire neighborhood can wink at the law. said Judge You mans when passing sentence. Il have no doubt that there are law abiding and decent people of the community who were terruri2ed and who were afraid to express disfavor of the unlawful proceed ings. Mir. Tisdale tcok his life 1 in his hands when he wen, into the community.
 You are young men. You l were armed, and when a man starts to break the law he gen Ieraily reaches the point where he 1 will not stop to attain his ends even though at the cost of lives. l haven't any doubt but that ii l Mir. Tisdale had not showed great courage and presence of mind there would have been bloodshed and some would not De here to- 1 day to tell the story.
 Tt is a downright shameful situation when officers of the law and candidates for office consort with men of your kind and its a disgrace that penalties are so often regarded in such q way as to rather encourage lawlcs ness than suppress It.
 | Mr. Tisdale was called upon by Judge foumans to relate the story of the arrest of the Frank lin county men. Mr. Tlsdale said that James clme to Fort Smith seeking a market for the output of the still and that he was intro. duced by q friend 10 James as a prospective customer.
 James offered to sell me 30 gallons of liquor at S30 a gallon and 1 told him that l would get a
 car and go with him after 1t. l
 took my son. Earle, and another man. James stopped Tn Van
 Buren to purchase some cart
 ridges for a pistol which he said
 was a fine gun, but which he had
 left at nome, /" said Mr. lisdale
 "On the way James grew con, hdentlal and described in de all
 the still, We stopped at Howel's home and he joined us. He went
 into q cotton field and brought
 out two demijohns containing
 five gallons of liquor each. This
 was placed Tn the car and we con- t'nued on our trip,
 When we got 10 the home of Patrick we waited for time. Then We saw lights up the road coming doWn the mountain side. l told the men that l was afraid 1t was the sheriff from Ozark and that he would arrest us for buying Equor. was told not to worry, that the officers were fixed
 and were friendly. stlll pre- tended to be alarmed in order 10 disarm any suspicion.
 Presently car came up and Johnson and Brooks got ouf. , They were asked by James what tuck they had had. learned that they had taken a load of whiskey , Co Ozark. The men told mc that they had left four gallons of the
 liquor at the Jail.
 Howell told me to pay for the liquor. l told him didn 1 have
 the money with me and l asked
 the others if they had any money
 Finally Howell placed his hand
 on his gun and told me to count
 out the money right on the spot.
 1 had few small bills wrapped
 about a roll of tissue paper. Finally ran out of real money and l knew 1 was about to be eX- posed.
 ] We visited the still. which
 was located in a deep canyon. l. was accessible only by climbing | down a very steep embankment by hanging onto vines until a fifty-foot ladder was reached: II l extended to the bottom of the
 canyon.
 Tin tha canlnp was tho still