The New York herald., 1922-04-23
Only Lack of Organization on the
Part of Illicit DiStiIIerS
Permits Lam and Order Forces to
Assert Themselves with Some
yrua .e sHasssa .s.n q. ~ ss, the Degree of Success
IA
CHAPTER Nv.

~ conclusion must be drawn that the
war between the moonshiners and
the officers is an unequal war. The ad-
vantage lies on the side of the moonshin-
ers Much is being done to thwart the
distillers of corn-about as much, in fact
as could be expected of the number of
raiders assigned to patrol the mountains
OF the Southern States-but it seems the
officials intrusted with the enforcement of
the prohibition law in the 'moonshine belt''
cannot destroy stills as fast as they can
be replaced. Clearly, this is progress in
the wrong direction.
Yet, literally thousands of cases involv-
ing violation of the prohibition act are
pending in the courts of the mountainous
counties and districts of the States of vir-
ginia, Tennessee, North Carolina and Ken
lucky. There are nearly a hundred such
cases awaiting trial in the Wise County
home of the late John Fox, Jr., author of
mountaineer fiction And at Marion, Va,
county seat of Smythe county, there are as
many. The same is true in Washington
county, of which the county seat is Abing
don, where seventy-fve cases were on the
docket during the last term of court. Such
is the situation in all the courts of all the
counties Of the "moonshine belt" But-a
very small percentage of these cases are
for moonshining. Most of them are for
transporting and storing, and the source
of the liquor remains not only undammed
but also on a progressively increasing
status.
Unequal as the warfare is, it would be far
more SO If the moonshiners had concen-
trative organization of any sort. If they
could organize themselves they could hold
their hills for a thousand years; but such
organization is, of course, impossible The
mountaineers are scattered as the hills
are scattered, and the moonshiner's game
Is lone one. He can have his own little
group, usually relatives, who will fight in
case Of a surprise attack by raiding off,
cials, but the moonshiner's neighbors-
moonshiners themselves-will not help ex-
cept to give warning.
Youths Most Dangerous
Types of the Moonshiners.
Veterans in the thrilling game of hunt
ing stills declare the most dangerous type
of moonshiner is the youth between is and
~ years Of age, who is assisting his father
in the business. They explain that the
boy hears his elders make drunken boasts
and dire threats against the "revenuers"
These remarks are taken at their literal
value when most of the time the old moon
sinner is only blowing off a little steam
and trying to appear bad But when the
raid comes the youth, acting under the
conviction that his folks will shoot the af.
fair out with the "revenuers," seizes a
rifle or pistol and makes ready to do his
share. The fact is that the old men, IL not
too drunk, in most cases take the less dan.
gerous way out, running surrendering and
giving combat only when to their minds
there Is no remaining alternative.
Frequently IL Is found that an outlaw
who has committed crimes elsewhere has
taken TO the mountains as a home and
moonshining as livelihood, excitement or
safety from the laws anger for those
former misdeeds. There are many OF these
characters in the Great Smoky Mountains,
Iron Mountains. Stone Mountains and Bald
Mountains, on the Tennessee North caro-.
lima border. Their preference for this dis
trict is that they have the advantage Of
being In position to retreat across a range
or two IN another State II the officers OF
one State come after them.
These men will fight IL interfered with.
without reference to their crimes in other
parts there are few who will fail to concede
that these transplanted moonshners should
be trailed out and returned to Justice.
They have absolutely no scruples about
making whisky. They doctor II with any
poison available in order to give 1t power
before its natural time
II has been reported for months that a
number Of these outlaws are banded TO-
gether in section OF the Iron Mountains
in the vicinity OF Magnetic City, Mitchell
county, N. c.. near where Harsell IL be-
lieved to have been shot TO death, and that
they have openly defied the authorities TO
come after them. Another band "a said Ia
be fortified in the mountains OF Avery
county.
The fact is that all sorts OF people have
gone to the mountains and taken up moon.