The New York herald., 1922-04-23
In the Moonshine Belt, Where
Every Clump of Bushes
Hides a Still

relied Winchesters that were leaning
against the slope.
"Afore ye leave. Mister, git couple of
sticks of wood and put on the fire thar"
old Jonas ordered; huge hairy hand
pointed to heap OF wood that the helpers
had fetched from over the side of the hol-
low.
Half puzzled, the newspaper man did as
he was ordered. He put two pieces of the
wood on the fire, and then turned with a
quizzical grin toward the old moonshiner.
Thar, now spoke the old man softly,
we're all ateeterin' on the same totter
now"
He had made a moonshiner of his visitor
"a precautionary measure calculated to
keep his lips closed after his leave taking
In May of 1920 several men were shot as
result of two raids made in the Cum
berlands of Wise county, Virginia, along
Birchfeld Creek. In the first raid Federal
Agents B. w. Gardner of Rocky Mount
Va, and H. G. Stultz of Roanoke, were
wounded and Ira Patton Mullins, moon
shiner-son-in-law of Big Son Mullins
was shot to death
Claude F. Beverly, A. K Davis, Gardner
Stultz and two other men had. destroyed
two large stills in a gap and were headed
back for the road a mile away when the
oonshiners-several of them-opened
fire from the crest of high ridge over
looking Birchfield Creek The mountain
eers were led by Big Son Mullins
Gardner was pierced through the shoul-
der by rifle ball and another bullet per-
forated his collar, grazing his neck AS
he fell the officers fired their first volley
III return, and Ira Mullins, who had taken
refuge behind clump of shrubbery was
shot through the head and instantly dis
posed of for the rest of time The others
of the moonshiners deployed behind trees
and began long battle, Indian fashion.
Stultz received a wound in the arm The
raiders were unable to dislodge the noun
taineers, who appeared to have a party of
about twenty men, and so were forced to
retreat, carrying their wounded with them.
few days afterward Hector Lane.
while under the influence of liquor. made
confession, naming certain participants
in the attacking party. The result was
that half dozen officers managed to ar
rest Big Son Mullins and two other
members of the moonshine band
But before his trial Big Son" was shot
and killed by Police Officer Lowrey Mullins
in duel near the crest of North Cumber-
land Mountain. The desperate attacked
man who was more adept in the strate-
gems of mountain battle than he was. II
was reported that big Son" got the i'm
I M,,11i
responsible for the death of Ira Mullins.
One day in the early summer big Son"
was riding his horse up the trail which led
TO the top Of old North Cumberland when
he caught sight Of Lowrey Mullins walking
down the trail. With a tremendous oath
the moonshiner drew his pistol and threw
himself from his horse The officer was
not slow to realize his peril He jumped
to one side OF the road, took shelter in a
shallow depression and fired three times
before the desperate could draw aim. All
three Of the bullets struck "Bg Son" over
the heart, within a half inch diameter.
killing him instantly. The moonshiner
had served two terms in the Virginia peni
tentiary for making liquor and for shoot
ing relative.
Here were three men who bore the name
OF Mullins. Ira was the son-in-law of the
older man, and also distant cousin. The
officer. too, was related to the moonshin-
ers. There are names that simply over
whelm mountain districts These people
are OF direct and answering descent from
the early Anglo-Saxons Of America. Few
OF the old mountaineers have not indis-
putable claims to be numbered among the
members Of the Sons and Daughters of the
Revolution. They are older American
families than the social leaders of our
cities who preen themselves on their
traditions. Their direct pro
genitors fought in the Battle OF Kings
Mountain and in hundred lesser skir-
mishes and battles in the American war for
In this series II has been told how the
mountains are surfeited with men not nj
tive to their hardshps, men who have gone
to them to get into the great game Of
'moonshining for money" Bands Of ont
laws, desperate and merciless. who have
set up their stronghold In the hills-men
who have fed from the law in other sec
tons, who have escaped from prisons or
who have been released without their les
sons learned-have been cited The part
the women play and their attitude on the
matter Of flagrant and dangerous law vio-
ation has been sounded and exposed The
aim OF this series was to give clear ont
line OF the state OF affairs In the moon
shine belt Of Kentucky, Tennessee. Vir-
yinia and North Carolina and n IL n0t -