Evening star., 1922-05-25
DRY AGENTS. FL CE BLOODY
VAR Nv SOUTH,S WOODS
Sturdy Men Needed to Cope With Illicit Dis
Hllers and Moonshiners Long Lis;
Of Dead to Date.
Special Dispa tch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn, May "a
The news from Washington that spe-
cial platoons Of federal prohibition
agents are to invade Tennessee, Ken.
lucky and the CaroTinas in a war on
moonshine whisky means unquestion
ably that blood is to flow freely in
the mountain districts Of these south
ern states.
The prohibition commissioner will
need to send sturdy men to cope with
the Illicit distlllers and mountaineer
bootleggers. There will be no comic
opera lazy Einstein and Moe Smith
stunts in the wooded depths of the
Appalachians. The statement of, the
national prohibition commissioner
that this is to be a rifle and shotgun
campaign shows some comprehension
of the task in hand.
Already the feud between the moon
sinners and the officers of the law
has reached such stage Of bitter
ness that shoot on sight" is almost
the unwritten law of the hills.
Within three months two sheriffs and
three deputy sheriffs have met death
in courageous efforts to stop the flow
OF whisky into the city Of ,Chatta-
nooga alone. The moonshiners or
bootleggers. following many. Of the
battles. have spirited away their dead
struggle is believed to rest with the
officers.
Scenes In Old Days.
In the old days when the Sale OF
liquor was legal the moonshiner in
thus section of the Appalachians, un-
like his relative farther north, was
law-abiding citizen, except that he
made white whisky because he con-
sidered it his God-given right. F'a-
talities were rare even in the bid
revenue raids, the owners Of the still
more often surrendering when unable
to make getaway. With the com
ing of absolute prohibition the old
timer has either quit the business or
has been transformed into murder
and his forces have been augmented
by the transporting fraternity VINO
have been luIed into the hazardous
business by its tremendous prohts,
and when brought to bay usually give
no quarter and ask none.
Sentiment has been somewhat di-
vided and feeling has run high on
both sides of the conflict in the three
states converging near here. Some
officers Of the law have been held for
the grand jury because they used
their shooting irons too freely. The
sheriff fires first. the moonshiners
have the right to return the. fusil-
lade. Moonshiners nevertheless,
have been convicted of murder in
such circumstances. What the COM
.pliCations will be when the federal
officers begin their promised cam
paign no one can foretell.
The Illicit liquor trade has many
notches in it's gun, but the sheriffs
have been able to hold their own be-
cause. they know the mountains and
the mountain ways. In this the
problem of enforcement differs from
the city clean-ups the prohibition
officers have been able to make in
the north.
Daily Battles Occur.
Beginning with the killing of
Sheriff Catron of Walker county. Ga.
last fall. there have been almost, daily
battles In the moonshine country.
Catron was trying to arrest a party
of men who were coming. to Chatta-
inonga with big load of liquor. He
was shsty sbyy an unknewn' assailant
and died almost Instantly. A man
named James Douglas was arrested
soon afterward and convicted, but the