The Monroe journal., 1922-01-31
SIN MONTHS IN JAIL BE-
FORE HE WOULD SQUEAL
Rugged Old MOuntaineer in Statewide
Jail Because Some One Made
Liquor on His Land

Il didn't even know the still was in
there until one day my wife asked
me about the noise down the branch,
declares Erwin Hardin. about 60 years
old, who has completed the large part
a. a SIX months prison sentence for
allowing a still to be operated on
his land. He was convicted by the
Federal court sitting at Salisbury,
and was sent TO the Iredell Jail TO
serve his sentence. says the States
vile Sentinel. His home is IN Wilkes
county near the forks Of the Hunting
creek. Summers township.
Friends of the old man say that
he is serving the sentence rather than
"squeal'' on his friends whom he
knew were operating the still, but
when a newspaper man asked him
about that he laughed heartily, and
said. Lets let that pass
Mr.. Harding is tyg.cal Of the
Brushy mountain foo.h.Il native. He
IS stocky. muscular as q wrestler, and
has a wildcat CLEAN in his eyes. He
has iron grey hair, glossy as Nor
man, and a face as clear of hardened
lines as a Salvation army leader.
You didn't even know the still was
there until i. had been there several
days ," he was asked.
"Not a word" the old man said
One day | came in from the fields,
and the old woman asked me what
that noise down the branch was
about. | told her ! didn't know, but
I'd 20 down and see. When ! went
found out what was being done. The
still had been there about three OF
four days" he said.
did you know the men?"
II amt atelling that" he replied
"Were they your boys?" he was
asked.
Il amt telling that either" he
said.
"Well, how did they connect you
with the still?"
We'll, the officers found it on my
land, it was within n few hundred
yards of my home, and they fouid
some whiskey- making stuff at my
barn. They concluded that must be
the guilty one, arrested me, and here
| am in jail"
The old man did not know how old
he was, but remembered how old he
was when he was married, and how
long it had been since he was mar
ried; so placing the two together, il
was found that he was about 62 years
old.
II can't read a word or write a
word" he explained. That's why
don't know exactly how old | am. We
have record, which is kept by my
daughter, in the family Bible al
home.
There were no such things as
schools when | was growing up he
said using words almost as vel
chosen as the ones the writer has
chosen for him. Il never saw inside
school house, never learned a single
one Of the letters of the alphabet, ant
never learned to write word"
This old man has not laid down his
lie for a friend but he certainly has
laid ,out six months of it for grour
of friends, those who know him say
"Yes, we know il is violation OF
the law to make whiskey," he said
but you know a feller gets in the
habit of doing thing and he doesn''
like to be pestered about it. In
through with this business Of making
whiskey, though" he declared, "ant
when 7 get out of this I'm going hom'
to the old woman, and we are going
to dig a living out of that little farm
and we are going to be happy, and the
next time we hear noises down The
branch we are going to send the dog:
after them, and if they don't move
Uncle Sam has a pack that VIII make
them skee- -daddle."