Stills and White Lightening

In the early and mid 1920's many of the top headline stories in the local paper were about the illegal making of moonshine or the selling of "white mule."

Our hills and hollows of Crittenden County must have had their share of hidden stills and the dark of night making and selling of white lightening.

Moon shinning has deep roots in American history. It was a way of life to support their families; it was their drink, medicine and currency.

Did you ever think where it got the name moonshine; it was because the men did most of the work at night, by the light of the moon. The white lightening was well liked for it's high alcohol content and tax-free prices. As early as 1894 Congress had increased the whiskey tax to $1.10 per gallon, a stiff tax. While the increase was intended to up the government's take in revenue, it ended up creating a boom in untaxed liquor. Whether or not this had any effect on Crittenden County's moonshine business, or it was just made for the pure excitement of making the white lightening, it is still interesting to read about this time in our history.

From the archives of The Crittenden Press we can read of this illegal activity that took place in our area, it's a colorful part of our past history that many of us might not really know about, and there are probably some that might remember the time when this activity of just a part of life.

In 1921 Kentucky Gov. Edwin P. Morrow addressed the Association of Circuit Judges and Commonwealth Attorneys, stating that moonshining and bootlegging were rampant in Kentucky, and the violations of the liquor laws were such as to challenge all the forces of law and order.

Illicit manufacture and sale of liquor has grown to an appalling extent, he said, and the use of liquor, is increasing alarmingly.

There is today, a challenge being thrown out to the forces of law and order in Kentucky. I ask the Circuit Judges of Kentucky to meet this challenge and I will help in as much as I can. He ask the judges and commonwealth attorneys, "Which shall be supreme in this state the law or the blind tiger?" So Crittenden was hard pressed to fight the blind tigers.

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Here are some of the interesting articles that were in The Crittenden Press about stills found in all areas of our county.

In early 1921 the press reports that Crittenden County has acquired the distinction of having a "real" moonshine still.

Some of the boys of Tolu were hunting a few days ago and found a fully equipped still in the woods on the farm of Mr. John L. Franklin. Some one had taken, without Mr. Franklin's knowledge or consent, a tank belonging to him and used it in building the still, which has a sixteen-gallon capacity.

Mr. Franklin immediately notified the United States revenue authorities of his find, and to preserve the still moved it into his cellar, where it will be safely kept until an investigation has been made.  The tank was about one-half full of meal, which evidenced the fact that it had been tested and used.

In November of 1922 on suspicion derived from previous information Sheriff J. T. Wright, Deputy P. R. Taylor and former County Attorney John A. Moore went Saturday to a home located two miles from Piney Fork Church, with a warrant to search the premises. Upon arriving there the man of the house readily gave his permission to have his premises searched.

In a barn near the house the officers discovered a still covered with sorghum fodder, which they took possession of and brought to the courthouse in Marion.

The owner of the farm denied all knowledge of the still being on his premises. He said that it was evidently brought there by some one unknown to him on the night before while he was away from home fox hunting.

The still is of about 15-gallon capacity, is in good condition and seems to have been recently used. It is of copper throughout. The still is now at the courthouse and many visitors have called to see it.

Another still found by J. U. G. Claghorn. While he was out squirrel hunting Monday, he stopped at a supposedly unoccupied cabin on the John Nation farm, near Fords Ferry. Looking thru a window he discovered a family in the cabin and a man working around a still.

Returning to town he reported what he saw to the authorities, and with a warrant Deputy Sheriff P. R. Taylor went to the cabin, took charge of the still and arrested the man under a warrant charging him with having in his possession an illicit still.

The man gave his name and stated that he came from Illinois. He will be placed in jail to await the action of the grand jury at the next term of Circuit Court. The captured still is of copper and of about ten gallons capacity.

In November 1923 officials captured a moonshine still near Mexico. A big haul was made Friday morning when Deputy Sheriff P. E. Taylor, Jailer J. C. Spees and County Judge E. Jeffrey Travis, with a search warrant, went to a home a few miles southeast of Mexico, this county, and after searching the premises, located a moonshine still in a back room of the residence.

Besides the still, which was of about 40-gallon capacity and the best equipped yet found in this county, the officials also found in the room seven barrels of mash and eight gallons of white mule whisky, all of which they confiscated except a small amount of the whisky which, together with the still, they brought here and turned it over to the authorities.

Out in the Bells Mines area Constable Bob Adams captured a large moonshine still, together with two gallons of "white mule" which was brought to Marion and delivered to the County authorities.

The parties who were operating the still were unknown and escaped after a running fight in which several shorts were exchanged, one of which passed through the Constable's hat.

The still was located in what is known as Heath's Hollow, near Bells Mines and Constable Adamson was assisted in its capture by his deputy, Charlie Bob Sanders.

The constable and deputy went near where the still was located before daylight in order that they might find out who was operating it and at the break of day a sentinel on the opposite hill saw them and fired two shorts, then it was the constable and his assistant made a dash for the still and the operators of the still opened fire as they ran off. There were about fifteen or twenty shorts exchanged between the officers and distillers as they ran away.

When Adamson and his assistant arrived the still was in full operation. They found three gallons of moonshine and brought two gallons to town as stated, the other gallon container was broken and the contents lost. The still is said to have been well equipped for the business.

W. H. Hardesty, justice of the peace in the Tolu district, raided and found on a farm near Tolu a still that had been in recent operation. The still was of forty gallon capacity and with it was found 350 gallons of mash.

In the Cookseyville area, Sheriff Taylor raided the King farm and discovered on gallon of whiskey and one hundred gallons of mash. The discovery was made in the woods on the back of the farm and the mash and whiskey was covered with a quantity of cedar brush. No arrests were made because it wasn't known who had made the still at the time.

Most times the stills were sit up on someone else's property other than the one that actually made the whiskey. Easier not to be associated with the crime when the stills were located.