NEWS: KY Moonshiners, 1920, Whitley Co.
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Submitted by Mary Lou Hudson, Email Registry ID# 
    <http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00005.html#0001143>
Date: 3 Nov 2003
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Submitted by Mary Lou Husdon
  <http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00005.html#0001143>

Middlesboro Daily News, Middlesboro, KY - Dec. 7, 1920

Reports Of Pitched Battle Between 'Shiners and Officers Exaggerated

   Reports reaching here today from "South America" say the press stories of
the battle at that point with thirty odd moonshiners against fourteen
federal agents Saturday were greatly overdrawn.  It appears that nine stills
were destroyed Friday night within a radius of eight miles, and nine arrests
followed Saturday.  The moonshiners taken into custody surrendered to
officers after a few shots had been exchanged between the raiders and
distillers.  The shooting wounded no one of either :army," according to the
report.
   The men taken prisoners were carried to Pineville and it is said the
raiding party are on their way back to the scene of the Saturday skirmish
and expect to make other arrests which it is claimed are extremely
hazardous, the moonshiners having reorganized their forces while raiders
were away to Pineville to prosecute.
   The prisoners taken to Pineville were Henderson Gibson and his brother,
John Gibson, Frank Hamilton and Byrd Powers.  DeWitt Gibson was arrested,
but escaped.  Four others were released.
   Deputy Winfrey, Steve Cornett, Joe M. Kavanaugh, M.K. Parson, Charles
"Red" Steward were a part of the revenue force in action against the
moonshiners, and they were aided by C.W. Renfro, sheriff of Whitley county.
Henry Morgan, deputy sheriff, of Whitley, J. H. Hamlin and Levi Mason,
deputy sheriffs of Bell county.
   With the raiders on the way back to the battleground, news of another
battle may break any hour.