Greensville County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Brantley, John C., 1921 

************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm
************************************************

MAN KILLED IN A RAID BY STATE DRY AGENTS 

John Brantley, Alleged Illicit Distiller, Shot in Greenville. 

  Federal and State prohibition officers have begun to "clean up" the State, 
according to reports reaching Richmond yesterday, which were to the effect 
that no less than eleven raids had been made in various parts Friday and 
Saturday, and in the course of which one alleged illicit distiller, John 
Brantley, was killed.  According to dry enforcement officers, they raided a 
place in Greenville and found a "still" in operation.  Brantley was in charge, 
they allege. 

  Brantley was commanded to throw up his hands, but instead of obeying, 
according to the prohibition men, he reached for a shotgun, which was standing 
near-by.  The dry men say they shot Brantley as he was raising his gun to 
shoot at them.  A coroner's jury, which sat Sunday at Emporia, exonerated the 
State prohibition officers for the killing of Brantley. 

  Four stills were seized in Fairfax County Friday and Saturday.  Two of them 
had ten-gallon capacities; one thirty gallons, and the another fifty gallons. 
Edgar Harris, Rodney Harris, Ernest H. Harmon and Edgar Poole were arrested. 
Three plants were seized in Northumberland County last week and four men were 
placed under arrest.  Several stills were taken in raids on places in 
Greenville and York Counties, two of the plants being large ones, having 
capacities of 140 and 150 gallons, respectively.  John Doly and H.W. Ferguson, 
white, were arrested and held in bail of $300 each for the grand jury, and 
Harville Taylor, colored, went to jail in default of bail. 

  In addition to large quantities of liquor seized, hundreds of gallons of 
"mash" was confiscated. 

****************************************************************************** 

KILLED IN RAID BY DRY AGENTS 

Prohibition Officers Start State-Wide Clean-up - 
   Man Slain in Greensville County. 

  Federal and state prohibition officers have begun to "clean-up" the state, 
according to reports reaching Richmond, which were to the effect that no less 
than eleven raids have been made in various parts Friday and Saturday, and in 
the course of which one alleged illicit distiller, John Brantley, was killed. 
According to dry enforcement officers, they raided a place in Greensville and 
found a "still" in operation.  Brantley was in charge, they allege. 

  Brantley was commanded to throw up his hands, but instead of obeying, 
according to the prohibition man, he reached for a shotgun, which was standing 
nearby.  The dry men say they shot Brantley as he was raising his gun to shoot 
them.  A coroner's jury, which sat Sunday at Emporia, exonerated the state 
prohibition officers for the killing of Brantley. 

  Four stills were seized in Fairfax county Friday and Saturday.  Two of them 
had ten-gallon capacities; one thirty gallons and the other fifty gallons. 
Edgar Harris, Rodney Harris, Ernest H. Harmon and Edgar Poole were arrested. 

  Three plants were seized in Northumberland county last week and four men 
were placed under arrest.  Several stills were taken in raids on places in 
Greensville and York counties, two of the plants being large ones, having 
capacities of 140 and 150 gallons, respectively. 

  In addition to large quantities of liquor seized, hundred of gallons of 
"mash" were conficated. - Times-Dispatch. 

****************************************************************************** 

  Richmond. - John Brantley, owner of a large still in Greensville county, is 
dead as the result of a gun fight with the sheriff and two deputies and two 
state prohibition officers.  He boasted that he would die with his boots on. 
When the officers showed up at the still, which was going full blast, they 
ordered the three men to "hands up."  All of them obeyed except Brantley, who 
opened proceedings by bringing a huge pump gun into action.  The officers 
replied, the first shot going through his body, striking just below the heart. 
He died before a physician could reach him.  The coroner empanelled a jury and 
the officers were at once acquitted.  The officers got two other stills in the 
same raid. 


Additional information: 

John Cleveland BRANTLEY, farmer & moonshiner, 
b. 7 Sep 1884, killed at still, 12 Aug 1921, Greensville Co., 
interred in Zion Baptist Church Cemetery, Skippers, Greensville Co., 
   13 Aug 1921, 
"Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch," Aug. 16, 1921, p. 10, col. 7; 
donated article, posted with Find a Grave Mem. #11421970, by Deenahh; 
"Alexandria (VA) Gazette," Vol. 137, No. 196, Aug. 18, 1921, p. 1, col. 3 

D.Cert. 19747 (Zion #15) gives son of W.F. & Pink (FAISON) BRANTLEY, and 
   husband of Sadie BRANTLEY. 

The 1900 Census Census - Zion Dist., Greensville Co. - shows him as the son of 
   William T. & Martha A. BRANTLEY, m. 28 years, 6 of 8 children surviving; 
   Owns Free Farm #151. 

John 1m. Daisy Irene JORDAN (26 Nov 1894 - 30 Dec 1918). 

His WW-I draft card gives medium height & build, light hair & blue eyes; 
   res. Emporia RFD, Greensville Co. 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/greensville/obits/b653j20o.txt