You may want to contact Dan Martin at dlmartin2@earthlink.net . His is, I think related to the Martins' of Old 23rd. Dan is the list owner of the Henry Co List. Wil

Hi Wil & Dave: That is an old email address. I use DanMartin@xc.org for all my genealogy work. My Dad remembers the event in question. Cloys' father, George Martin, was my grandfather's brother. Cloys and his dad had a still, and the community, lacking proper law enforcement, took things into their own hands. Some of them came up and broke up the still. Cloys evidently shot Tom Evans over this incident. Cloys served about a year in prison for the murder. My Dad said that George made really good whisky. He said that George didn't drink himself since he was a member of the Church of Christ, but gave a lot of money from the sale of the whisky to the church. My Dad is loosing his memory, but I will ask him if he remembers any more details about the incident. I know it is still a sensitive matter with Cloys' family. Larry Perry was warned not to put anything in his book on the Old 23rd about it. Tom Evans was the first cousin once removed of Cloys' wife, Clara Evans Martin. His full name was Thomas Jefferson Evans, b. 1884, Henry Co., TN, d. 18 Apr 1926, Henry Co., TN, m. 28 Jun 1908 to Claudia Herndon, b. 1885, d. 1969. The following is from Charles D. Robbins book: "And of course, there was the bootleg war which made headlines even in the large city newspapers. A man named Homer Wells, who was a native of Paris, but was head of the L. & N. Railroad detectives came to Paris to head the investigation, and he later wrote a story about it that appeared in True Detective magazine. "This had been a case where numerous stills were operating out in the woods and the law enforcement officials couldn't find them, or more likely they were not trying to find them. "There were men living in the area who were against the making of bootleg whiskey, so they took the law into their own hands and were breaking up the stills. After a couple of years of simmering, the conflict broke into the open when Tom Evans, one of the 'Vigilantes' was shot and killed." [Source: "Old 23rd District," by Charles D. Robbins, Paris, TN 1985, p. 85] Dan Martin ---------------- W. A. Christopher wrote: >You may want to contact Dan Martin at dlmartin2@earthlink.net . His is, I >think related to the Martins' of Old 23rd. Dan is the list owner of the >Henry Co List. >Wil > > >==== DanvilleCrossing Mailing List ==== >GENEALOGY is like Hide & Seek: >They Hide & I Seek !! > -- Have I, therefore, become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? Gal. 4:16 Jesus said: "I am The Way, The Truth And The Life, and nobody comes to the Father but by Me." John: 14:6 Christian Exchange International: http://www.ceiinc.org Balanced Life Concepts: http://www.ceiinc.org/blc/blc.html

Thanks for the reply Dan...... ----------------- Chris, Hope Dan's info is helpful..... I would suggest you get a copy of Perry's book about the 'Old 23rd District' (if you don't already have one). You can still buy it locally in Paris from his descendants if you don't. Not much on 'Moonshine Wars', but good pictures and geneology of those who lived in the area. Suggest you also attend the annual 'gathering' of the 'Old 23rd District' members around July 4th at the old Church to get personnel info from folks who used to live in the that area and participated in the 'Wars'. Please excuse me if you already know some of the information, for I don't how much you have researched this period or the area............ Alot of folks and 'noteable' families from the 'Old 23rd' (part of Henry County at the northern tip of Benton County) were involved in illegal Moonshine production. Though they don't want it discussed publically, they relate their stories about this period amongst themselves and their dislike for the 'Revenuoors'. Prior discussions, I have had with some of the TVA authorities, have indicated that though there was not a 'real reason' for the TVA to relocate the families of the 'Old 23rd' at the time of the flooding of Kentucky Lake, the TVA did it in order to 'remove' this section of the local society from the area, as they were deemed 'undesireable' to the rest of the population in Benton and Henry Counties. Don't know.....only repeating what I have been told by some the local residents of Big Sandy and the TVA folks. As you have been informed by Dan, this 'topic' is not open to discussion in the local population. Perry was warned NOT to discuss it in his book on the area. Suggest you handle your inquires with 'velvet gloves'. You can still get the transcripts of the Evans' case at the Henry County Courthouse........ Be careful here......but,....Wish you well in this endeavor. Let us know how we might help, and please stay on List with your progress. Dave PS: Not only a 'good' book, but one 'Hell of a Movie'...... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------- At 01:26 AM 12/15/01 -0500, Dan & Bobbie Martin wrote: >Hi Wil & Dave: > >That is an old email address. I use DanMartin@xc.org for all my >genealogy work. > >My Dad remembers the event in question. Cloys' father, George Martin, >was my grandfather's brother. Cloys and his dad had a still, and the >community, lacking proper law enforcement, took things into their own >hands. Some of them came up and broke up the still. Cloys evidently >shot Tom Evans over this incident. Cloys served about a year in prison >for the murder. My Dad said that George made really good whisky. He >said that George didn't drink himself since he was a member of the >Church of Christ, but gave a lot of money from the sale of the whisky to >the church. My Dad is loosing his memory, but I will ask him if he >remembers any more details about the incident. I know it is still a >sensitive matter with Cloys' family. Larry Perry was warned not to put >anything in his book on the Old 23rd about it. > >Tom Evans was the first cousin once removed of Cloys' wife, Clara Evans >Martin. His full name was Thomas Jefferson Evans, b. 1884, Henry Co., >TN, d. 18 Apr 1926, Henry Co., TN, m. 28 Jun 1908 to Claudia Herndon, b. >1885, d. 1969. > >The following is from Charles D. Robbins book: > >"And of course, there was the bootleg war which made headlines even in >the large city >newspapers. A man named Homer Wells, who was a native of Paris, but was >head of the L. & N. >Railroad detectives came to Paris to head the investigation, and he >later wrote a story about it that >appeared in True Detective magazine. > >"This had been a case where numerous stills were operating out in the >woods and the law >enforcement officials couldn't find them, or more likely they were not >trying to find them. >"There were men living in the area who were against the making of >bootleg whiskey, so they took >the law into their own hands and were breaking up the stills. After a >couple of years of simmering, the >conflict broke into the open when Tom Evans, one of the 'Vigilantes' was >shot and killed." > >[Source: "Old 23rd District," by Charles D. Robbins, Paris, TN 1985, p. 85] > >Dan Martin >---------------- > >W. A. Christopher wrote: > >>You may want to contact Dan Martin at dlmartin2@earthlink.net . His is, I >>think related to the Martins' of Old 23rd. Dan is the list owner of the >>Henry Co List. >>Wil >> >> >>==== DanvilleCrossing Mailing List ==== >>GENEALOGY is like Hide & Seek: >>They Hide & I Seek !! >> > >-- >Have I, therefore, become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? Gal. 4:16 >Jesus said: "I am The Way, The Truth And The Life, and nobody comes to the Father but by Me." John: 14:6 >Christian Exchange International: http://www.ceiinc.org >Balanced Life Concepts: http://www.ceiinc.org/blc/blc.html > > > > > > > >==== DanvilleCrossing Mailing List ==== >My Family Tree has Root Rot !! >