In a brazen act of defiance, a notorious moonshiner known only as ‘Active 111’ struck fear into the hearts of authorities in Nashville, Tennessee, when he allegedly killed the city’s mayor, a move seen by some as a desperate cry for attention in a state where the war on whiskey has gone awry. Prohibition, intended to dry up the South’s notorious moonshine culture, has instead fueled a thriving black market, with illicit stills popping up like wildfire in the mountainous regions of Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. The authorities, struggling to keep pace with the cunning moonshiners, have been forced to resort to a cat-and-mouse game of high-stakes chases and shootouts, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries on both sides. As the past two years have shown, the revenue officers tasked with enforcing the law have been outgunned and outmaneuvered by the moonshiners, who seem to operate with impunity in the state’s rugged terrain. With Prohibition driving the moonshiners to new heights of desperation, it remains to be seen how long the authorities can maintain their grip on the situation.
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Key Facts
- State: Tennessee
- Category: Violent Crime
- Era: Historical
- Source: Library of Congress — Chronicling America ↗
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