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Famed moonshiner kills self to avoid jail
AJC ^ | March 18, 2009 | AP

Posted on 03/19/2009 6:02:38 AM PDT by Vigilantcitizen

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Famed Appalachian moonshiner Marvin “Popcorn” Sutton, whose incorrigible bootlegging ways were as out of step with modern times as his hillbilly beard and overalls, took his own life rather than go to prison for making white lightning, his widow says.

“He couldn’t go to prison. His mind would just not accept it. … So I credit the federal government for my husband being dead, I really do,” Pam Sutton told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday from the couple’s home in the Parrottsville community, about 50 miles east of Knoxville.

(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events; US: Georgia; US: North Carolina
KEYWORDS: alcohol; moonshining; popcorn; suicide
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
"There was a Parmesan cheese plant in Minnesota I used to call on that produced about 20,000 gallons/day of near 200 proof alcohol. It was odorless but had a very strong Spearmint taste. I think they’re selling it into the ethanol market now."

Probably adding something to denature it,to make it undrinkable. (otherwise it's taxable) You can bet it's no less than 199 proof though for the ethanol market.

61 posted on 03/19/2009 7:04:33 AM PDT by Nathan Zachary
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To: Vigilantcitizen
I saw him on the History Channel program, loved the guy.

RIP, Popcorn.

She has no doubt Sutton died on his own terms. “Of course he did. That man went out in a blaze of glory, and flipping his finger as he went,” she said.

62 posted on 03/19/2009 7:04:50 AM PDT by Madame Dufarge
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To: Ditter

I believe you have to have a tax stamp from the ATF


63 posted on 03/19/2009 7:05:57 AM PDT by jrd
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To: TheMom

LoL! You got to be careful with that stuff. Never stand up too quick, you’re drunker than you think!


64 posted on 03/19/2009 7:07:25 AM PDT by Nathan Zachary
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To: Ditter
Can we sell the beer and wine?

Nope. But if you distill your beer you get whiskey. Brandy if you distill your wine.

65 posted on 03/19/2009 7:09:26 AM PDT by Nathan Zachary
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To: jrd

Before I killed myself like this guy, I’d make it and have parties every night where I gave it away. As long as you didn’t serve minors they couldn’t do anything to you, could they?


66 posted on 03/19/2009 7:10:47 AM PDT by Ditter
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To: Nathan Zachary

filtering it through charcoal takes the edge off, makes it a little smoother.


Filtering? when I bought mine in MS 30 years ago they just put the charcoal in the bottom of the jar that I bought. Still, it did have a good taste if you let it settle before partaking.


67 posted on 03/19/2009 7:12:54 AM PDT by PeterPrinciple ( Seeking the truth here folks.)
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To: Nathan Zachary
Yup. They buy a tankerload of gasoline every few weeks to poison the stuff. Initially, they asked me to find a home for it in the health care/toiletries industry (mouthwash, etc.) But one drop of the mint taste would stay with me for a week.
68 posted on 03/19/2009 7:14:07 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: PeterPrinciple
"when I bought mine in MS 30 years ago they just put the charcoal in the bottom of the jar that I bought."

That would work too. Doesn't look very pleasant though. All you need to do is buy a few of those aquarium charcoal sacks, rinse them, then slowly run your distillate through it a couple times. Or you can let it sit for a few days, weeks or months in large gallon jars, then pour it off, then cut it.

69 posted on 03/19/2009 7:20:12 AM PDT by Nathan Zachary
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To: PeterPrinciple

You are crazy if you don’t cut it. You can seriously damage your liver drinking uncut shine. Even cut 50%, it’s still much stronger than “government” whiskey.


70 posted on 03/19/2009 7:22:24 AM PDT by Nathan Zachary
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To: Vigilantcitizen
Obama's Fault.

The weekend before 9/11, I flew into Knoxville to visit my brother and his family with a big assortment of firearms for when we went to the range.

We departed TYS, and he told me the plans for the day:

*Shooting up the side of a friend's mountain

*BBQ

*An evening of dirty fun at The Atomic Motor Speedway (where he gave the invocation before the events)

On the way home, I mentioned that it was the perfect redneck day, save for having the chance to be chased by the Feds into the hills with a load of shine in the back.

His reply?

"You have no idea how easy that could be arranged!"

71 posted on 03/19/2009 7:28:55 AM PDT by dersepp (I Am A Militia Of One)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

Where we you the other day when I was arguing with the anti- ethanol people. They didn’t believe me that ethanol was cut up to 15% with gasoline essentially making it e85. It’s still basically pure alcohol performance wise; IF you build a proper engine to burn it in. Runs like crap in low compression engines, and that so called ‘flex fuel’ idea they idiots in detroit came up with.


72 posted on 03/19/2009 7:29:16 AM PDT by Nathan Zachary
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To: dersepp
An evening of dirty fun at The Atomic Motor Speedway (where he gave the invocation before the events)

Ahh - the Speedway is gone. And that's a damned shame.

73 posted on 03/19/2009 7:35:27 AM PDT by Tennessee_Bob (Save the Hispaniolan Solenodon!)
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To: Ditter

they put them in jail because they have not paid the tax on it!


74 posted on 03/19/2009 7:37:37 AM PDT by jrd
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To: Vigilantcitizen

It’s a shame. If Popcorn would have just sold his moonshine as ethanol, he not only would not have had to pay taxes, he would have got a tax break.


75 posted on 03/19/2009 7:38:58 AM PDT by sportutegrl
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To: sportutegrl

He’d have to poison it to do that. That would make him cry for sure.


76 posted on 03/19/2009 7:41:45 AM PDT by Nathan Zachary
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To: Vigilantcitizen

The freedom to live one’s life the way one chooses died with Popcorn.

RIP.


77 posted on 03/19/2009 7:41:51 AM PDT by Fresh Wind (Hey, Obama! Where's my check?)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

“I’ll be making a batch of Dandelion Wine this Spring in his honor. :)”

Is that any good??


78 posted on 03/19/2009 7:48:14 AM PDT by Cheetahcat (Osamabama the Wright kind of Racist!)
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To: Vigilantcitizen

Haywood Co., NC. His “legend” is a made up crock of bull, created by some buddies from Maggie Valley and fed to flatlander, tourist Floridiots who considered him a quaint old man. One would have thought he fought George Washington in the Whisky Rebellion.

Problem is, he was really only 62. He and his brothers ran liquor in their early years. They didn’t get caught. Popcorn did. His still blew up and caught his house on fire about 7-8 years ago. That’s how he got caught. Then he ran his mouth and the Feds watched and waited to nab him again. He should have gotten 10+ years for the gun they found alone. Instead he got 8 months and he couldn’t face that. Rumor has it he wasn’t a well man either.

He never talked about when he nearly killed a local man by slitting his throat here. That part is left out of his hero story the papers like to print.

He was no more than a common every day criminal thug with a nice media campaign.


79 posted on 03/19/2009 7:55:51 AM PDT by TennTuxedo
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To: TennTuxedo

“He should have gotten 10+ years for the gun they found alone.”

Why? Is it illegal to own guns where he lives?


80 posted on 03/19/2009 8:34:52 AM PDT by monday
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