Posted on 12/22/2005 8:34:17 AM PST by SoFloFreeper
President Bush has pardoned two Tennesseans convicted decades ago of moonshine charges.
"It's a good Christmas present," said Charles E. McKinley, 75, of Pall Mall in Fentress County.
Also pardoned was Carl E. Cantrell, 57, of Monteagle in Grundy County, who said, "It was the biggest relief I ever had."
The pardons this week restore full U.S. citizenship to the men, including the rights to vote and buy a gun, their attorneys told The Knoxville News Sentinel. But their records will reflect both the felony convictions and the pardons.
Cantrell said that in the mid-1960s he and two friends set up a still on the side of Monteagle Mountain, surrounded by trees. "It don't take a genius to make it," he said.
Soon afterward, the site was raided and he was convicted of Internal Revenue Service liquor law violations and given three years probation.
McKinley said he was driving a friend around in 1949 and they stopped at his friend's still to get something to drink. Driving away, they were arrested by the feds. McKinley was convicted of IRS liquor law violations and given two years of probation.
He said he never intended to sell moonshine, only drink it. "I just got in the wrong place at the wrong time," he said.
McKinley added that he may have to change his political support since he's been helped by a GOP president: "I'd almost be a Republican after that."
Cantrell expressed surprise by the pardon.
"Really, to tell you the truth, I thought that nothing would be done about it," he said.
Cantrell said he was looking forward to being able to vote and buy a gun.
"I wasn't trying to cause nobody no harm," he said. "I was just trying to make a living." •
Mine too. I love Bush, even more now.
Good 'ol Rocky Top.
A few years ago at our place up near the Red River we had some folks over and were having a few drinks and my neighbor brought some "shine" that he had got over in SE Oklahoma..anyway I had bought a new jug of Johnny Walker Red and was mixing it with Swepps Soda....after the second drink I got up to go pee and fell flat on my butt!..Seems as though the "shine" was in a Swepps Soda bottle as well and I had been mixing a fairly large cut of scotch and then topping it off with "shine". Not recommended....but they still are telling that story around those parts...
Kellynia, you ain't never had good shine. I have had some that made Jim Beam taste like camel pi$$. Clear as mountain spring water. Smooth as silk and sweeter than honey. Wonderful stuff if made right.
well I'll take your word for it! LOL
Ha, beat me by half a second. I pinged you too on this one.
"I ain't paid no whiskey tax since 1792."
They shouldn't even have been arrested.
It is going to be a race to see if his bulk will take him down or up. He is closing in on Blimp size.
I got my hands on a bad batch once and the day after was the worst hangover a man could have, damn near thought I'd die. Learned my lesson: know your sources else deal with the contents of someone's radiator.
I think WWI hero Sergeant York hailed from Pall Mall TN.
God bless these boys.... and God bless my native land of Tennessee.
My Tennessee Granddaddy used to keep some behind the seat of his pickup. Warned me to never tell my teetotallin' Southern Baptist Grandma. Said she would skin him.
I miss him so much.
Heck, all the revenooers would do is fine ya.
We made blue lightning in Saudi Arabia. If caught the HUSBAND went to the hoosegow for a spell and the wife got sent home. :o)
Who said life was bad over there for women? Lol.
No, these guys were on two and three years' probation and served it out.
Raw spirits, at least 85% raw spirits, is what I use for fuel in my pick-up.
You ain't from around heah, are you, boy?
Did you read the article?
Geez, I was talking last Friday to a coworker who hails from western North Carolina, says his family's been `makin' moon' for 200 years. I said that's a line from 1957's "Thunder Road". He replied that that the tanker ran on the same stuff sold from the tank.
Guess so.
I caught that too.
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