A very Cool Old Picture of Lawmen Posing With Confiscated Stills

[dirtlooter]

This is a photo of Deputies of Polk County Arkansas with the various stills that they had confiscated. The Deputy holding the double barrel shotgun to the right with the barrels in front of the window with someone in the window, is my Great Grandfather known then as P. Reed. The double barrel LC Smith shotgun with the "Rabbit Eared" hammers and Damascus barrels was passed down to me and I just recently passed it down to my daughter.


Copies of this same photo are possessed by other descendants of the other deputies and can be seen in a couple of businesses in Mena Ark. P. Reed also had a ball and cap pistol back then but got angry with it and threw it into the Ouachita River (Reed temper). Wish I had it but it is what it is. No idea where on the river he had thrown it. When I acquired the shotgun, I had to make two replacement firing pins (floating). I have fired it with low brass light loads. The picture hangs proudly in our log home. Just thought that some of you might get a kick out this photo. Thanks for looking, Jerry

 

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[weekender]

This is a photo of Deputies of Polk County Arkansas with the various stills that they had confiscated. The Deputy holding the double barrel shotgun to the right with the barrels in front of the window with someone in the window, is my Great Grandfather known then as P. Reed. The double barrel LC Smith shotgun with the "Rabbit Eared" hammers and Damascus barrels was passed down to me and I just recently passed it down to my daughter.


Copies of this same photo are possessed by other descendants of the other deputies and can be seen in a couple of businesses in Mena Ark. P. Reed also had a ball and cap pistol back then but got angry with it and threw it into the Ouachita River (Reed temper). Wish I had it but it is what it is. No idea where on the river he had thrown it. When I acquired the shotgun, I had to make two replacement firing pins (floating). I have fired it with low brass light loads. The picture hangs proudly in our log home. Just thought that some of you might get a kick out this photo. Thanks for looking, Jerry

great photo!
Thanks for sharing.

My GGF was a constable in Yell county back in the day
I don't have the shotgun, but I did end up with his pistol,
32 caliber top break Secret service special.
-Weekender

 

[lairmo]

Cool pic!!! Before I clicked on the pic I thought the dude on the right may have been Jed Clampett!...lol

 

[Tpmetal]

Super cool to have that family history still. Thanks for sharing

 

[Inspector]

Great picture and story, ty4sharing

 

[dirtlooter]

great photo!
Thanks for sharing.

My GGF was a constable in Yell county back in the day
I don't have the shotgun, but I did end up with his pistol,
32 caliber top break Secret service special.
-Weekender

My GGF P Reed had the duty of transporting prisoners up to Ft Smith during the time of Judge Parker by wagon. There were a couple of escape attempts where the shotgun was used to end them. That is very cool for you to have his pistol, the 32 was a good caliber back then. Our heritage is or should be important to us. make sure your descendants understand the history of the 32. Jerry

 

[flinthunter]

Cool picture. My wife's family was from Southern Illinois. Her grandfather on her dads side made shine. Her grandfather on her moms side was the sheriff. lol

 

[ToddsPoint]

My Italian family made wine during prohibition so I guess you could call them bootleggers. Gary

 

[dirtlooter]

Cool picture. My wife's family was from Southern Illinois. Her grandfather on her dads side made shine. Her grandfather on her moms side was the sheriff. lol

that is funny but it could have been a good thing too. people did what ever they could to survive back then and sometimes things were over looked.

 

[cyberdan]

Cool pic!!! Before I clicked on the pic I thought the dude on the right may have been Jed Clampett!...lol

That was my first thoughts too. But you would never catch Jed wearing a tie.

 

[Kace]

This is a photo of Deputies of Polk County Arkansas with the various stills that they had confiscated. The Deputy holding the double barrel shotgun to the right with the barrels in front of the window with someone in the window, is my Great Grandfather known then as P. Reed. The double barrel LC Smith shotgun with the "Rabbit Eared" hammers and Damascus barrels was passed down to me and I just recently passed it down to my daughter.


Copies of this same photo are possessed by other descendants of the other deputies and can be seen in a couple of businesses in Mena Ark. P. Reed also had a ball and cap pistol back then but got angry with it and threw it into the Ouachita River (Reed temper). Wish I had it but it is what it is. No idea where on the river he had thrown it. When I acquired the shotgun, I had to make two replacement firing pins (floating). I have fired it with low brass light loads. The picture hangs proudly in our log home. Just thought that some of you might get a kick out this photo. Thanks for looking, Jerry

I LOVE THAT PHOTOGRAPH!! And the history of it. So much so, it's getting framed for the cabin!! I'll identify your G'Grampa in the pic...If you ever get the rest of the guys names and post them, I'll add those too.

That is number #1 on my bucket list to find a fully intact, period correct Still tucked away somewhere! Lofty Dream, huh?

Thanks For Sharing Everything Dirt!!

Kace.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Any chance of seeing a picture of the shotgun?

 

[dirtlooter]

Any chance of seeing a picture of the shotgun?

Not now, the daughter has it and several other things plus she is not local. When the firing pins were broken, the gun was used in a play at the high school, this was in the mid fifties and a very small school, roughly 30 kids per grade. I hunted with it years ago until I heard the loud click from a briar cocking one of the hammers as I moved through thick brush.

 

[tinpan]

Not now, the daughter has it and several other things plus she is not local. When the firing pins were broken, the gun was used in a play at the high school, this was in the mid fifties and a very small school, roughly 30 kids per grade. I hunted with it years ago until I heard the loud click from a briar cocking one of the hammers as I moved through thick brush.

Nice photo , Who was the maker of the Damascus BARREL ? In the photo there mostly only fermentation barrels or Mess Barrels . So wheres all the stills you claim in the photo .I see only one . Stills are made of copper or steel TP

 

[dirtlooter]

the barrels were an early wrap barrel that were basically hammer forged together around mandrels. they were intended for low pressure blackpowder loads. they were known for unraveling or separating at the seams from excessive loads. The custom gunsmith that I worked for in 74-75 in San Antonio Tx explained this to me, he also instructed me in making the replacement firing pins. Did not intend to mislead number of stills shown, my grandfather had told me that three stills total were taken. My Great Grandfather had also helped in recovering stolen merchandise from the Watkins store that had been here in Mena back then. He was given a Winchester 30-30 as thanks by the Watkins family who are still friends of the family. My oldest cousin has that rifle.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Thank you for sharing!

 

[Philvis]

My dad was just telling me yesterday about how when he was hunting with his father when he was 12 or so, that they ran across a still. My grandpa was a hardened WWII and Korean War vet, and immediately said they need to high tail it out of there very seriously! You don't play around running across someone's illegal still!