Stories and Folktales – Capture on the Square
Stories and Folktales – Capture on the Square
A big part of law enforcement in rural Tennessee in the 1930s was the interdiction of illegal alcohol. The flood of moonshine produced in, and passing through, Macon County made it almost impossible for the Sheriff and his deputies to intercept more than a small percentage of it.
About one o’clock in the morning on April 26, 1936, Sheriff Jack Creasey almost lost his life attempting to stop a load of liquor from getting through.
The story begins on Jennings Creek Hill near the Willette community where Constable Hubert Tuck and Charlie West began pursuit of a car occupied by two men. They believed the vehicle was carrying a load of illicit whiskey. Unable to cut off the outlaw vehicle, and without a two-way radio in their car, West stopped at a nearby house, Tuck out got out of the car, and went to call Sheriff Creasey who was at jail in Lafayette. Meanwhile, West resumed pursuit.
Constable Tuck telephoned Creasey and informed him of the “carload” of liquor headed toward Lafayette on the Red Boiling Springs Road. Tuck described the vehicle as a Ford Model A Coupe. The Sheriff and city night watchman Tom Moss armed themselves and stood by in anticipation of the bootleggers’ arrival in Lafayette.
After several minutes of restless waiting, the Sheriff surmised that the Model A had broken down on the highway. Creasey and Moss then drove down the Red Boiling Road looking for the stranded bootleggers. About two miles out of town, the officers saw the Ford barreling toward them at a high rate of speed. Creasey attempted to block the highway with his patrol car and Moss got out with his gun drawn, but he tripped and fell down.
The bootleggers puled their vehicle around the stopped police car and one of them opened fire, shooting at least three times. Two bullets hit the Sheriff’s car and another one struck the Sheriff just above his left wrist. The bullet traveled up the Sheriff’s forearm before it exited just below the elbow. Sheriff Creasey and officer Moss returned fire, emptying their pistols at the fleeing vehicle, but they failed to hit the shine runners.
Shortly after the exchange of gunfire, Charlie West came up to the Sheriff’s car and then he continued the pursuit of the speeding Ford. West caught up with his prey just as the Model A entered Lafayette’s Public Square. The Ford went to the right around the Square and West went to the left, cutting off the suspects at the entrance to the Scottsville Road.
Perhaps luckily for West, the bootlegger who fired at the Sheriff had thrown his weapon out of the car window immediately after the shootout with the Sheriff. The unarmed suspects did not resist West and he arrested them.
Sheriff Creasey and officer Moss arrived almost immediately, and Creasey handcuffed the suspects. Inside the Ford, the Sheriff found several kegs containing a total of 35 gallons of liquor.
After placing the bootleggers in jail, Creasey received treatment from Dr. D. D. Howser. Howser determined that the wound was not life threatening and the Sheriff made a speedy recovery.
Upon questioning, the arrested men identified themselves as Raymond Rich and Jim Renfroe, of Scottsville, Kentucky. Rich said he had a wife and two children. Renfroe said
he had several motherless children. The pair of told the Sheriff that they had borrowed the car in order to go to Gallatin for Renfroe’s wedding.
Later that day, Rich and Renfroe went before Justice of the Peace S. F. Jones. The men admitted to having the liquor, but they denied shooting the Sheriff. Jones set bond for the two accused men at $1,000. They couldn’t make the bond and Sheriff Creasey lodged them in the county jail until the July term of the criminal court.
A jury convicted Rich and Renfroe on charges of possessing and transporting liquor and assault with a deadly weapon with intent to commit first-degree murder. Considering the gravity of their crimes, the men were sentenced to short prison.
