12/23/10
The history of the railways in Georgia is rather interesting… Moultrie for instance was a huge hub. So numbers Charley presents of 321 or 342 denote what? Contract numbers? Route numbers? Or rail car numbers? Should be an interesting history lesson, don’t you think… finding this out?
Now with all these people involved in this illegal railcar moonshine business- you would think that the rest of the illegal services these folks provided to the many patrons of Valdosta would have suffered… but they didn’t. The numbers running still ran strong- the porn still ran hot and the players all got cuddly on winter nights with their hookers and their guilt. The thing that just kills me is that in the midst of all this moonshine running, the federal and state agents (Alcohol, Tobacco and Tax Treasury Agents) were in the process of another wave of Operation Dry Up. In fact, Charley was on stand by that weekend with his partner as other state agents were already “sitting” on another still. So how the hell did the RR gang get away with it? Hmmmm… someone on the inside and lots more on the outside. The same fella who was at Charley’s house that night- blood rushing through his veins could scarcely keep up with the adrenaline rushing through his body and the fear rushing through his brain. He didn’t bargain for them murdering Charley- in the same way the other man with the badge and light brown uniform didn’t think they’d really go through with it. After all- it was Charley. They all knew him- how could they do this?
Self preservation my friend… in the end it was all that mattered. All that matters still 44 years after the fact.
I have decided… it is time to begin writing the book in earnest. Not that I haven’t been writing all along… it’s just that every time I commit to an outline… another body appears- or another name and then I am duty bound to follow where Charley will lead. Blogging is fine; it acts as benchmark for chapter contents and has been a great avenue for release and discovery. But there are things I cannot blog about that must go into the book. Secrets that could not be bandied about public airways and theories that are still- pardon the pun- fleshing them out. But as Harriett Austin says if you’re going to write a book- ‘don’t talk about what you’re going to write-write it’! So my darlings, I shall be busy for quite some time to come, but I will still post here every day or so to keep you in touch and spell out some of the more intriguing lines of thought I have. The New Year will be here in days and then- it’s off to the races for this case! Big things are just beyond the reach of my fingertips into the new calendar year. You can sense it in the air-that electricity that pulsates with promise and baits with sweet come hither whispers. I can feel it and I know that Charley will guide my metaphorical pen throughout my discoveries, because this is his story too and it will take us both places we never thought possible.
Stay close Charley. I need your guidance now more than ever….
Happy Birthday to my youngest!
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