Legends & Lore of East Tennessee by Shane S. Simmons

Author:Shane S. Simmons
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Arcadia Publishing Inc.
Published: 2016-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

THE CATCHABLE BUT NOT FETCHABLE MOONSHINER

The stereotypical image of an Appalachian moonshiner usually conjures up thoughts of a wiry little old Caucasian man with a long, flowing beard wearing bibbed overalls. The story of Mahala “Big Haley” Mullins turns that image on its head in virtually every way. There haven’t been many stories of prominent female moonshiners passed down through the years, but the legend of Big Haley is one well worth retelling. As any good fisherman will tell you, it is one thing to hook a large fish, but actually getting it in the boat is often the challenge. For Tennessee revenue officers, Mahala Mullins is the big fish that got away in this tale.

Mahala Mullins was a member of the Melungeon racial group whose members resided in the Newman’s Ridge section of Sneedville in Hancock County, Tennessee, during the mid-1800s. As one might guess, Mahala was given the nickname “Big Haley” due to her large physical size, with various reports estimating her weight as being anywhere between four hundred and seven hundred pounds. It has been speculated that she suffered from either the disease elephantiasis or a thyroid condition that resulted in her massive weight gain. According to news reports from the period, Mahala gave birth to at least eighteen and possibly up to twenty children with her husband, John Mullins. Upon John’s death, Mahala and the family had very few options for making additional money to provide for their needs beyond their subsistence farming.

One thing Mahala and her sons knew well was how to make some very desirable moonshine. They began to market their spirits to locals, but it didn’t take long for word of their unique brews to spread, especially their popular apple brandy. Openly selling it by the jug or by the drink from a “community dipper,” she kept a cask of whiskey beside her along with tin cups and measures. It didn’t take long for the local authorities to hear of Big Haley’s popular, but illegal, operation. A warrant was issued for her arrest, and this is where things began to get complicated. Mullins wasn’t hard to find, as it has been said she never traveled farther than a three-mile radius during her entire time on this earth. By this stage in her life, Big Haley was confined to sitting in a chair due to her enormous weight. She spent day and night unable to rise under her own power, making her an even easier target to nab.

The revenuers made their way to her home, which was located in a sloped and rural part of the county, making it virtually impossible to reach by wagon. The officers informed Big Haley of the charges being brought against her for illegally making and selling moonshine. She cheerfully confessed her guilt and offered to let them take her in to face the charges. The real problem quickly surfaced, as the officers were at a loss as to how to get her out of the house and back into town to face the charges.

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