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Bootleggers Shootout Traditional Cache

This cache has been archived.

-allenite-: As there has been no response from owner regarding my previous note, I'm archiving this cache. Please note that if geocaches are archived by a reviewer or Geocaching HQ for lack of maintenance, they are not eligible for unarchival.

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Hidden : 3/22/2009
Difficulty:
3 out of 5
Terrain:
1 out of 5

Size: Size:   micro (micro)

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Geocache Description:

Flat level ground, should be an easy find. Will need to bring a pen or pencil to sign the log.

Back in the late 1920’s during the prohibition era, a fellow named Tony Tootino and his brother Louie were up in Honor from the Chicago area getting a load of whiskey. Bootleggers as they were commonly called, tried to keep a low profile in the area. The local sheriffs had an idea where the stills were and knew about the brothers from Chicago, but tended to look the other way as long as the whiskey stayed home. They did have a concern about bootleggers hauling it downstate or out of state, this the sheriffs would not put up with.
On this one particular day, Tony and Louie were out on Deadstream road where a backwoods still had a load of whiskey waiting for them. They hid the whiskey behind a false panel in the trunk that went under the rear seat of the car.
On their way through town they stopped at Maley park to get a drink of water from the flowing artesian well, that’s still flowing today.
At the same time they were at the park the local sheriffs got a tip that the brothers were in town and were heading back to Chicago with a car load of whiskey. Not to miss a chance to bust the brothers the sheriffs went into action and in no time they had the brothers pinned in between them as they blocked both entrances to the park.
Tony saw what was happening and quickly grabbed his gun and started firing, he would never go down without a fight. He and his brother dove behind the car and came up with a plan. Tony would shoot out the tires on the car in front and Louie would get the one in the back.
The sheriffs never saw it coming and before they could react both sheriff’s cars had flat tires. The deputies were now firing back from both ends of the park but the brothers dove into the car and drove up the bank and onto Deadstream Rd.. With a shot out rear window, the brothers escaped and were never seen again, or so they thought.
Back at the park one of the deputies had been shot in the leg and the others were assisting him. A wrecker was sent out with new tires and a few of the other deputies were cleaning up the park picking up all the spent shells.
Later that day Dr. Stiles was busy removing the bullet from the deputies leg and when he got it out he washed it off and gave it to the deputy for a souvenir. That evening the deputy went back to the station and showed his souvenir to the others. Deputy Shaw who was a gun collector looked at the bullet and realized that it was not the caliber of any of the shells they picked up at the park. With the mystery bullet, an order was sent out to search the park for a spent shell that matched the bullet. After a complete check of the area, the search was called off and the shell was never found. All of the deputies guns were checked in case it may have been friendly fire but this too did not pan out.
The mystery of the bullet was never solved and many stories began of who really shot the deputy and why. Bootlegging continued for some time and the sheriffs were kept busy finding new stills and arresting the owners, but never did it come down to a shoot out like the one in Maley park.

Disclaimer: The story you have just read, may or maynot be true, this, you will have to decide for yourself. For me, I think its totally made-up and just an excuse to put a cache in Maley Park.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Lbh jvyy arrq gb ernq gur fgbel.

Decryption Key

A|B|C|D|E|F|G|H|I|J|K|L|M
-------------------------
N|O|P|Q|R|S|T|U|V|W|X|Y|Z

(letter above equals below, and vice versa)