MoonShiner #7 William " Bill " Eddy Traditional Cache

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horseshoechamp: Time to get ready for this years race.

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Hidden : 2/19/2013
Difficulty:
2 out of 5
Terrain:
2 out of 5

Size: Size: regular (regular)

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Geocache Description:

You are searching for a well hidden ammo can along with my shine.

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Bill Eddy is as salty and tangy as his language. At the age of 79, the jovial six-foot former Florida Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent can talk non- stop about his remarkable 56 years in law enforcement, but it's safe to say he is a living legend among Florida's most colorful sleuths and more than likely holds the distinction for being the most acclaimed and commended of his profession by many of Florida's governors and Beverage Department directors during more than a half century of the state's legendary moonshine era.

Does I remember Baker County's infamous moonshiners? -- You bet I do! Was Baker County truly the moonshine capitol of Florida? I say it was.

How does he know? -- It's easy. He conducted the largest and most productive moonshine conspiracy investigation and raid in Florida's history. It's all documented. It's all factual. With his little instamatic camera, trusty manual typewriter and faithfully kept diary recordings, he gathered first hand information that is now recorded on film and through the written word.

In late 1954, the Florida State Beverage Department enticed him to join them, offering to furnish him a car to use as his own, and pay per diem. When he accepted, they handed him a list of Florida's Ten Most Wanted bootleggers and said, 'Go after them.' At least three of the names on the list were from Baker County.

Throughout many years, Eddy was often 'loaned' by the Beverage Department, with approval from Florida's various governors, to assist county sheriffs throughout Florida. He served as a temporary deputy sheriff for 11 different Florida sheriffs, including a three months assignment in Baker County. Once, in the absence of Baker County Sheriff Ed Yarbrough, he was given the authority to be the county's acting Sheriff for three days.

Eddy remembers the time he and Ed Yarbrough were deep in the Baker County woods looking for moonshine operations and operators. "Along came two men, Wade Crawford and Edward Anderson, with a mule and cart hauling shine from their still. We caught them fair and square and they even posed for a picture," he said. "You could not have asked for anyone to be nicer than they were. They knew it was wrong, but they were not like a criminal.

To tell you the truth, I could have put almost every sheriff in Florida in the penitentiary back then, at one time or another. There were a few exceptions and let me tell you something about Sheriff Ed Yarbrough. He was one of them. He was my favorite sheriff to work with and I knew them all. He was out there to catch the violators, and he did it fair. If he ever took a penny pay off I would have known about it because those things get out. Near the last of the moonshine business, it seemed everyone was telling on everyone else. I would have been the first one called on to investigate, and I never heard one thing. Baker County's sheriff had a good reputation.

In January, 1963, Eddy received a letter of commendation from State Beverage Department Director Thomas E. Lee, Jr. for his work in directing 'Operation Shine Down', calling it the 'greatest drive against moonshine the State of Florida has ever recorded in history.

Eddy is still working, sometimes day and night. His 'boss,' as he calls her, is Lieutenant Sandy Williams with the St. Johns County Sheriffs Department.

The best advice Eddy said he ever received was from Senator Verle Pope of St. Johns County. Eddy answered a question of the Senator's with 'I think so.' The senator said, 'You either know or you do not.' Well, I'm 79 years old and I still do not know who I am.

Additional Hints (Decrypt)

Onol Cvar fglyr

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)


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