Bush pardons two Tennessee moonshiners

“It’s a good Christmas present,” said Charles E. McKinley, 75, of Pall Mall.

Also pardoned was Carl E. Cantrell, 57, of Monteagle, who said, “It was the biggest relief I ever had.”

The pardons this week restore full U.S. citizenship to the men, including the rights to vote and buy a gun, their attorneys told The Knoxville News Sentinel. But their records will reflect both the felony convictions and the pardons.

Cantrell said in the mid-1960s he and two friends set up a still on the side of Monteagle Mountain, surrounded by trees. “It don’t take a genius to make it,” he said.

Soon afterwards, the site was raided and he was convicted of Interal Revenue Service liquor law violations and given three years probation.

McKinley said he was driving a friend around in 1949 and they stopped at his friend’s still to get something to drink. Driving away, they were arrested by the feds. McKinley was convicted of IRS liquor law violations and given two years of probation.

He said he never intended to sell moonshine, only drink it. “I just got in the wrong place at the wrong time,” he said.

McKinley added that he may have to change his political support since he’s been helped by a GOP president.

“I’d almost be a Republican after that.”

Cantrell expressed surprised by the pardon.

“Really, to tell you the truth, I thought that nothing would be done about it,” he said.

Cantrell said he is looking forward to being able to vote and buy a gun.

“I wasn’t trying to cause nobody no harm,” he said. “I was just trying to make a living.”