Kentucky's Famous Feuds And Tragedies - free ebook by Charles Gustavus Mutzenberg

Kentucky’s Famous Feuds and Tragedies

Authentic History of the World Renowned Vendettas of the Dark and Bloody Ground BY CHAS. G. MUTZENBERG R. F. Fenno &amp; Company 16 East 17th Street, New York Copyright, 1917, by R. F. Fenno &amp; Company KENTUCKY’S FAMOUS FEUDS AND TRAGEDIES...

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THE GREAT HATFIELD-McCOY FEUD.

Origin of the feud.—Fight near the Hatfield Tunnel.—Killing of Bill Staton.—Killing of Ellison Hatfield.—Butchery of the three McCoy brothers.—Murder of Jeff McCoy.—The tell-tale bloody lock of hair.—Quarrel of the Governors of Kentucky and West Virginia.—Official correspondence between them.—Frank Phillips, the daring raider, appears upon the scene.—Capture of members of the Hatfield clan.—Night Attack upon the McCoy home.—Burning of the McCoy home.—Cowardly murder of his daughter Allifair.—Bra

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THE TOLLIVER-MARTIN-LOGAN VENDETTA.

Introduction.—The two chief causes of the feud.—Politics and whiskey.—Judge Hargis the innocent cause of the political strife.—First blood.—Pitched battle at Morehead.—Murder of Soloman Bradley and wounding of John Martin and Sizemore.—Martin arrested.—Mob violence threatened.—His removal to Winchester jail.—Craig Tolliver and his clan lay plans for Martin’s assassination.—Forged order for delivery of prisoner presented to jailer at Winchester.—Martin turned over to his murderers.—Assassination

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THE FRENCH-EVERSOLE WAR.

Causes leading up to the war.—Assassination of Silas Gayheart.—The gathering of the clans.—Scouting through the country.—Compromise and treaty of peace of Big Creek.—Treaty violated.—Murder of Gambriel in the streets of Hazard.—Assassination from ambush of young Nick Combs and Joe C. Eversole, leader of the Eversole clan.—Brutality of the murderers.—Pursuit of the outlaws.—Discovery of the ambush.—Escape of Judge Josiah Combs.—Campbell becomes chief of the Eversoles.—Hazard in a state of siege.—

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BLOODY BREATHITT.

The Strong-Amy feud; the Strong-Callahan feud.—Conditions during the eighties; official correspondence between Circuit Court Judge and the Governor.—The murder mills keep grinding.—The beginning of the Hargis-Cockrell-Marcum-Callahan vendetta.—Political contest cases create bad blood.—Hargis assumes office as county judge.—Callahan the sheriff of the county.—Trouble between Marcum and Judge Hargis.—The Cockrell brothers.—Murder of Ben Hargis by Tom Cockrell; killing of John Hargis.—The clans arm

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PREFACE

The feudal wars of Kentucky have, in the past, found considerable publicity through newspapers. Unfortunately, many newspaper reporters dealing with this subject were either deprived of an opportunity to make a thorough investigation of the facts, or permitted their imagination to supply what they had failed to obtain. At any rate, the result was distortion of the truth and exaggeration. Exaggeration is not needed to make Kentucky’s feudal wars of thrilling, intensely gripping interest to every

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INTRODUCTION

A brief review of the history of Kentuckians may assist the reader to understand why they, a kind, hospitable people to the stranger, have so long borne the reputation of ready fighters who often kill upon the slightest provocation, and deserve that reputation in a large measure. It is “bred in the bone” for a Kentuckian to quickly resent an insult or redress an injury. Long before the advent of the white man Kentucky, then Fincastle County, Virginia, had been the vast hunting grounds of the Che

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THE GREAT HATFIELD-McCOY FEUD.

Perhaps no section in the whole United States has ever been the scene of more crime and long-continued defiance of the law than that contiguous to the Tug Fork, one of the tributaries of the Big Sandy river, and which forms the boundary line between West Virginia and Kentucky, separating Logan County, W. Va., from Pike County, Ky. Many feuds have been fought there, but none equalled in ferocity the bloody Hatfield-McCoy war, during which crimes of the most revolting nature were perpetrated. Inde

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FINAL BATTLE OF MOREHEAD. JUNE 22ND, 1887.

After leaving Frankfort, Logan hastened to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he purchased several hundred dollars’ worth of Winchester rifles, pistols, shotguns, and an ample supply of ammunition. These were boxed and shipped as saw-mill fixtures, and consigned to a small station (Gate’s) in Rowan County, some miles from Morehead. Immediately upon his return to Rowan County Logan summoned his friends. They responded with a will. Many came from the neighboring counties, except Elliott County, which section

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Governor Buckner’s Reply.

Executive Department. Frankfort, Nov. 27th, 1888. Hon. H. C. Lilly, Judge, Irvine, Ky. Dear Sir:—I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 13th inst. from Hazard, Perry County, in which you say “Mr. B. F. French is here with 15, or perhaps more, men, well armed, and the people are so much alarmed, fearing that they will be left to the mercy of those men, that I have decided that I will take the responsibility upon myself to order the Perry Guards on duty, hoping th

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THE BATTLE OF HAZARD. (NOVEMBER 7TH AND 8TH, 1889.)

Court had proceeded with unimportant business until the fourth day of the term. Considerable disorder had occurred on the night of the third day of court, but actual hostilities did not open until the following morning. During the forenoon a heavy volley of shots suddenly rang clear and sharp in the cold November air and echoed through the valley. There was a momentary silence in the crowded court room. Every man looked at his neighbor, questioningly and uncertain. Then with one impulse judge, l

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Judge Lilly to Governor Buckner.

Frankfort, Ky., Dec. 5, 1888. To his Excellency, the Governor of Kentucky. Dear Sir:—From a full investigation and inquiry into the condition of the affairs in Breathitt County, I am fully satisfied that the civil authorities cannot hold a circuit court in that county and enforce the law without the aid of the State Guard. That the people are divided to such an extent that a sheriff’s posse will not be sufficient. Several murders have been committed in the county since the last term, and the off

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Governor Buckner’s Reply.

Hon. H. C. Lilly, Judge 19th Judicial District, Irvine, Kentucky. Dear Sir:—I have fully considered your letter of the fifth inst. in reference to the condition of affairs in Breathitt County in which communication you say that you are “fully satisfied that the civil authorities cannot hold a circuit court in that county and enforce the law without the aid of the State Guard; that the people are divided to such extent that a sheriff’s posse will not be sufficient; several murders have been commi

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Judge Lilly to Governor Buckner.

Irvine, Ky., February 4th, 1889. Governor S. B. Buckner. Dear Sir:—Your letter dated 14th December, and postmarked on the 18th, was received by me on the night of the 25th, at Jackson, Breathitt County. On the third page you proposed to accompany me to Jackson in the following words: “But if my own presence will be of any service to you, I will take pleasure in accompanying you to Breathitt court, if you conclude, on reconsid eration, to hold it.” You were advised that the Breathitt court would

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Governor Buckner’s Reply.

Commonwealth of Kentucky. EXECUTIVE OFFICE. Feb. 8, 1889. Dear Sir:—Your letter of the 4th inst. reached me yesterday. You seemed to impute want of good faith on my part in offering to attend you to the Breathitt Circuit Court. This charge on your part is based on the erroneous and gratuitous assumption that the Adjutant-General had doubtless informed me that it was your intention to hold the Breathitt Circuit Court on the regular day. The Adjutant-General informs me to-day that he did not himse

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THE REIGN OF TERROR.

Immediately after the assassination of Marcum, and for a long time afterwards, conditions at Jackson were terrible. There was consternation among all who had in the least degree incurred the enmity of the tyrants who now controlled both county and town. Judge Hargis appeared in the newspapers with a lengthy accusation against the dead man Marcum, practically declaring that the assassination was a good deed and deserved. Many relatives of Marcum, the Cockrells and their sympathizers, left town an

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RETRIBUTION.

“He that sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed.” This threat was fulfilled to the letter in the cases of both Judge Hargis and Sheriff Callahan. Both men died with their boots on. Judge Hargis was shot and killed at his store in Jackson in the winter of 1908 by his own son , Beach Hargis. The young man was indicted for murder February 18th, 1908, tried and found guilty. He escaped the death penalty, and received a life sentence, but is already at large, having been paroled 1916. T

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ED. CALLAHAN GOES UNDER.

The other leader of the Hargis faction, Ed. Callahan, died as violently as did the victims which he has been accused of sending to their deaths. The assassination took place Saturday, May 4th, 1912, in the middle of the forenoon, at Crocketsville, a village some twenty miles from Jackson. Some two years before a similar attempt had miscarried, although Callahan was then seriously wounded. It has already been stated that Mose Feltner, John Smith and others had in their confessions implicated Ed.

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IS THIS YOUR SON, MY LORD?

By Helen H. Gardener . One of the most powerful and realistic novels written by an American author in this literary generation. It is a terrible exposé of conventional immorality and hypocrisy in modern society. Every high-minded woman who desires the true progression of her sex will want to touch the inspiriting power of this book. “No braver voice was ever raised, no clearer note was ever struck, for woman’s honor and childhood’s purity.”— The Vanguard, Chicago. “A novel of power, and one whic

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PRAY YOU, SIR, WHOSE DAUGHTER?

By Helen H. Gardener . “Every legislator in every state should read it and ask his conscience whether, if such iniquitous laws are on the statute books of his state, he should hasten to move their repeal.” “She has not written for effect! nor fame! for amusement! nor money! but out of her great heart and soul she has preached a sermon for the masses.”— Humanity and Health. R. F. FENNO &amp; COMPANY NEW YORK...

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The Modern Mother

A Guide to Girlhood, Motherhood and Infancy By Dr. H. LANG GORDON Size, 6 × 8¾; 278 pages; fully illustrated. Price, $2.00 This work marks in its own line the opening of a new epoch. Hitherto such works have been devoted to treatment and a study of the abnormal; here these subjects yield precedence to prevention and a common-sense exposition of the normal. The author, imbued with the spirit of modern preventive medicine, points out the errors and abuses of modern life (so easily avoided and ye

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The Lover’s World

By Alice B. Stockham , M. D. Through a long medical practice, extensive travel and many years of research, Dr. Stockham has come to know the heart of humanity. She now returns this knowledge in a message to all lovers. Love is the expression of the divine in man! Love of self, Love between man and woman, Love of child, Love of friends and comrades, and finally the love of the race, each and all are expressions of Cosmic or Universal Love. The man seeking a wife seeks her through his love nature;

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Tokology

A Book for Every Woman By Alice B. Stockham , M. D. “Tokology” teaches possible painless pregnancy and parturition, giving full, plain directions for the care of a woman before, during and after confinement. The ailments of pregnancy can be prevented as well as the pains and dangers of childbirth avoided without drugs or medicines. Women need not go down to death giving birth to children. Physicians say that the chapter on Constipation is the best treatise ever written on the subject, and alone

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