Glen Haney's articles

Carter County News Articles

Compiled by Glen Haney


4/25/1929

OLIVE HILL Austin Fields brother of former Gov. William James Fields 
and Chief of Police H.B. Carter shot and wounded each other in a pistol 
fight in Police Court here today. Deputy Sheriff Jim Walker of Carter County, 
a bystander, was wounded and may die.

Spectators and court attendants rushed for exits and dived under chairs 
as the shooting started.

Carter was wounded in the hip and rushed to the Ashland hospital. His 
wound was described as serious. Fields was shot through his right arm and right leg.

Fields was in court to answer a charge of drunkenness. He was arrested 
last December and his case postponed three times and this time he demanded 
trial. Carter asked Judge J.B. Crane for a warrant to search Fields for a 
concealed weapon. Fields objected and during the argument Carter approached 
Fields and the shooting started.

Deputy Sheriff Walker took no part in the battle, being struck by a stray 
bullet. Witnesses were unable to say who fired the first shot.


6/2/1894

Near the Iron Hill Furnace a wooden bridge, which to save time and 
distance, Joseph Rife and wife attempted to cross on horseback fell 
beneath them and in the debris  both horses were killed and the riders fatally injured.


5/19/1894

Deputy Sheriff George W. Castle of Carter County, while plowing recently 
discovered a quantity of silver coins among  which were some Spanish milled dated 1428.


12/3/1892

In Carter County recently three men named Ross married three sisters 
named Ross.


7/2/1879

By Rev. John Mitchell at the residence of the brides mother, Mr. Frank 
Powers of Wheelersburg married Juliet Lansdowne daughter of the late 
Dr. A. Lansdowne of Carter County .


7/2/1879

David Tipton was fined 6.50 at Ashland for knocking a drunken fool on the 
head with a club. The drunkard said that any man that voted the democratic 
ticket after fighting for the Union was a rebel and no democrat and quickly 
regretted the insult.

5/28/1892

James Carver of Brushy Creek took a sneaky advantage of Jim [may be John] 
Cooper the other day and knocked him in the head with a rock causing a very 
bad wound. Mr. Cooper was called before the Grand Jury yesterday and we 
think he made an indictment against Carver.


5/26/1892

WESLEYVILLE Burrell Fannin a noted bachelor of this place was married about 
3 weeks ago to Miss Louisa E. Perry of the Head of Grassy.


OBIT; .Died April 13, 1871 Mrs. Lizzie A Wells wife of W. B. Wells Esq. at 
Boone Furnace, Ky. Aged 20 years.

9/7/1889

Grant Henderson was killed by a pistol shot in the hands of his brother 
George one day last week near Olive Hill.

11/26/1912

HITCHINS Cal Phillips, age 40, was found dead in a creek here He probably 
fell from a foot bridge.


12/10/1922

Extra sheriffs deputies armed with sawed of shotguns guarded Carter County 
jail tonight as a feverish mob of 500 demanded the life of Harrison 
Blanton, 24. Blanton shot and killed Paul Herron 34, late today as the 
latter stepped from the court house acquitted of murdering the former's 
father. He was immediately arrested and jailed.

When Herron came on the street receiving congratulations from a huge crowd 
that swarmed the court room during the trial Blanton was standing near and 
drawing a revolver fired three shots into Herron's back. "Courts don't know 
how to give justice, but I do", Blanton shrieked as he fired.  Herron immediately died.   


2/1/1923 A new feud seems to be in the making in Eastern Kentucky. The principals are the Herron and Blanton families. Three of the Blanton's are in jail, one charged with the murder of a Herron the others accused as accessories before the fact. The arrest grew out of the murder on the streets of this little mountain town recently of Paul Herron. The killing occurred just an hour after Herron had walked from the court house a free man. He had been acquitted of the murder of William Blanton, father of the three Blanton's under arrest. Harrison Blanton took the revenge the law had denied him and likewise following the precepts of the Kentucky mountaineer in the immutable law, "An eye for an eye". The murder of Herron by Blanton occurred in front of the Commercial Bank. The main street of Grayson was filled with country people who had gathered to buy Christmas goods. Many of them had attended the Herron trial. Herron had just been accepting the congratulations of various people upon his freedom and his wife was waiting to return home with him. According to stories Blanton come through the crowd. He saw Herron. At short range Blanton drew a pistol and opened fire shooting his fathers slayer three times. The bullets entered Herron's back within an area that could be covered by a child's hand. Blanton, seeing his enemy fall, ran into a business building, then came out and surrendered to an officer. Herron's assassination caused a wave of indignation over the little town. Blanton's friends were here and they were trying to pacify the people but danger of a mob grew until a heavy guard was placed around the jail as night came on the situation grew so menacing that Blanton was taken to Catlettsburg, forty miles away, for safe keeping. The crow shouted threats as he was taken away. The Carter County Grand Jury was still in session here when Blanton slew Herron. Within an hour the Grand Jury had indicted Blanton on a charge of willful murder. His trial had been set for a special term of circuit court in January. The next chapter in the case was written when Warnie Blanton, twenty five, and Earne Blanton, twenty one, brothers of Harrison were arrested at Catlettsburg and charged in warrants with been with being accessories before the fact of the Herron killing. Both men had revolvers when arrested. The brothers had gone to Catlettsburg in an attempt to secure the release of Harrison Blanton on bond. Soon after they reached the town a man who's name as not been divulged appeared before Police Judge McConnell and ask for warrants, which were immediately issued. It is reported that the men who went to Catlettsburg from Grayson were anxious to prevent their names becoming known, and one of them showed a hole in his coat which he said was made by pistol bullet during the shooting in Grayson. The trial of Herron and three other men on the charge of murdering the elder Blanton July 15 resulted in freedom for all the quartet. The men, including Herron, who were freed, are Fred Perry, Jim Mullins and a brother of the latter. William Blanton was shot during a church meeting on Wilson's Creek. Warner Blanton, a Deputy Sheriff, attempted to arrest one of the assailants. The man's friends attempted to rescue him from the officer and when the elder Blanton went to aid his son, a member of the party shot him to death. 5/9/09 CINCINNATI Search has been instituted in this city for B.H. McGlone of Carter County, Ky who has been mysteriously missing since April 8. It is feared he may be a victim of foul play. Sheriff McGlone came here on April 8 and registered at the Palace hotel. He left the hotel that evening and from that time on has been unaccounted for. He had already made a settlement of tax collectors and his accounts are in good shape. The police are unable to find a trace of him. 9/4/08 OLIVE HILL Willis Fife was instantly killed and William Alexander fatally injured by a premature explosion setting off a blast in a Limestone Quarry here. 8/31/1958 OLIVE HILL Two year old Debbie Ann Greenhill, missing since Saturday night in a densely wooded area near here was found alive today. The little girl was found in a ravine near the edge of the Olive Hill reservoir about one mile from the home of her parents Mr and Mrs Earl Greenhill. A Kentucky guardsman found the child crying for her mother. She was scratched and bruised and her clothing was torn by briars. [ According to George Wolfford's book Carter County a Pictorial History, she was missing 84 hours, nearly 3 days before being found.] MARRIAGES Mar. 3, 1894. Robert Burchett and Martha Conley. Charles Menix and Julia Burchett. 1/6/1896 The little village of Stark, Ky and all of the people for miles around are discussing one of the strangest occurrences that ever agitated that community. On Tuesday last, a beautiful day without much wind, a horrible noise, indescribably fierce, assaulted the air. It was between a scream and a howl and had in it such a terror that people were almost paralyzed with fear. Horses and cattle shrank to the earth and uttered the most pitiful cries. Pigs and sheep were frantic to hide, and fowls acted as if crazy. The sound lasted fully a minute and many women fainted. No one is sure if it came from air or earth or what caused it, but the Carter County Bugle says nothing like it was ever heard of. It was confined to a space five miles square. Beyond that no one heard it. Some of the people yet feel the effects. 8/12/1876 The particulars of a distressing tragedy reach us from Grayson, whereby a young man, in no way connected with the difficulty that led to the shooting lost his life. Officer Hord, Marshal of Grayson was endeavoring to keep the peace on Election Day, and one Johnson, a saddler of the town, resisted him. The marshal notified him that he had to preserve the order or leave the neighborhood of the polls. Johnson went away but returned unknown to the marshal. Going up behind the officer, Johnson put a revolver to the back of Hord's head and discharged the weapon. Hord fell, stunned only, as the ball had not penetrated the skull but ranged over it under the scalp, passing out at the crown of his head. Recovering, he withdrew his revolver, and to prevent Johnson's further shots he fired at the would be murderer. Johnson, when he saw the weapon directed at him, pulled his wife in front of him to shield him. The ball from the officer's pistol struck the comb on Mrs. Johnson's head and glancing buried itself in the stomach of a young man of eighteen named Kibby son of the Rev. Wm. Kibby of Tygart's Creek. The unfortunate youth died the following day. Johnson made his escape in the confusion. Much sympathy is expressed for the friends of Kibby and the officer who acted only in self defense. 12/23/1937 Three boy scouts who risked their lives to save others were cited for heroism by the National Scout Commission. J. P. Fraley of Hitchins received a gold metal for helping rescue a drowning man. 9/4/1894 Sarah Newman, conceded to be the oldest person in Kentucky died at her home on Elk Fork near Leon, Carter County, Ky. age 112. 2/19/1904 OLIVE HILL As the congregation of the Globe Baptist church filed out, Noah Dickerson, age 20, and Charles May, age 17, were shot and killed by Harry Rayburn, age 19, but not before one of the pair had fatally wounded Rayburn with a knife. All three were cousins. During church services several young men of the neighborhood had been drinking and quarreled.
11/13/1940 GRAYSON The number 14 had an important role in the life of the late S. B. Stamper a farmer living here. Stamper was born on the 14th day of the month, married on the 14th, baptized on the 14th, had 14 children and saw his home destroyed by fire on the 14th and died on the 14th. 3/11/1885 GRAYSON A difficulty took place in which Wesley Newman was killed and Charles Baker mortally wounded with knives by Samuel, Jessee and Robert Kizer. Jailer Tyree and a posse have started in pursuit of the Kizer's. 7/14/1899 Family of David Criswell, a farmer at Leon, Ky. are dangerously ill from poison put into bread. A 12 year old daughter died. 6/19/1893 Colonel Osborn of Indian Creek shot and killed two men. The trouble came up between Branham and Mullins. Osborn took up for Branham and aiming his rifle at Mullins was interrupted by Joe Short who received the bullet in his head the ball passing clear through and striking Mullins in the back of the head. 12/7/1934 GRAYSON Worlds Fair giant dies. Jacob Littleton , age 25, the 7'2 giant who entertained children at the Chicago worlds fair has died. [ Littleton, from Carter County was billed as Big Jake, the tallest man in the world. Read more about him here: http://www.kentuckystewarts.com/WilliamG/HTMDocs/Web992WilliamGStewart.htm ] 6/25/1910 GRAYSON While leading an unsuccessful jail break Squire Collins was fatally wounded by deputy jailer Charles Wilson. 10/13/1877 GRAYSON MARRIAGES James Crumes, 66 to Mrs Smallwood age 72. Alexander Kerr, age 35, to Miss Yates. This is Mr. Yates fifth wife. 5/4/1915 Robert Frazier from Ewing is held in the Grayson, Ky. jail charged with the murder yesterday of Stella Kenny, 16 who had for 10 months lived in the Frazier home. Frazier and the girl had started in a buggy from Frazier's home to the home of her father Hatfield Kenny in Carter County. Yesterday morning Frazier appeared at the farmhouse near Olive Hill bleeding from slight wounds about the head, and stated that he and the girl had been held up by highway men, beaten and he feared the girl was killed. A posse was hastily put together and went to the scene of the alleged holdup. No trace of highwaymen could be found. Authorities at Olive Hill were notified and an autopsy held which is said showed that the girl was to become a mother. A warrant was issued for Frazier charging him with murder. Frazier was her uncle. [George Wolfford's Carter County History Book details this saga in more depth with a surprising outcome.] 8/3/1903 In Rosedale, Carter County, the general store of WC Horton was wrecked by the accidental explosion of a can of powder into which a clerk dropped a lighted lamp. Two clerks were blown out of the building which was wrecked. Both men were badly injured. 12/13/1873 PORTSMOUTH OHIO The Biggs House was the scene of a runaway wedding. A couple having flown from a cruel parent who was apposed to the nuptial. They live near Olive Hill Ky. James L Brown loved and was loved by Abigal Jane Swartzwood. The young lady's folks were not apposed. The elder Mr. Brown was loath to lose his son only 17 years of age. So they came to the Ohio on blooded steeds and tethered them and crossed over to the Biggs House. The lady only 16 had written permission to marry her from her father Levi Swartzwood a Methodist Minister while the young man was appointed a guardian. 7/3/1954 GRAHN KY "My heavens", I cried, "My pearls!" Never once in my travels have I left anything behind in a hotel or motel, but this exception sure was a gem. They weren't oriental pearls but no dime store oysters had produced them either. To celebrate the academy award for the movie, Gentleman's Agreement I'd blown myself to a triple strand of cultured pearls, with earrings to match and I had parted with a lot of cultured clams for them.They were fully insured but there was thin comfort in that fact when I suddenly come to, a hundred miles away from them. Nor in my instant alibi to my sons, "it's all because of my column." On one-night stands while touring I never put anything in bureau drawers, and my two young sons are also trained to leave everything out in full view of the next mornings groggy getaway. But strictly in the interests of my daily platform, I'd broken that habit the night before in the J.J.J. Motel in Culloden, WV. On the glass top dressing table I had to use for my portable, my pearls danced and jiggled every time I struck a key or a space-bar until I swept them into the drawer to silence them. My own outcry came on a hot Sunday morning in the farming area of Carter County, Ky., where gas stations have cokes but no phones and where everything else was having its day of rest. Heaven takes care of drunks and babies, they say-perhaps also of touring typists like me. Though I have traveled whole states without even a glimpse of a police car, within two minutes of my shocked discovery, an angelic sight appeared out of the blue. State trooper 71, tall dark and handsome and J. Fox by name, heard my tale of absent pearls and pointed to a simple white clapboard house at a crossroad. "There's the one private phone around here." he said. "They'll let you use it if you pay for the call." We knocked at a strange door, were asked in and met Dennis Blevins and his wife Belle, their one unmarried child, Shirley, 16, several neighbors- and a beautiful black telephone labeled 4136. The Blevens aren't farmers-they run a general store and grocery store at Olive Hill a few miles away and their shock was almost visible when the knew why I was there. But in due time the J.J.J.'s owner Warren Sovine was saying he'd been hoarding my jewels against this call and where should he forward them. The Blevens family acted as relieved as I. They let me ask for the long distance charges myself from the operator and never glanced at the amount I put on the phone table. Did strangers in jams, I wondered, often borrow their phone? "Mostly trucks and wrecks", they said and ask how far I had come, how far we were going, and all the other questions of accidental meetings. They offered my two boys cold water and me a cup of tea and for awhile we talked on like people who had lived through something together. When we finally left them we found State Trooper 71 still parked outside, a short way off, waiting to be sure "everything's okay" before leaving us to our own devices. [Laura Z. Hobson author of the bestseller Gentleman's Agreement was writing as a syndicated newspaper columnist at the time she wrote this. More information about her can be found here: http://www.vcn.bc.ca/outlook/library/articles/secular_humanism/05j_LauraHobson.htm 5/12/1902 OLIVE HILL Robert Hicks was killed, Tom Tackett fatally wounded, W.M. Smith shot in the forehead and Henry Tackett cut three times with a knife and others were hurt in a row here. 4/2/1910 GRAYSON While digging a hole to capture a rabbit, Grant Bennett and Gordon Farrow unearthed an old tin can containing 462 gold and silver coins. A cabin near the place was formerly occupied by John Stevenson, a hermit. 1/17/1923 OLIVE HILL Mrs. Elizabeth Easterling died Sunday at her home. She was 86 years old and had spent her entire life in Carter County where she was born Dec. 19, 1836. Her husband died eleven years ago aged 75 years. One son Rev. H.R. Easterling lives in Decatur Illinois. 8/4/1896 MUSIC Frank Burton and Jim Adams were enemies. This is why Adams gave Mrs. Burton a thrashing when her husband was away and that is why Burton loaded his gun with buckshot and went gunning for Adams. The latter, who was playing cards, saw his enemy coming. He had a good hand and laying it face down he told his friends to wait until he settled with Burton. He drew his pistol and crawled under a freight car and when Burton, who had not seen him, came along fired and missed him. Burton saw Adams peeping from under the car and fired a load of buckshot into his upturned forehead killing him instantly. 11/23/1891 A remarkable man is John Kingsley of Lost Creek, Carter County Ky. On Sunday last his wife presented him with his sixty-first child. Of them fifty are living and forty six are married. 11/25/1893 CARTER CAVES Mrs. Julia Warnock and Miss Grace Warnock of Tygart Valley have returned home after a short visit to Mrs. H.D.Underwood. W. H. Zornes, who has been on the sick list for some time, is now able to resume his work as agent for the Mammoth Publishing House of Philadelphia. Mrs. D.H. Underwood has been low with lung fever but is improving it seems. She is under treatment by Dr. Ferguson of Iron Hill. Hugh Williams is the champion hunter of the town. He went out last Sunday morning and brought in a large wild turkey. Mr. Gilkerson is now busy compounding and making salve, which will be a great benefit to the public as it has a wide recommendation to cure tetter and psoriasis. Mr. Gilkerson says it made a permanent cure for his face. Richard Kiser will soon start a mesmerism office on Cave Branch and all persons who desire to know the mysteries thereof can call and get one of his books or receive instructions personally. . J.S. Rateliff the proprietor of the hotel who was bitten by a copperhead snake is slowly improving. John Burton Moore commonly known as John Syre Burton has been very low with lung trouble. Born to R.D. Underwood and wife, not long since, a fine boy. Married at Olive Hill last Friday, John Worthington and Miss Mary Lewis of Carter City. May piece and trinity prevail? The Knights of the Golden Eagle at Wesleyville are now in prosperous condition with the following officers representing Protective Castle No. 18. G.W.E. Wolford and Drewre Burchett, J Finley Underwood, Jefferson Fannin, H. M. Fultz, Aaron Burchett, Joseph Fultz, Richard Burchett, C.F. Cooper and W.T. Cooper G.W.E. Wolford is teaching school for J. F. Underwood at Oakwood, the latter being on the sick list. Weddings that have happened in the past few days: John Lewis and Miss Annie Robbins, S.B. Underwood and Miss Maud Bowling of Lawrence County, Richard Marshall and Miss Mollie Jordan of Iron Hill, Wm. Gee and Miss Jennie Lambert, John T. Gilkerson and Miss Myrtle Duncon, John Jacobs and Mrs. Margaret Fultz of Wesleyville, Charles McGlone and Miss Mary McCormick 11/8/1933 Eight Kentuckians including Otto Ramey of Carter County are dead from electionshootings. 12/8/1890 A.F. Webb postmaster at Webbville has just finished a quail eating contest. He ate a quail a day for 30 consecutive days. 4/14/1930 A Carter County grand jury convened to decide whether Susie Vickers, age 63, of Denton for whom funeral services were held on March 29 was buried alive or not. Judge G.W.Wollford says that the grand jury will investigate after two former employees of Ms. Vickers, George Clay and ________ Johnson had requested a probe. They told the judge that several persons at the women's funeral had told them that moisture was wiped away from her face during the service 10/28/1892 Squire Jones a farmer living on Buffalo Fork of Tygert's Creek near Grayson on Friday attempted to bring a low female into his house. His wife resented the insult. Jones threatened her with a knife and she seized an axe, knocked him down and endeavored to escape. He rushed after her and to protect herself she struck and killed him. 1/29/1888 Eli Boggs and Miss Rhonda Smith and Marion Greenhill and Miss Kate Chandler walked from Carter County Ky. to Maysville, Ky. a distance of one hundred miles to be married recently. 2/26/1881 Ned Reagan was shot and killed at a hotel in Grayson by Marshal George Armstrong who claims he acted in self defense. 2/26/1881 A further account on Edward "Ned" Reagan killing by his brother Henry Reagan. Edward was sitting in front of the store talking to friends when George Armstrong deputy marshal of Grayson passed along and made some uncomplimentary remarks. His brother, not wishing for trouble, went over to the Grayson House which is kept by W.C. Holcomb a brother in law of Armstrong. While Reagan was standing at the counter, Armstrong who had followed him to the hotel struck him over the head. Reagan drew his knife and Armstrong fled out of the door and held the door shut. Holcomb and a man named Phillips then attacked Reagan beating him severely. Armstrong then opened the door and fired on Reagan, the second shot killed him instantly. 4/12/1930 GRAYSON Prosecuting attorney Tom Yates announced today that Mrs. George B. Clay of Catlettsburg has been indicted on a charge of circulating false reports in connection with the report that Susie Vickers, 63, may have been buried alive. [Mrs. Clay was a sister of Susie Vickers] 10/5/1896 GRAYSON Mormon elders are swarming like locusts in eastern Ky. They are moving and gaining footholds and laying lines for the severest religious conflict of modern times. There are over 1000 men in the field. They scout in pairs, enter every cabin and sew their literature knee deep. The only opposition comes from "The Mules", a local protective order which has passed out the word to mountain households that if any of the Mormon's are fed or lodged there will be a necktie party. [Eastern Kentucky Anti Mormonism was spearheaded by Rev. Robert E. Neal in Grayson. Further reading can be found here: http://olivercowdery.com/smithhome/1900s/1904Neal.htm 6/29/1892 GRAYSON A mob of about 150 men from Willard came in by train at 1 o'clock Monday morning. The mob compelled the jailer to deliver the keys. They then unlocked the jail securing Austin Porter who recently fatally stabbed his wife while she slept. The men went back to Willard saying they would hang Porter near the scene of the murder. He confessed before leaving that he had killed his wife. The men were so quiet in their actions that the authorities had no chance to protest. The mob hanged Porter on the second railroad bridge above Willard. 12/04/1904 GRAYSON David Wade probably the oldest man in the country is dead at the age of 117 years. He was born August 20, 1787 in Tennessee. Till five years ago he was able to manage his farm. 12/27/1901 WASHINGTON DC A cablegram from General McArthur at Manila received at the war department today announces the death of First Lt. Walter T. Stack, Forty Ninth Volunteer Infantry from dysentery. Lt. Stack was born July 1875, at Grayson Carter County Ky. [Lt. Stack was serving his second term in the Spanish American War] 6/10/1900 John Q. Mefford, a prominent farmer in Carter County and Mrs.Thrycie were married near Grayson. The groom is 75 and the bride 84. It was the fourth marriage for each. Mr. Mefford remarked to the preacher,"this is my last marrage." 8/5/1907 Mrs. Lewis White, wife of a well to do farmer near Olive Hill jumped from a train at Aden Springs and cut the throat of Mrs. William Goodman while the latter was talking to White on the depot platform. Mr. White left home and suspecting that he was going to meet the woman, Mrs White followed and boarded the same train. 3/13/1905 Newton Grayson tried to swim his horse across Triplet Creek on a wager of one dollar. The horse became frightened and threw him. He was drowned. 4/28/1907 At Sutton, near Grayson, a free for all fight between the Patrick, Sexton and Haney boys broke up a revival service. The affair was caused by Jim Patrick who held the hand of Albert Haney's sweetheart. Haney struck Jim Patrick and their friends took sides starting a battle that cleared the church. Jim Patrick's skull was crushed and he cannot survive. Two other combatants were injured. The girl, who was the innocent cause of the trouble, was struck with a pair of brass knuckles and rendered unconscious. The principles are under arrest. 5/12/1902 GRAYSON R.Z. Henderson who has been on trial for the murder of Elizabeth Quails at Olive Hill several years ago was found guilty of manslaughter. The case was tried last March and then one of the jurors went crazy. 10/19/1894 The outbreak that has been expected for some days has in Carter County come in the morning in the ambushing of miners in the Straight Creek Coal Co. by the strikers. The miners were fired upon from the bushes along the hills as they were in route to the mine and a number were wounded. Jack Marcum and John Morris were perhaps fatally shot while Bob Evans, John Adams and several others were shot and injured. Word was sent to Grayson and a posse was quickly summoned and they captured seven unarmed men who protested innocence. Among those arrested; George Tyree, Bob and John Taylor Will Sneed and Jim Coburn. An attempted by the company to use non-union labor in opposition to the United Mine Workers is the cause of the trouble. 1/4/1933 HUNTINGTON Frank H. Tyree, 60 years old, a native of Grayson, Ky. who was a bodyguard for President Theodore Roosevelt, died today of heart disease. He is survived by his wife and one son Harold B. Tyree of Detroit. 10/6/1862 [General] John Hunt Morgan, with 1000 men yesterday attacked the Carter County home guards near Olive Hill. After several hours of severe skirmishing, Morgan was repulsed and twenty of his men killed. Morgan then retreated towards the Licking River, burning 35 houses on the way. Last night Morgan returned again to Olive Hill. 3/15/1888 Samson Degnall has fled from Carter County since it became known that he has three wives living. 2/26/1921 CARTER COUNTY In a battle fought in the darkness between a big force of moonshiners and five sheriff deputies all of the sheriffs were wounded. The battle took place late February 15. The moonshiners had formed an ambush among the cliffs along Dudley Creek and as the deputies, all mounted, reached a gully a fire was opened on them. The officers returned the fire aiming at flashes of the moonshiners guns. Finally, Paris Duncan made his way to Olive Hill and gave the alarm. Sheriff Milton Flannery and twenty five men went out but after hours of searching not a trace of the moonshiners could be found. 1/31/1911 FORT HARRISON INDIANA Roscoe Adkins, Company I, has returned to camp from a 21 day furlough spent at home in Olive Hill, Kentucky. 1/21/1931 ASHLAND Dudley Gee of Olive Hill was one of five who died here from the effects of drinking antifreeze. 10/11/1862 PORTSMOUTH On Saturday afternoon last, the 117th regiment, Lt. Col. Keith, commanding, started on an expedition to Boone Furnace, in Kentucky for the purpose of defending union men in that area, and capturing, if possible a rebel force roving in that vicinity. They reached Quincy by boat before dark and continuing there marched through the night and arrived at the furnace about daylight Sunday morning. The rebels retreated upon their approach and made good their escape. Suspected characters, to the number of eighteen, residents in the neighborhood, were arrested and brought back and a lot of horses and mules captured. The regiment returned to this place on Wednesday afternoon and have taken up their quarters at Camp Portsmouth. 6/25/03 Deputy Marshall Gus Hall, while approaching Everett Baity with a warrant for his arrest, was shot and instantly killed by Baity who was armed with a shotgun. Marshall White was called to the scene and shot and killed Baity. It is said that Baity was shot some time ago by Frank Tyree and had only lately recovered. He was a barber but was discharged for stealing tools. 6/20/1924 OLIVE HILL Two boys and a girl are dangerously wounded today as a result of buckshot wounds received Sunday night when an automobile in which they were riding was mistaken for a machine carrying liquor. Constable Warren Kelly and three deputies are being held in connection with the shooting. Nine pieces of shot were removed from wounds which Carrie Fultz 13, sustained about the head, Otis Johnson 13, and John Evans were the other victims. 4/29/1893 Married last week in Grayson. Robert Wilburn and Mary Stapleton by Judge J.R. Botts. Jerry Proctor and Sarah Jones by Rev. Ruben Tipton. 10/28/1892 In a quarrel over a roadway near Grayson Ky., Sylvester Adams was shot and killed and his nephew Oscar Adams, fatally wounded by J.D. Bennett. 4/16/1892 On Friday of last week the Mayor of Grayson, Alfred F.Wilholt eloped with a blooming lassie, Naomi Holcomb, going to Ironton where they were married by Squire Cronin. It was a case of cruel parents but the girl had her way of course. A brief 19th century biography of the Carter County Wilholt family came be found here: John William Wilhoit biographical sketch 3/13/1913 Mrs. A.J. Alexander age 41 and her two children were killed when their house at Grayson was destroyed by fire in an explosion yesterday. The father, a miner, had left 10 kegs of powder in the house to keep it dry. One of the children took a handful of the explosive and scattered it on the floor from one of the kegs to the fireplace where it was ignited. 11/5/1906 Carter County is to have a diamond mine or rather diamonds will be mined for. The Kentucky Transvaal Diamond Mining Co. of that county, with $100,000 capital stock filed articles of incorporation. Carter County joins Elliot County where the diamond signshave been seen and discussed for several years and where prospectors have been digging for some time. 2/4/1895 CARTER CITY John Fowler was probably fatally injured while cutting down a poplar tree. 4/18/1899 PANA, ILL. Albert and Rowden Vickers, charged with the murder of John Armstrong in Grayson, Kentucky in April 1894, were taken to Grayson in charge of Kentucky Officers, one of whom is a brother of the murdered man. After the killing of Armstrong both of the Vickers escaped to Ohio, thence to Wisconsin and four years ago they came to Pana . CARTER COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS, NOV. 9, 1894 Congress: Samuel Pugh (R) 1987 Rola K. Hart (D) 1416 County Judge: J.C. Morris (R) 1986 H.E. Smith (D) 1349 County Attorney Frank Prater (R) 1936 J.R. Axiom (D) 1437 County Clerk W.R. McCabee (R) 1927 J. E. Prichard (D) 1313 Sheriff G. W. Castle (R) 1787 J,M. Saulsberry (D) 1323 4/8/1909 Lewis Bellew was shot and killed, his brother Curtis was shot in the back and probably will die and John Adkins a relative, was shot in the hip yesterday in a family quarrel with Charles Lee and his son Walter Lee at the Bellow's house at Fultz. Curtis Bellow's and his wife, who is Charles Lees daughter had separated and trouble had arose. 4/28/1937 GRAYSON A preliminary hearing will be held Saturday for Stella Stevens, 14 year old Olive Hill girl to determine if she will be charged with the slaying of a boy whom she was playing "post office" with last Wednesday night. Coroner C.W. Henderson swore out a murder warrant against the girl, daughter of Drew Stevens because, he said, public sentiment demanded it. Meanwhile Hayden, (Eddie) Romines, 25, remained in jail here as a material witness in the investigation of the kissing game death. The youth has denied that he was in the darkened bedroom in the Stevens home when a boy known as "Jimmy Scott", about 16 was shot to death. Romines is quoted as saying that he heard Miss Stevens scream she "didn't know the gun was loaded." Miss Stevens testified that the shooting occurred during a scuffle in which she, "Jimmy"and Romines all had their hands on her father's revolver. She said it was she who fired the gun, however. 5/6/1937 OLIVE HILL The body of James Scott, age 16, shot to death two weeks ago was exhumed yesterday and viewed by Mr. and Mrs. Fiore of Masontown, Pa. Mrs. Fiore he came here because she thought Scott, a hitch hiker might be that of her son. She planned to view it again later. Her son has been missing since February 1936. 5/7/1937 OLIVE HILL Mrs. Raymond Fiore left here Wednesday convinced that she had found the body of her son, Donald 16. Two scars on the head and another on the ankle were found immediately by Mrs. Fiore as she examined the body. Mrs. Fiore will return here with her daughter who will examine the body. Coroner Henderson said that if Mrs. Fiore still claims the body as that of her son he would ship it to Masontown for burial. 5/9/1938 MASONTOWN PA The identity of a youth buried in a little cemetery in this southwestern Pennsylvania mining community became a mystery today with the return of 15 year old Donald Fiore from a two year hitch hiking trip. For Donald's parents buried there a year ago the body of a lad they believed to be their missing son, missing since 1936. The body was that of a boy accidentally shot while playing "post office" kissing game-in a darkened home in an Olive Hill Ky. home. About a year ago Mrs. Fiore had gone to Olive Hill and claimed a body that she had mistakenly identified as her runaway son. Donald a tall handsome lad with a friendly smile came home Saturday for Mothers Day a trip that he had planned as a surprise. Donald's stepfather operates a tailoring shop with the Fiore home in the rear. As Donald walked into the store, the father hurried to the front expecting a customer. He stared unbelievingly at the youth. "Hello Pop", Donald smiled. The father called Mrs. Fiore. "Hello mom", Donald greeted her. She moaned and fainted. Citizen's are left to wonder who is buried under the little steel marker, tended carefully and covered with flowers by a grieving mother. **** POSTSCRIPT by G. Haney. (1) According to testimony by Mrs. Drew Stevens, "Scott" had come to their home with Romines. She said Scott told her that his fathers name was Joe Scott and that he lived in Springfield Ohio. (2) Although Donald Fiore used his step-father's last name, his real name was given in two other places as Donald Clifford Serey or alternately, Donald Watson. It was later revealed that during his absence from the Fiore household he was living in a home for wayward youths in the state of Virginia and the headmaster there was searching for his whereabouts when he saw Donald's picture in the newspaper in conjunction with this case. (3) The Carter County grand jury would rule that "Jimmy Scott" died from the bullet fired by "a person or persons unknown." *** April 1892 CARTER COUNTY BUGLE Campbell Biggs father of Mrs. James writes: Mrs. Martha P. James who lives near here was the owner of a dog that went mad. It first bit geese(?) all of which died. It next ran around the table at which the family was dining and bit all the children. Immediately after this the dog ran into the yard and bit three shoats, and left the place at breakneck speed. One of the geese(?) died from the bite and the others are being penned pending developments. Around this place he bit several dogs and hogs all of which have been killed. He escaped without a scratch and is still at large as far as we know. 7/5/1918 From the Army casualty list released today. Killed in Action, George Zornes, Kehoe, Ky. A mystery why is his name not included on this list 6/18/1892 OLIVE HILL During a thunderstorm at this place William Randont's little son went to Mr. Broomers house after some hogs. The hogs ran under the kitchen floor. The boy crawled under the floor after the hogs. While was under the floor there came a deafening peal of thunder followed by a trembling of the house. When the shock passed away the floor was torn into atoms. The boy was found dead under the floor with a red mark showing the track of death. The bolt passed down the stove pipe and the boy was under the floor directly under the stove. 6/8/1910 GRAYSON Congressman John Langley of the 10th Kentucky district left here this morning for Ft. Sill to present evidence to help save the life of Roland Campbell who is said to be under sentence to be shot at sunrise for shooting an officer. Carter County Judge Carpenter, an uncle of the lad, is very worked up over the matter. Young Campbell, 16, ran away from home and his people were unaware of his whereabouts until they received word that he was to be shot at sunrise. Langley wired Secretary of war Dickerson to delay action on the case. 6/18/1892 WESLEYVILLE There were two funerals near this place Saturday. Martha Fultz, wife of James Fultz, was buried at the Bethal graveyard. Sira Cooper was buried near Staffords Hall that evening. 12/21/1887 KILGORE Thieves on the 14th broke into the store and dwelling of Thomas Powell, choked his daughter to death, frightfully beat the old man and stole $900.00 12/28/1892 William Nolan was run over and killed by the C&O helper Saturday. He was old and hard of hearing. 3/25/1880 CARTER COUNTY on Friday night a large body of regulators rode to J_____ Binion's house and demanded the person of John Boggs but were fired upon from the house and one of their number killed. They then broke open the door and shot Binion dead and then took Boggs to a tree and hanged him. 7/28/1892 Mrs. Riley Brammer of Olive Hill was severely shocked by a bolt of lightning recently. Her condition is critical. 11/27/1907 In a speak-easy in Carter County, Ky, Sunday night, Samuel Rose and Jack Conn were killed during a pistol battle making 11 tragedies in the same place within the past year. 4/17/1939 NEWARK OHIO Mrs. Mary Jackson, 94, colored, died in the home of her nephew Frank Trumbo yesterday. Born in Carter County Kentucky, she was the last of her immediate family besides Trumbo. 8/20/1892 SOLDIER Prof. H. M. Brown was tried here Saturday on a charge of unreasonably whipping Robert Garvin, one of his pupils. The jury, after deliberating of twenty minutes imposed a fine of 25.00 and costs upon him. Our American jury system is fast becoming a fraud when more attention is paid to a flowery speech of a brilliant lawyer than to the law and the evidence. 1/23/1896 Mixing of hats caused Tom Ross to fatally shoot Frank Meade and John Higgins in Carter County Kentucky. 11/1/1932 GREENUP Enthusiasm for a treasure hunt stirred this town today following the discovery in a cave of 12 nuggets which apparently are gold. The cave discovered by two boys, John and Troy Holbrook also contained Indian relics and a petrified human arm. The cave is in an obscure place 18 miles south west of here near the Carter County line. The nuggets have withstood acid tests for gold. 2/19/1895 Yesterday as the west bound express train on the C & O Railroad was crossing the Little Sandy River near Leon in Carter County, it ran over and instantly killed Judge Joseph Fannin , County judge of Elliott County. The approach to the bridge is a very abrupt curve a the train failing to give the proper signal of approach, the unfortunate gentleman had already got one third of the way across when he saw the train coming at lightning speed. He saw he could not get over before meeting the train and in attempting to retrace his steps, in his haste he fell, one foot becoming fastened between the ties. In this condition he was overtaken and run over. Judge Fannin was a gentleman well known and highly esteemed throughout the section where he lived. The engineer is properly censured for failing to give the required signal. 1/16/1892 Sam Counts on of Carter County's best citizens died suddenly at his home near Counts Cross Roads on the 6th last. Mr. Counts had been a sufferer of Asthma for a number of years, and was taken very bad on the date mentioned, and fell dead from his chair. 6/28/1943 CONNELLSVILLE PA. Mrs. Ellen Peigh Rice, 85 years old, widow of Michael Rice, died Saturday morning. She was born March, 13, 1858 in Carter County, Ky. daughter of the late James and Elizabeth Butler. She was twice married, her first husband Levi Peigh having died 57 years ago. She is survived by sons James Peigh of Connellsville, James Peigh of West Palm Beach, Florida, and a daughter Mrs. Thomas Allen of Pittsburgh. 11/16/1891 Joseph Shoemaker of Grayson, Carter County received the other day, in payment for a horse sold to an old farmer living near the Lewis County line, $46.00 among which there were three of the famous "sprinkle" dollars of the early thirties. It has been more than twenty years since any of these peculiar coins have been found in this section, and the production of these will recall the queer character who flourished in the earlier part of the century and went down to his grave with a secret that was never unearthed. Josiah Sprinkle, the person in question, lived in one of the roughest sections of Lewis County and on a line probably fifty miles north of Grayson. In his day, Washington, the County seat of Mason and one of the oldest towns in this part of the state, was thriving. One day Sprinkle, then well along in years, appeared at Washington with a buckskin pouch full of silver dollars of his own make. In every respect they appeared the equal of the National coin. The weight was more than present and the quality and ring of the metal were all that could be asked. He spent them freely, and they were taken on the assurance of Sprinkle that there was nothing wrong with them beyond the fact that he, and not the United States Mint had coined them. Asked where he got the silver, he laughed and shook his head knowingly. "It does not matter where I got and there is plenty of it left," was as much as he would ever offer as an explanation. The inscriptions on the coins were rudely outlined, and in no wise was any attempt made at imitation of the legal coin. Rudely outlined on one side was an owl while on the other side was a six cornered star. The edges were smooth, no attempt having being made at milling. The coins were considerably larger than the regulation article and thicker as well. Upon various occasions Sprinkle would visit the town, and in every instance he would spend them more and more freely. At one time he volunteered the fact that he had a silver mine in the hills but no one succeeded in inducing the old man to reveal the whereabouts. Finally the government agencies learned of the matter and came on to investigate. Sprinkle was arrested and brought into court but the dollars were proved to be pure silver, without alloy, worth in fact a trifle more than a dollar each and after an exciting trial he reached down into a cavernous pocket and pulled out a bag of fifty of the coins and promptly paid his attorney in the presence of the astonished officials. Sprinkle was never afterward bothered, and continued until his death to make the dollars, how and where no one ever knew. He lived alone, having his hut away from relatives, who lived close at hand, and he died suddenly carrying the secret of his find to his grave. [Did Swingle perhaps, find the "Lost John Swift Silver Mine" that I will write about next time ? G.Haney] 8/15/1890 One of the most persistent, and yet one of the most elusive traditions is that of Swifts Silver mine. Half a dozen mountain counties claim to have within the borders of each the original mine, but as no search has ever revealed the existence of argentiferous ore in any of them, half a dozen other counties claim that a mistake may have been made, and hope the wonderful mine may be within their own limits. Every now and the some person crazed on the subject makes his appearance with a map or a chart assuming to show by actual survey the location of the long lost mine. John Swift was in Eastern Kentucky as early as 1761 accompanied by two Frenchmen and somewhere in that region they coined, or pretended to coin, large quantities of silver money. There were no mints in the United States then, and Swift was arrested on the suspicion of being a counterfeiter. This was in North Carolina. The coin turned out to be purer silver than that of the British mint and he was released. Next, he appears in Bell County, Kentucky and because the Indians were so troublesome he gave a lady of that county the journal of his wanderings. His journal gave a vague account of about $54,000 and crownswhich he and his companions concealed at various places in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky to facilitate their journey and secure safety. Ever since that journal became public search parties have hunted for the hidden wealth as persistently as eastern people hunted for the hidden treasure of Captain Kidd. It goes without saying that nobody has ever found any signs of the treasure. True, there are more or less plausible traditions in various localities. For instance, in Carter County ancient tools and instruments used to coin money were found at the foot of a cliff many years ago. The crumbling away of the edge of the cliff had allowed the tools to fall from their concealment. It is claimed also that one of the first settlers of Carter County found near his pioneer cabin a quantity of peculiar cinders so heavy as to cause him to have them tested. The results were the extraction of sufficient silver to make several silver spoons, which it is said, were as late as 1870, in possession of members of the family. Crucibles, furnaces cinders and other relics of mineral smelting, upon on a small scale, have been found in several counties and attributed to Swifts silver mine. In 1871 three Cherokee Indians visited Wolfe County and carried away two sacks full of some weighty substance which the residents of the neighborhood united in believing were some of Swifts silver. The persistence of the Indians was well known, their objects plainly guessed, yet nobody watched them closely enough to discover the place where they procured their treasure. [Additional reading concerning the Swift silver mine can be found here: 10/7/1910 MOREHEAD, KY His body a mass of cuts and bruises, J.R. Stevens Chief of Police of Olive Hill was found lying unconscious on the railroad tracks several miles from here today. His injuries are likely to prove fatal. Stevens left here last night with a prisoner whom he was to convey to Olive Hill. No trace could be found of the prisoner. Stevens can give no account of the case. 1/17/1940 OLIVE HILL Marie Van Cautern Viviana 83, grand opera soprano in the United States and abroad years ago, died at the home of her niece, Mrs. Frank Prather, near here. 5/27/1918 OLIVE HILL Four men paid with their lives here and another was wounded as penalty for reporting Melvin Collins who failed to register for the draft. Collins shot the following men dead; H. Carpenter, John Howard, Cleve Sparks, and John Shields. Collins had failed to register last June and the five men had reported him to the draft board. 6/4/1918 OLIVE HILL Melvin Collins charged with killing four men Saturday a week ago, because he had been called a slacker, was found guilty and sentenced to die in the Electric chair. The trial lasted one day. 3/11/1952 CREVE COEUR, ILLINOIS Albert J. McCleese 85, a retired minister died at the home of his daughter Mrs. Robert Rhodes. Born in Carter County Kentucky June 4, 1860 he was the son of Mr. and Mrs. William McCleese. He married Hannah Bell at Aberdeen, Ohio October 25, 1888. She died March 25, 1940. 10/22/1897 CARTER COUNTY Mrs. Jane Huff is in many respects a remarkable woman. Though past 78 years old she sticks to the primitive methods and habits of earlier mountain life and thinks nothing of riding 40 miles a day on horseback. Mrs. Huff, while 78 years old, has had only 20 birthdays and will have no other until 1904 having been born on the last day of February in Leap year. 7/17/1903 DENTON The Portsmouth Grayson Oil and Gas Company shot its number 1 well today at a depth of 1600 feet. Experienced oil men say it is good for 50 to 75 barrels daily. This opens up a new oil field. 8/30/1926 WESTERVILLE OHIO Paul W. Jones, 3, of Denton Ky. was in serious condition here today as a result of being thrown to the pavement by the suction of wind caused by an automobile speeding past the Jones family's parked car near here. The child suffered a fractured skull. The Jones family was enroute home from Cleveland. They had stopped for a few minutes, the mother and son getting out on the left side. The other automobile whizzed by and the child was jerked from his mothers hand, hurtling to the pavement. 12/2/1905 Thomas Rice of Grayson, Ky. was found dead in a Chesapeake and Ohio box car at Russell, Ky. He started west with a lot of household goods and four dogs. He was shot through the heart. 10/22/1914 GRAYSON KY. NEWS Word came here Tuesday morning from Olive Hill that a row between the cook and the porter at the Stamper Hotel ended in a victory for the cook. She used the butcher knife, stabbing the porter in the back. This disabled the porter and when the fight was over it took two men to remove the knife from the porter's back. 9/16/1932 GRAYSON KY Sixteen year old Richard Beckley Jr, returned to his farm home from a luckless squirrel hunt today, playfully pointed his gun at his brother Lawrence, 12, and pulled the trigger. The resultant charge killed the boy instantly. 7/5/1940 PERRY IOWA William Harrison Gilbert was born in Carter County Kentucky April 4, 1861. Before his family moved from that war torn section he had vivid recollections of the famous civil war raider, John Morgan, who burned all of the buildings on their farm and stole all their livestock. The family, of Scotch Irish descent then moved to this vicinity coming by boat up the Mississippi River and then by covered wagon. The family containing fourteen children settled in Jasper County. 5/11/1863 STAR FURNACE On Tuesday April 28, some 28 Seecsh came early in the morning and entered the house of Mr. Lampton, the manager, battered some of his furniture, took his watch, a quantity of his clothing and two horses; they then went to the furnace store and robbed it of some $1500 worth in goods. They were said to be under the command of Major William Elliott. 2/10/1894 CARTER Daniel R. McClaven, not quite 15 years old, went out last week and laid a wild turkey low. He killed the bird on the wing and Dan now steps higher than a four year old colt. 8/12/1881 News from Carter County says that regulators rode into Grayson Saturday night and attempted to take the town. The marshal armed a posse and killed three regulators and captured four others. 11/8/1945 A man of great faith in the U.S. postal service is Private J.F. McClure. The Camp Benning newspaper, The Bleeding Bugle, said that Pvt. McClure addresses his letters home: Mother and Dad Hitchins, Ky. 8/1/1932 SOLDIER Three persons were held by police tonight for questioning tonight in the death of Ray Rickey, missing 10 year old boy whose body was found suspended from a tree near his home today. Those held are, Clyde Rickey, 52, his father, Elizabeth (Bitha) age 36, his stepmother and James Andy Day, 40, a neighbor. Coroner C.W. Henderson of Carter County said that the body showed marks of severe beatings but was undecided whether the boy was dead when tied to the tree. He added that footprints found near the tree compared with those of Day but there were no footprints for the boy. The boys parents made no search for him, neighbors said, although the boy was missing several days. [ G. Haney postscript. Lovers, Elizabeth and Day would be tried and convicted to life for the slaying of Ray. According to testimony by Day, Ray Rickey threatened to tattle on them whereupon Elizabeth choked the boy to death. In a poorly conceived attempt to make it look like suicide, Day hung the dead boy from a tree. The tragic story was recounted and immortalized in a ballad, "Death of Ray Rickey composed by Bart Blevins".] 3/8/1892 GRAYSON KY Squire Johnson, a Justice of the Peace at Grayson has enrolled himself as a scholar in a county school near his home. He is forty years old. 9/24/1896 WILLARD A skeleton found in the woods here today by W.W. Houck is believed to be that of Henry McAlister who has been missing for weeks. McAlister has been in Lexington asylum. 5/28/1929 A seven year old child was burned to death and her mother fatally injured in a fire that followed an explosion at heir home near Grayson, Ky. today. Mrs. Will Bailey, 24, died in a Grayson hospital from her wounds. Her daughter was instantly killed. Two other children were saved. The blast was said to have occurred when Mrs. Bailey attempted to light the stove. 5/10/1924 MIDDLESBORO, KY The Reverend M.T. Chandler is scheduled to hold an evangelistic campaign at the local M.E. church south. The Grayson Trio will furnish the music for the services. The Grayson Trio is composed of Miss Anna Giles and two Blankenship sisters of Grayson. They have built up an enviable reputation as singers and song leaders and have assisted in services in many large cities. 9/3/1924 NEWBERRY, MI The body of Walter Richards, who was fatally wounded Saturday afternoon when he has said to have failed to obey the commands of a State Trooper, of the Michigan State police, in a raid on a still operated by Richards and a companion who escaped, has been shipped to his former home in Grayson, Ky. by the state for burial. 6/16/1897 GREENUP In the white oak neighborhood in the eastern end of the county, Mrs. Martha Berry, age about 40, and her beautiful daughter Matilda, who had just entered her eighteenth year, had lived for several years. In the same neighborhood lived Johnson Whitley, a prosperous young farmer, age 30 and a widower. Whitley has been paying attention to Mrs. Berry's daughter for six months. He pleaded with the widow for the hand of her daughter to no purpose and the young couple decided on an elopement. The watchful mother discovered what was on foot and on Friday night, the time that was set for the elopement, she went to her daughters room shortly after dark and bound the girl hand and foot. She also tied a gag to her mouth and took her to her own room and tied her to the bed. She then returned to her daughter's bedroom and when Whitley came to steal away his love the widow answered the summons and without speaking a word joined the young man in the yard. He assisted her into the buggy and rode with her to Grayson, the county seat of Carter County where he had arranged with Judge Morris to perform the ceremony. It was not until after the ceremony was performed on the judge's front porch and they had repaired to a hotel room that the young man saw that he had married the widow. He decided at once to make the best of the situation. He took the wedded wife home, and to a neighbor he said that although he thought he was dead in love with Matilda her always did think a great deal of her handsome mother. Matilda was found bound in her mothers room by a neighbor the next morning and when she learned of the trick her mother had played upon her she said that although she thought she loved Mr. Whitley she is now satisfied that she did not. She promises to be a dutiful daughter to him. 9/22/1892 WINDSOR ONTARIO A few days ago at Grayson Kentucky a couple named Lansdowne were divorced and the judge decided that the father should have custody of five boys and the four girls belonging to the couple should be given to the mother. Before the order could be carried out Lansdowne secured the girls and fled. He arrived here on Saturday and said that he will die before he surrenders them. He says the boys will join him here in a few days. 4/27/1915 OLIVE HILL Frank White of Chattanooga Tenn., a lion trainer, appearing with a circus in Olive Hill was killed by one of the lions. White entered the cage and was attacked from behind by a lion, which pawed a chewed him almost to pieces. The trainer was decapitated. 1/3/1957 RICHLAND WASHINGTON Edward Ora Fitch, a pioneer resident of Benton County, who homesteaded here in 1900 following his discharge from the Army after the Spanish American War, died Tuesday in the Veterans Hospital in Walla Walla. He was born in Carter County, Ky in 1876. He served as an infantry man in Company H, 31st Regiment in the Philippines. He is survived by a sister, Miss Leona Fitch of Ashland, Ky. 2/24/1888 Miss Jennie Haralson slipped off a foot log over Wolf Creek in Carter County, Kentucky and was drowned. 5/19/1883 Governor Crittenden has issued a proclamation offering a reward of $120 for the arrest of Robert Ashcroft who killed Charles Click in Carter County, Nov. 3, 1882 11/29/1915 GRAYSON The main business section of Grayson was practically destroyed by fire. The Commercial bank, The Citizens bank, The Carter County normal school, Masonic Temple and a number of other buildings were burned. Armed men are guarding the safes of the two banks which are said to contain $80,000 in currency. A gasoline explosion in a dry cleaning establishment was said to have been responsible. The loss was estimated at $75,000. 10/16/1908 Acting on his declarations that the south is a part of the union and as such is entitled to be considered in the presidential campaign William H. Taft spent the day talking in the towns and cities of Kentucky. At Ashland the crowd was big. "I am overwhelmed by your number", were the first words to the Kentucky audience. At Eastern Kentucky Junction [Hitchins] the next stop, he told the crowd that he believed Kentucky republicans are almost better than other republicans because they had to fight for their doctrine. At Olive Hill he was again met by a huge crowd. 4/30/1940 MARION OHIO Mrs. Hannah Elizabeth Thompson 77, of Triplett, Ky. died today at the home of her daughter Mrs. J.T. Shumate. Mrs. Thompson was born April 24, 1865 in Carter County, Ky. the daughter of James and Margaret Salyer, natives of Virginia. Her husband John Robert Thompson died September 5, 1931 in Triplett. Surviving are seven children. 3/6/1899 Jacob Ewing of Buffalo, Carter County, drowned as a result of flooding on the Ohio River and tributaries 1/27/1896 Six years ago, Silas McGlone of Buffalo, Ky. mysteriously disappeared. Now a skeleton has been found near his farm home which is believed to tell the tale of his murder. 12/12/1894 FULTZ For the past 6 months Thomas James, a whiskey peddler representing himself to be a cattle drover, has been clandestinely meeting the comely daughter of farmer George Fultz. The parents of the girl forbade her having anything to do with him and supposed she was obeying until her condition became such to arose suspicion. She then confirmed her meetings with James and the consequences. The enraged father secured the assistance of his son George Jr. and his son in law John Phyllis and went in search of James. They met up with him at a church revival meeting. Trouble developed and Fultz was instantly killed with a bullet through the heart. The son then took a hand and when the pistols were emptied the younger Fultz was dead and the son in law was mortally wounded with a bullet passed entirely through his head. James vaulted over a fence and escaped to the hills. A posse is in pursuit with the prospects of an early lynching. The daughter of the murdered men is almost crazed with remorse and may become insane. 12/21/1892 Miss Martha Roberts of Mt. Savage, Ky. with babe in arms, is the guest at the county jail, charged with violating the postal laws in sending an obscene and threatening letter through the mails to J.H. Tyree a merchant at Rush, Ky. "The accepted date for the end of the civil war is April 9th 1865. That must have been on the mind Thomas Martin as he awaited his appointment with "musketry" a full month later on May 5th 1865. Would he, this humble farm boy from Carter County, become one of the wars last official fatalities?" G. Haney 12/18/1895 CINCINNATI The affair had all of the dramatic elements with the exception of a love scene. The place fixed upon for the killing of the man was an old quarry southwest of the old schoolhouse on Southern Avenue. Thomas Martin, a Kentucky guerilla, was to have been shot there at 1:59 PM the fifth day of May 1865. According to general order number 32, from headquarters of the northern department at Cincinnati, dated April 25, 1865 by command of Major General Hooker, it had been found that Martin was a guerilla but he was innocent of nearly all the acts that had been charged against him during his career as a guerilla. He was an innocent young fellow of the backwoods, about 21 years of age, simply a tool to be used by others. Previous to the rebellion he had worked on a farm in Carter County, where he was born, and his father, two brothers and four sisters continue to reside. The reader will naturally inquire how it came that now that the war is over such an execution could be on the carpet as a possibility. The sentence of the commission had been passed in September of 1864 that; "Thomas Martin would be shot to death with musketry". General Hooker set the day of execution to be Friday, May 5 1865. At about 1:30 that day, a detachment of the thirty-seventh Iowa and the Ninety-second Pennsylvania under the command of Captain Booth proceed to the spot and took up position on the ground mentioned. Gradually there congregated around the spot a crowd of several hundred on lookers from the northeastern part of the city. At 1 Oclock the escort conducting Martin left McLean Barracks. A hearse bearing a coffin preceded the hack while in front, at the sides and in the rear marched the escort. Upon the spot selected the guard and firing squad were awaiting the arrival of the procession, when at about 1:45 a messenger on horseback dashed up and handed to Captain Booth a dispatch just received at General Hookers headquarters from the president ordering the execution postponed until further orders. Captain Booth then dispatched this messenger to meet the procession and inform them of the order. The procession was half way up the hill and from there it returned to the barracks. The execution was indefinitely postponed and Martin may be living today. Perhaps if he is, he may have positive knowledge of what it all meant. Certain it is that of the many thousands of rough riders who overran Kentucky during the rebellion as guerillas, Thomas Martin seemed one of the most insignificant and inoffensive specimens that could have been selected as an example. The war had closed and Andrew Johnson had succeeded Lincoln. This case had dragged and had perhaps been lost sight of until the time had come when something was to be done or the findings completely ignored. 10/8/1861 CINCINNATI Col. S. Eifort of the Grayson Home Guards and Capt. W. C. Stewart of Lewis County have arrived here and given the papers of this city some account of the late skirmish at Grayson, Ky. It appears that on the 28th ult. some 25 secessionists in the vicinity of Greenupsburg, assembled for the purpose of making a descent on Grayson, disarming the home guards, and making off to the camp of John C. Breckinridge which is not more than 50 miles from that place. Their place of rendezvous was the house of Dr. A. J. Lansdowne a leading disunion spirit, living near Grayson. Fortunately, the home guard obtained timely information of these designs, and the evidence being sufficient in their opinion for active measures they assembled in arms and proceeded to invest the physician' house and arrest its occupants. As they came near, one of the secesh rushed out, drew a revolver, and exclaimed, "Shoot and be G-D D-M." A lad, age 13, son of Judge McGuire, obeyed the orders and shot the fellow through the heart. The firing then commenced and lasted about 5 minutes when the secesh stampeded. A pestilent lawyer named McCombs, law partner of Judge Adams, was among those who succeeded in getting away. The home guards, however, succeeded in arresting the following: S.H. Wolcott, B.F. Chin, Orlando Nichols, Robert L. Stewart, John White, W.H. Campbell, H.C. Davidson, Wm. H. Warnock, A.J. Lansdowne and C. Carrol Pomeroy. George Morton was also captured but so seriously by a ball passing through his neck as to making his removal unadvisable William Bartley and William Henry were killed. None of the home guard was injured. They captured all the arms of the traitors and twelve horses. Those who escaped are supposed to have made their escape to Breckinridge's camp where that arch traitor has collected some 1000 to 1500 malcontents. Within twenty-four hours after the alarm was given over 1000 resolute Union men had gathered at Grayson to resist the enemy. If they had arms and ammunition, two thousand men could be immediately organized in that region for immediate action, and with a regiment of well drilled volunteers, would very quick disperse the marauders collected by Breckinridge. A single incident will show how much in earnest the people are; an old man came into to Grayson and demanded to be sworn. "I am as my father was before me, a good union man but I once again want to take the oath of allegiance to the government of the United States." He was sworn. [Another version of this story, and more likely closer to the truth, is described in George Wollford's book. That version goes that the secessionists from Greenup and Carter County had assembled at the Lansdowne estate before moving south to join a regular confederate unit. G.Haney] 8/21/1942 The service flag at the home of Mrs. Brammell bears six stars, one for each of her five sons and one stepson, all of whom are serving in some branch of the military service. With the exception of one, Leonard, who enlisted in the air corps in Marion, Ohio, all were inducted from their hometown, Grayson, Ky. Mrs. Brammell who is 52 years old, has six sons, two daughters and four stepsons. Albert Brammell , is now at Lexington, Ky. where he is taking a radio course for the army and Willie Brammell who has been in the service since January of the year is was in New York when the family last heard of him two weeks ago. He received his army training in Ft. Bliss, Texas. Avery Brammell was in Camp Edwards, Mass when he was last heard from about three weeks ago. He was inducted in April and received his training at Fort Thomas, Ky. Leonard was in New Jersey after enlisting last July. Roy, who entered the Navy last February, has not been heard from since going into service. The stepson, Vernol Brammll has been in the Army for a number of years and was last heard from in February when he was in Indiana. 12/26/1904 OLIVE HILL At a camp four miles from here, Claude Bonds was shot and killed by a man said to be George Niece. There is said to be a grudge between the two families. More trouble is expected. 4/20/1939 OAKLAND, CA. Fifty years after their marriage in the hills of Kentucky Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Lewis celebrated the wedding with a party at their Oakland home, 402 Hudson Street, this week. It was on April 18, 1889 that Samuel and Cora Lee were married at the home of her grandparents in Olive Hill, Kentucky. Together they traveled to West Virginia, and to Iowa, back to West Virginia , back to Iowa and finally 16 years ago to California where they made their home in Napa. Lewis was a Physician and a teacher before his retirement when he came to Oakland eleven years ago to be near his daughters Mrs. Cleo Shumate and Mrs. Hector Hancock. 1/15/1937 OLIVE HILL Mr. and Mrs. Denny Sammons have had their 4th set of twins. The latest arrivals, born yesterday, are boys and doing "doing nicely". 1/16/1901 John Knipp shot Frank Thompson, his son in law, nine times with a Winchester rifle killing him instantly. Thompson is said to have threatened Knipp's life and was advancing on him with a knife. Knipp went to Grayson and gave himself up. 2/8/1894 GRAYSON Yesterday as jailer Johnson's son was taking supper to the prisoners confined in jail, they sprang upon on him and knocked him senseless, four of them making their escape. Prisoner James, indicted for murder was caught two miles out of town. The other three have yet to be caught. Jan 1, 1876 While workmen were working on the E.K. Railroad a heavy stone weighing several tons fell, crushing 3 men. One of the men, John W. Bauer, road master, residing in Grayson leaves a wife and 8 children. 8/2/1932 Arthur C. Jarvis 50, Lewis County Republican leader and candidate for prosecutor, is recovering from injuries received in an automobile accident a week ago. Missing for a week he was found, dazed, in a woods and was taken to the home of his father, John S. Jarvis near Olive Hill. 6/26/1926 GRAYSON John Canderberry [Canterbury ?] was held without bond after his examining trial here today on a charge of killing his son Jesse Canderberry, 23, Monday. Four witnesses for the state testified that Canderberry shot his son three times killing him instantly when he attempted to board a truck in which his father was sitting. 5/17/1873 There is to be a telegraph line between Grayson and Riverton and the poles are in position. 1/19/1921 The body of Ernest Skaggs, age 25, one twin brother, arrived here ahead of the other, Cecil, and was buried. Both were killed at the same time in a French battlefield. The other body, the war department says, will arrive later. 8/7/1926 OLIVE HILL One man was reported dead and another wounded in a gun battle. A man named Rose was said to have been shot to death and another named Hartmann wounded. Authorities were asked to watch for Bob Tackett and Allie Binion (?) of Olive Hill who are alleged to have done the shooting. 7/26/1926 W.D. Hayward, 40, of Olive Hill, constable will be arraigned Wednesday for the alleged killing of Miss Martha Yarhous, 36, of Portsmouth. Hayward surrendered to the sheriff here after he shot at David Thomas, of Portsmouth driving through Olive Hill with Miss Yarhous, his fiancé. Hayword said he shot at Thomas and hit Miss Yarhous after Hayword failed to obey his command to halt when speeding. [Hayward was convicted and sentenced to 17 years in the big house. G. Haney] 8/17/1927 SHEBOYGAN, WI. Four young Kentuckians discovered in a Star touring car near a filling station early this morning are being held in the county jail suspected of a robbery at Elkhart Lake. The four Kentuckians identified themselves as Edward, Estill and James Harris and Alex Conn from Olive Hill, Ky. The four were picked up by officers on their way home after being on duty through the night. The policemen noticed a rifle protruding from a car standing next to a filling station. Immediately becoming suspicious, they stopped along side of the car and asked the four occupants if they had any more guns in their possession. The men denied they had any more weapons but the officers lined them along the pavement and conducted a through search. Two loaded automatics were discovered. The officers took the men to the police station and later to the jail. The money and jewelry taken from the robbery amounted to well over $5000. [The four were released the following day after a telegram from Police Chief Burchett of Olive Hill corroborated that considering the time when the men left Olive Hill they could not possibly have been at Elhart Lake at the time of the robbery. A later article gave somewhat different spellings of their names; Estill, Addie, and Dempsey Harris and Allie Conn. The article further stated "they were on the way to Elton, a little village east of Antigo. The population of this village consists mainly of former Kentuckians." G. Haney] 1/1/1898 GRAYSON John Underwood the champion turkey killer of Kentucky was in Grayson recently. John has killed more wild turkeys than any one man in the south. He saves the wings of every proud bird that he has killed and has made there from many wing quilts that are beautiful to see, besides affording warmth that the ordinary quilt will not give. One of these took a premium at the Worlds fair and he is now completing a quilt of wings taken from wild turkey gobblers which fell at the report of his unerring rifle to be placed on exhibition at the Paris exhibition in 1900. Mr. Underwood has killed hundreds of these and will get a few more before this proud bird is exterminated. 12/17/1928 HANFORD CALIFORNIA Due to flu and the near approach of the Christmas holidays the Hanford Board of Trade has suspended activities until January 7th. Taking advantage of the holiday, the secretary, Mrs. Effie R. Warnock left yesterday for a visit to her old home at Grayson, Kentucky. 8/14/1929 J.B. Branham 48, Carter County farmer, died in an Ashland hospital today from bullet wounds received Monday night at Square Lick near Olive Hill. James W. Walker, 28, Branham's neighbor was arrested, charged with murder and released on $2000 bail. Arthur James, Carter County sheriff, said Walker shot Branham after an argument. 3/24/1860 MILWAUKEE DAILY SENTINEL On the seventh of January 1857, three years ago Mr. John Kingsley of Portsmouth wrote a letter to the Anti-Slavery standard of this city, that he was the week before in Carter County Kentucky, where he saw a Negro tied to a stake, a pile of dry wood heaped about him, and set on fire. The man belonged to one William McMinnis of that county, and was suspected of planning an insurrection. He was first whipped 300 lashes, but denied his guilt. Fire was then tried and although not burned to death he died the next day. Mr. Kingsley, unable to remain and witness the sufferings of the agonized creature, rode away and attempted to excite the neighbors to rescue, he was told to mind his own business. [I was unable find a McMinnis in the 1860 census or for that matter the name McMinnis in Carter County at any time. The closest spelling is McGinnis and they were from Pennsylvania stock and were not slaveholders G. Haney] 10/30/1936 OLIVE HILL For eight consecutive frames John McGill Jr. and Ralph Qualls each bowled strikes. Qualls missed on his ninth try, McGill continued and finished with 300, a perfect game. Qualls tallied 278. Nov 10 1894 News has reached here of another shooting scrape which will probably result in one death. The trouble took place at the little village of Hopewell near the Carter County, Greenup County line, Thursday evening, the parties implicated being a fellow named Haney and Tom and Odem Floyd. It seems that there has been a bitter feeling between the Haney and Floyd families for some time, which the hot political campaign now raging in the county had intensified. Haney is a Republican and the other two are democrats. The three men were in attendance at the speech of Senator Lindsay in Greenup last Thursday and there a dispute between them narrowly missed ending in bloodshed, knives having been drawn. Friends intervened, however, and trouble was avoided there. When the parties had returned home in the evening, however, the trouble was renewed and from what we have learned it seems that the two Floyds made for Haney with knives with the intention of making mincemeat out of his carcass. Haney objected and drawing a revolver began firing at his assailants. Tom Odem went down with a bullet in his stomach near his navel while a bullet in his brother's left side and another in his arm caused him to lose all desire to carve Haney. It is thought that Tom Odem will die. So far no arrests have been made. 11/29/1927 Bill McKee, Hugh Grayson, and Al Brady Callahan "old rails" grown grey in the service of "E-K" The Eastern Kentucky Railway will be put out of jobs on Jan 1. For on Dec. 31st the E-K's one wheezy old locomotive will pull its last combination of freight cars and passenger coaches for the last time over the 36 miles of track that makes up the diminutive railroad. The order for the abandonment of the line has been issued by the Greenup County circuit court. McKee is the conductor, Grayson the engineer and Callahan the brakeman. That day for the last time the brave little train will careen around its mountain curves and burrow through its eight tunnels and at the end of the run the locomotive will be wheeled into the ramshackle roundhouse for a long and well earned rest. It was built originally about 52 years ago to service the iron furnaces which dot Greenup County. The road extends from Riverton, east of Greenup to Webbville. One of its tunnels is 1,348 feet long. 7/28/1939 To The Editor The Sandy Valley Inquirer Grayson, Ky. Sir, Not because my family is distantly related to the his family, but because of my knowledge of the man, his character, his worth as a citizen, his deep patriotism for his state and his nation, his high intelligence and his grasp on public affairs, I hope to avail myself of the courtesy of your columns to indorse the candidacy of your distinguished fellow townsman R.M. Bagby Esq. for Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky. For many years I have known Mr. Bagby and always favorably. I admire his personality, I pay tribute to his moral stability, and his attainments. With all my heart I believe that should he be nominated, he will add strength to the Democratic party's ticket and when elected will reflect credit and honor on his county, his section and the whole commonwealth. I wish I might still be a citizen of Kentucky instead of an exile in California. It would give me great pleasure to vote for Mr. Bagby. He has my warmest wishes for success. Yours Very Truly, Irvin S. Cobb [In his bid for Lt. Governor Robert Middleton Bagby would fail. However, he would be elected to the state senate for a term and remain a prominent Grayson businessman for many years. Irvin S. Cobb, a Kentucky native, was a noted author and humorist. Cobb was a close friend of and co-star in movies with Will Rogers. A gifted speaker, Cobb was host of the 1935 academy awards. G. Haney] 12/7/1894 William Phillips and Abe Lowe have been bitter enemies. Wednesday night as Lowe was returning from King's Chapel, William Phillips and his brother Stanton accosted Lowe, which resulted in Lowe shooting William Phillips killing him instantly. He then turned on Stanton and emptied his revolver at him fatally wounding him, Stanton Phillips stabbing Lowe during the fight. 9/1/1880 A remarkable centenarian lives near Greenup, Ky. Andrew Hood was born near Winchester, Virginia Oct. 17, 1769. Accustomed to wild frontier life, his father got tired of advancing civilization approached his settlement, and when Andrew was eleven years old the major moved thence to a place eight miles below Prestonsburg and subsequently to the mouth of the Little Sandy in Greenup County, where he died and is buried. He speaks familiarly of Daniel Boone, who was a hunting companion of his father and whose departure for Missouri on a flatboat he distinctly recalls. Where it not for his almost total deafness many interesting facts might be learned from him. 9/14/1878 GRAYSON Joseph Dougherty, mining superintendent of the Hunnewell coal mine had his back broken yesterday by the falling of slate. The miners, who were working in one of the mines, reported danger from slate and Dougherty went down to show them that there was no danger, when about a ton of slate fell down upon him. 5/8/1888 Will Stamper, one of the men accused of helping murder and rob Mrs. O'Toole at East Kentucky Junction (Hitchins) last December, was on Saturday found guilty of and sentenced to the penitentiary for ninety-nine years. This is the second time he has been convicted, once for forgery and got two years in the pen. The jury stood one for acquittal and eleven for hanging. Mace and Moore, the other men accused as accomplices, have their trials this week. 8/18/1944 GRAYSON Friends have learned that Robert L. Littleton 20, son of Martha Littleton Morris of Grayson, Ky. has been killed in action while serving in Saipan. PFC Littleton was serving with the Marines and has been in the Pacific area since last December. Besides his mother he is survived by two sisters, Mrs. A.T. Kirtland of Grayson and Miss Wanda Littleton, serving with the cadet nurse corps, and a brother, Staff Sgt. W.W. Littleton who served in North Africa as a gunner on a Liberator until recently. 1/22/1931 MERCED, CALIFORNIA George Washington Duncan 79, died here yesterday after a long illness. Born in Grayson, Kentucky, Dec. 12, 1851, he spent much time as a builder and architect and later spent 15 years as U.S. Indian Trader in Otoe, Okla. The family moved to California in 1910, living at Patterson. Two sons are Theo Duncan in Merced and Glen. W. Duncan of Los Angeles, a daughter is Margaret Brinkethoff of Sonora. 6/25/1910 GRAYSON While leading an unsuccessful jail break today Squire Collins, a desperate felon, was shot and killed by Deputy Jailer Wilson while the convicts who joined in the escape were returned to their cells.

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