South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1873-07-25
A Dreaful Criminal.
Capture IA Clay County, Kentucky, Of mar
Charged uitA Thirteen Murders.

! OF four armed men arrived in the city yes
terday, having IN charge Two men named
James Turner and Fraucis Pace, said to be
men OF the most desperate character.
The immediate cause Of their arrest was
the murder, in 1872, of two men named
Middleton and Fields, whom they waylaid
at night on the public highway.
The history of Turner is one of q very
startling nature. Although of good family
and in easy circumstances. yet his love for
deeds of cruelty was such ,hs, be disre-
gnrded all laws of society in gratifying his
savage passions. During the war be became
the leader of baud of guerillas, who ha-
raised or murdered In cold blood all South
ern sympathizers on whom they could lay
hand
In Harlan county, on the Virginia line,
lived an old man named James Middleton,
respectable old citizen, whose sous, David
aud William. enlisted in tho Southern ar
my. In 1868, Turner, with bi. bush
wbsckers, secured that county. For fear
OF their attacks, and knowing their desper-
ate characters, old Middleton left his homo
! and fled into Lee county, Va They heard
Of his retreat, and following, captured him
and brought him back to Hsrlan county,
n.y., on the Virginia line, where they put
| him To death in u most cruel manner.
Tying him to a tree they cut off his ears
aud nose, aud tore of his toe nails, besides
otherwise mu,ilatiug bis person, after
which they sat sround him, watching him
slowly die of his sufferiugs, the object Of
their ribald jests and most inhuman torture.
In the same year David and William Mid.
dleton, learning Of the frigh,ful death
which their fe'bcr bud died, returned to
their home in Harlan, bent on revenge.
Here Turner succeeded in killing David
Middleton, and then escaped with his band
from the vicinity, pursued by party of
Southern troops, who heard of bis depreda-
tons and were in-search Of him.
IL Is charged with many other murders,
amounting In all TO thirteen. One Of his
victims was the sheriff of Lee county, Va.
whom he caused to be stripped and buried
alive in mud hole.
Until the close Of The war Turner'S name
was terror to the country over which he
and his band of outaws roamed nj will.
killing or maltreating The defenceless, but
avoiding always a coufict, with BODY of
armed men Ike themselves. Their deeds
were dark aud bloody, and many a tale of
horror il tod along the Virginia aud Ken
lucky line OF Turner's blood-thirsty bush
whackeIs.
There are those in this city at the pres
ent time, who served in tho army of Vir.
GINA, at the period of which we write, and
who recoIlect the terror which TIE very
name of Turner inspired in the bosons OF
those who were compelled to remain in the
counties subject to his raids. He spared
no, women or children and no one was ev
er known to experience mercy at bis hands
After the war Turner returned to his
home 10 Leo county, where he went to
work "a n farmer aud amassed quite for.
tune. 1t il said that lie is now worth ten
thousand doliors He could not refrain.
however, from deeds Of violence, aud more
'han once he had 10 fee from his home ia
evade the officers Of justice. In 1872 Will
liam Middleton, accompanied by mn
named Fields, travelling on horseback.
came to the place where Turner lived. At
the public inn Turner learned the direction
the travellers were to follow, and tukino
With him Francis Pace, they lay in ambush
for them. Building fire in the road, thew
took their places 10 the brush, and as the
men passed on horseback aud came into the
light, the concealed murdercrs opened fire
with fatal fleet
This last outrage 80 shocked the commu
nity and outraged them to such an extent
that they rose in arms aud pursued the
murderers until captured They were car
RED in irons to Clay county, to await trial,
under a strong guard The while
Finding il Impossible TO try them at the
last term Of the Clay Circuit Court, and i,
being too expensive to Geep a guard over
them for several months, the authorities
sent them to the jaIl at Lexington until
October, when their trial will come Of. and
they will be delivered once more to the
sheriff Of Clay county.
Here no re,cues are possible, aud Judge
Lynch bns 90 power over the jniler, 50 that
~ J. likely when the proper time arrives.
they will be handed over 10 the proper Of
hcers to meet th,ir deserts, at the hands of
hat justice they have 30 foully outraged -
Lexington, (Keatuchy) Press, July /.
HAZARDOUS Fear On Monday after
noon, July 7'h, a gentleman named Nc
Donald, whil't leaning over the cliff at the
Natural Bridge, in ihe vicinity Of the ace
dar stump, accidentally dropped bis peck
ct book, containing considerable sum Of
money, valuable papers, &C., which lodged
on a sbelf n a rock sb ut a hundred and
twenty feet from the TOP. After consul
tatiou be- determined To lower his brother,
Master Hunter Mcdonald, Of Lexington,
youth of sb u, twelve summers, and the
latter, nothing 10th entered ioto the spirit
Of The thing az II IL was matter Of fun