Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1873-07-19
A DREADFUL CRIMINAL.
CAPTURE IN CLAY COUNTY, KENTUCKY,
OF A MAN CHARGED WITH THIRTEEN
MURDERS.

OF MAN ShAndED Win AhhnAhnN
MURDERS.
The sheriff of Clay county and par
ty Of four armed men arrived in the city
Yesterday, having in charge two men
named James Turner and Francis Pace,
said to be men of the most desperate
character.
The immediate cause of their arrest
was the inurder in 1872, of two men
named Middleton and Fields, wn0.h
they waylaid at night on the puoiic
highway. SC worry
startling nature. Although Oh sooa
f,m;ly and in easy circumstances yet
h;s lave for deeds of cruelty was such
that he disregarded all laws OF society
in certifying his savage passions. Dur
inc the war he became the leader OF
band Of cuerillas, who harassed or muir
Lered ia cold blood all Southern SylhPa-
,hizers on whom they could lay h1:ius.
In Harlan county, on the VlTS'hla
line. lived an old man named James
NEJ5hSon. n respectable old citizen,
whose sons. David aud William, enlisted
in the Stslthern army. LII 1900, 1ur,
nor With his bushwhackers, secured
thai county. For fear of their attacks,
and knowing their desperate characters,
old Middleton left his home and fled
into Lee county, Va. They heard of
his retreat, and following, captured him
and brought him back to Harlan county,
Nv, on the Virginia line, where they
mt him to death in most cruel man
ner. Tying him to tree they cut oil
his ears and nose, and tore off his toe
nails. besides otherwise mutilating his
nerson, after which they sat around him,
watching him slowly die of his suffer
ings, the object of their ribald Jests and
most inhuman torture. In the same
wear David and William Middleton,
learning of the frightful death which
their father had died, returned to their
home In Harlan, bent on revenge Here
Turner succeeded in killing David Mid
dleton, and then escaped with his band
from the vicinity, pursued by party OF
Southern troops, who heard OF his dep
relations and were in search OF him.
He is charged with many other muir
ders, 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
name was terror to the country over
which he and his band of outlaws roam
ed at will, killing or maltreating the
defenceless, but avoiding always con
tiict. with a body of armed men like
themselves. Their deeds were dark and
bloody, and many tale or horror is
told along the Virginia and Kentucky
line of Turner blood thirsty bushwhack-
erS.
There are those in this city ut the
present time, who served in the army
of Virginia, at the period of which we
write, and who recollect the terror
which the very name of Turner inspired
in the bosoms of those who were com
pelled to remain i'll the counties SUBJECT
10 his raids. lie spared not women or
children aud no one was ever known TO
experience mercy at his hands
After the war Turner returned to his
home in Lee county, where he went 10
work rs n farmer and amaSsed quite
fortune. 1t is said that he is now worth
ten thousand dollars. He could not re-
frain. however, from deeds OF violence,
and more than once he had to flee from
his home TO cyadc the officers OF justice.
In 1872 William Middleton, accoinpani-
cd bv man named Fields, travelling
on horseback, came to the place where
Turner lived. At the public inn Iur-
ncr learned the direction the travellers
we're to follow, and taking with HIM
Francis Pace. they lay in ambush for
Them. Building a fire in the road, they
took their places in the brush, ana rs
the men passed on horseback and came
into the iirht, the concealed murderer8
opened fire with fatal effect.
This last outrage so shocked the com
munity and outraged them to such an
extent that they rose in arms and pur-
sued the murderers until captured
They were carried III irons to Clay
county, to await trial, under a strong
guard the while. -,
Finding it impossible to try them at
the last tenn of the Clay Circuit Court
and it being too expensive to keep
guard over them for several months, the
authorities sent them to the jail at Lex,
ington until October, when Their ira,
will come off, and they will be delivered
once more to the sheriff OF Clay county;
Here no rcscues are possible, ana
Judge Lynch has no power over the
taller, so that it is likely when the prop
or time arrives, they will he handed over
to the proper officers to meet their de
serts, at the hands of that justice they
have so toully outraged.-Lerinston,
(Ky) Press, July l.
How GEN GoRDoN SAVED GEN. SnER-
1pAS's LIrE.-In Georgia | heard an
incident in connection with Lieutenant