Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-08-20
LETTER FROM KENTUCKY.
williamsburg. M. Adams - Politics -
Prisoners MISUNDERSTANDING at HarIand
Court House and Manchester.
ence Of the Chronicle. ]

Prisoners Rescued-MurderSa at HarIRnd
Court House and Manchester.
Correspondence of the chronicle.l
WILLIAMSBURG, Aug. 8, 1878.
Williamsburg which is the capital of
Whitley county, is one of the Oldest towns
in southeastern Kentucky, and contains
probably one hundred inhabitants. 1t is
pleasantly situated on the Cumberland
river, and contiguous to vast beds.of coal
and other undeveloped mineral wealth
which underlies the country surrounding
ii. Circuit Court was in session during
the week, Judge Rannells on the bench.
The docket contained no cases Of public
interest. The town was thronged with
people from the country. 1t seems as If
everybody comes in during Court, whether
they have any business or not, though
on this occasion they came in to learn
something about the salary grab.
G. NJ. ADAMS,
Congressman from the Sth district, was
here trying to explain away the salary
grab increase, though he is "a good Demo-
crat. Mat, as he is Familiarity called.
talked good while to the boys. He told
them that he did take it, and that he was
entitled to it; that they were none the
poorer by him pocketing an extra 80, GOO,
for theysnever paid any tax to the general
Government, and if they did it had been
more than returned to them in whisky,
which they had drank and he hadlpsid for
during his canvass in the district. Though
Mat did take it, he is to-day the most popu-
lar man in this mountain district.
POLITICAL.
The usual quietude of the people in the
county was recently disturbed by politi-
cal contest between Mr.. Watkins and Mr..
Freeman, aspirauts for seat in the Lower
House of the Legislature of this State.
The campaign was made interesting owing
to the fart that both candidates were Re-
publicans-though Watkins depended in
votes, but they wouldn't ''eat crow"
Freeman being able to buy and distribute
the most whisky was elected. 1t Is a re-
markable fact that the fluid will control
more votes in the county than brains and
logic.
PRISONERS TAKEN OUT OF JAIL.
On Thursday John Slower, of this coun-
ty, who had been incarcerated in the Lau-
rel county Jail at London, for exercising
the blessed privilege of a Kentucky citi-
zen, which is to make apple Jack " un-
der his own "vine and fig tree,n came in
and reported that on the night of the 9th
the jail in which he was confined was sur.
forced the door and took out Wiley Car
penter, who was charged with horse-steal'
ing, and Henry Bransteter, of Knox
county, who was an accessory to a murder
which was committed by Thomas Paine
at Knightstown, Indiana, during strike
af the coal miners in that vicinity some
time ago. Paine killed young man ant
is still at large, though a reward of 81 900
has been offered by the citizens of tha
place for his arrest. He is supposed to bt
somewhere now in Laurel or HarlanC
county, and more than likely Branstetel
is now with him.
MURDER AT HARLAN COURT HOUSE.
On the I'd ult., Campbell E. Hurst, CLERK
of the County Court, was murdered while
endeavoring to assist a young man whC
had been badly beaten. The particulars o
the affray was as follows There were foul
desperate characters in the town and dur.
ing the day they imbibed till they wer'
undesirable full of the ooh, be Joyful,
and ripe for murder. Their first victim
was a young man who was teaching schoo
in the village; they knocked him dowI
and nearly stamped the life out of him
when Mr.. Hurst went to his assistance
and while in the act of lifting the boy
head from the ground he was set upon 10y
John l.. Jones, one of the party, with
knife and stabbed him so severely that h.
died in few minutes. Mr.. Hurst was
promising young lawyer and Mason, ant
with all, one of the best citizens in tina
county.
MURDER AT MANCHESTER.
Last week in that village, Ben. Poster
got away with Mr.. Gibbs without an.
apparent cause or provocation. Ben. want
ed little blood letting and desired to adj
another to the list of victims, VIII
have persisted in the streets of that villag
by the knife and pistol in the hand of tn
murderers, who infest that country.
There is evidently a lawless class il
Harland and Laurel counties, who settled
there at the close of the late unpleasant
ness, and the only way to rid that section
of them, is by considerable judicial hang
ing or Judge Lynch takeing the matter il
hand. MoDOC.