Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-07-16
A Dreadful Criminal.
From the Lexington (ky.l Press.

From the Lexington (ky.l Press.
The sheriff of Clay county and party of
tour armed men arrived in the city yesterday,
having in charge two men named James Tur-
ner and Francis Pace, said to be men Of the
most desperate character. :.t ,-..
The immediate cause OF their arrest was the
murder iH 1872, OF two men named Middleton
aud Fields, whom they way-lald at night on
the public highway.
The history of Turner is one of very start
lug nature Although Of good family and in
easy circumstances. yet his love for cruelty was
such that he disregarded all laws Of society in
gratifying his passion. During the war he be-
came the leader of a band of guerrlas, who
harrassed or murdered in cold blood all South
en sympathizcrs on whom they could lay
hands.
In Ha,lan county, on the Virginia line, lived
an old man named James Middleton, re-
>pectable old citizen, whose sous, David and
William, enlisted In the Southern army. ln
l>b3, Turner, with his bush Swhackers, secured
that country. For fear of their attacks and know
ng their desperate characters, old Middleton lett
his home and fed into Lee county, Va. They
heard of his retreat, and, following, captured
him and brought him back TO Harlan county,
cruel manner. Tying him to tree they cut
off his ears and nose, and tore OF his
nails, besides otherwise mutilatiDg his per-
SON. after which they sat around him, watch
log him slowly die Of his sufferiugs, the
object of their rbald jestS and most iu-
human torture. In the same year David
aud William Middleton, learning Of the
trigbtul death which their father had died,
returned to their home in Harlan, bent on re-
yenge. Here Turner succeeded in killing Da
vid Middleton, and then escaped with his baud
from the vicinity, pursued by party Of South
ern troops who heard of his depreuations and
were usearch' Of bin.
He is charged with many other murders,
amounting in all to thirteen. Que OF his vic
TINS was the sheriff of Lee county, Virginia,
whom be caused to be stripped and buried
alive in uudhole.
u Until the close of the war Turner'S name was
terror to the country over which he and his
band of outlaws roamed at will, killing and
mutrealing the detenceless but avoiding al
l ways couh!ct with body Of armed men like
themselves. Their deeds were dark and bloody,
and many tale Of of horror is told along the
j Virginia and Kentucky line Of Turner'S blood
Il thirsty bushwhackers -.'- -'',''
i There are those iu this Cty at the present
time, who served in tire army of Virginia at
the period of which we write,. ard who reeoflect;
the terror whIchthe very name OF Iurner M
>l1red in the bosops of those who we're COMPEL,
ed to re1llalniu' fhe counties subject to his
raids tie spared not women or children, and
DO one was ever known to receive mercy at his
hands.
After the war Turner returned to his
home IN Lee comfy, where he went to work as
farmer and amassed quite a fortune. 1t Is SAID
hat he is now worth ten thousaud dnais. lie
ould not refrain, however, from deeds OF
Foence, and more than ouce he had
I'd flee from his home to evade the officers of
SA.aice. In 1872 William Middleton, accom-
I Aied by man named Fields, travelling on
E grSeback, came to the place where Turner
d 17sed AT the public inn Turner learned the
Sauectiou the travellers were to follow, and tax
d ng with him Frapcis Pace, they lay 10 ambush
Il Or them Building fire in the road they
1OOk their places in the brush,' and as the men
3pasSed 90 horseback and came into the light,
the concealed murderers opened fire with fatal
effect
This last outrage so shocked the community
land outraged them to such an extent that they
pose 10 arms aud pursued the murderers until
captured. They were carried In irons to Clay
county, to await trial, under strong guard.
FINDING 1t impossible to try them at the last
ferm OF the Clay Circuit court and it being too
expensive to keep a guard over them for sever
months, the authorities sent them to the
pail IN Lexington until October, wher their
Fr'a will come off; aud they will be delivered
PoGe e more to the sheriff Of Clay county.
llere no re<cucs are possible, and judge
Hucn m mas no power over the jailer, so that it
nhe'y When the proper time arrives, they will
n;S aauaeu S over to the proper officers to meet
w" "na neSSt'S, at the hands of that justice they
ave 50 touIy outraged.
LIE lie LINE DRAwy.-When the coal HEAVIER
I.nl IIoJuolaS -Nlckleby' wanted to get shaved,
n,S S"aOef n replied that gentlemen 10 his line
m u'u Ip. p DC shaved at that shop why, see
ro~nh ,hhahtlos " OF baker when | was a looking
e,rn. TsN .1, '9e wnder last week." said tie coal
bsro 1t necessary to draw the line some
Ill., i,y my hue fellow replied the barber.
sc,s I;sT '1e M llne there We can't 60 beyond
lcb s,,o1. 10 Philadelphia they draw the line at
ujk sI' n ~ oone lmpccunious but arlstocratlc
et karja m nsgomery county, Pa, wants sum-
e Ipb, b,4efs , from the city, but they must be of
edgrr u,y Iuahly; SO the advertisement in the
beet, No, 1'us those residing north Of Arch
ga ha,n.:sa hno, 10 apply Those who want to eu-
CITY ;Sunul country seat, half hour from
the ola must come from that chosen haunt
nh VI Wv lamlles of PHILADELPHIA, the district
from 2Hcn street What would be demand
adverS;'S York or Cincinnati answerers of
jccursa ra>epeut y does not appear. We may
st pon, hat u 1t would be easier to enter
ito re, t, ,I5n .aan for any such outside bar bari
t.-RiJISase e the Montgomery county re-
--,>"" L"qurer. /; - i
of Jur' 1S,a will be received until the SOth
fting sd Nd 1873, for furnishing all material,
laws o! AITlhalng three hundred copies of
psper. srIa sIIaahdrla as revised and codifed.
fully eqsssy,,ee ,e snd printing to correspond and
olndilp ro9 10 the code OF Virginia of 1860