Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-02
LYNCH LAW In KENTUCKY.
A Mother and Her Unborn c HID
Pierced by One BuIIet-The MUIR
derer Hung by a Mob.

rum tuS A-cAllletoh Atco.
A terrible tragedy ccured at Car
Isle, Nicholas county, last night. The
causes that led to it are as follows, as
told by the family of the murdered
man: Last week a man named Hiram
Adkins, residing on Sugar creek, Nicho-
las county, went home drunk, and be-
gan threatening andabusing his family,
and finally attempted TO beat his wife.
Her son, Adkins stepson, named Nc
Farlan, who, with his wife, was residing
in the same house, interfered and pre-
vented him from striking her. This so
outraged Adkins that he took down the
old family rifle declaring that he would
shoot McFarlan, who, when his father
got the gun, left the house. Mrs. Ad-
kins and Mrs. McFarlan succeeded in
getting the gun away from him, and
hd 1t IN the pantry. Soon after Nc
Farlan went to get the gun out for the
purpose of discharging it, and in the
act of pulling it out it was discharged,
the ball passing through his hand and
striking his (McFarlan's, wife, who
happened to be in the room, in the
abdomen. Mrs. McFarlan was en-
ceiRte at the time, and expected soon to
become mother. The ball passed en-
tirely through the fetus, and lodged in
the unfortunate lady's intestines, caus-
ing premature birth.
Great indignation against Ad-
kins was manifested when the
affair was made known, but no
steps other than his arrest were
taken. He was tried on a charge of
shooting with intent to kill, but cleared.
He was afterward convicted of cruelty
to his family; and fined 500 and SEN
fenced to fifty days Imprisonment in
the county jail. One of the neighbors
testified that Mr. McFarlan came run
ming to his house the evening of the
shooting, exclaiming that his father
had shot him and his wife, and his
story is generally believed by the neigh
bOrs. The other version of the affair
is thought to be manufactured to shield
Adkins from popular indignation and
the law. Adkins was brought to Car
Isle and incarcerated in the jail. Mrs.
McFarlan being still alive, nothing fur
Their was done in the case till last night,
when it was generally known that she
had died from the effects of the wound.
Between l and 2 o'clock Thursday
night party of about fifty masked
and heavily armed men surrounded the
jail and demanded the keys. The jailer
parleyed with them awhile, but, on a
threat to scalp him being made, he gave
up the keys, and the men proceeded to
Adkins cell. They took him out, and
after carrying him about a half mile
from town, stopped at the railroad
bridge, adjusted the moose around his
neck, and at the word of command
dropped him off. He was found still
hanging there this morning when the
train passed. The stream, having risen
during the night, was up to his knees.
and swaying the CHASTITY object to and
fro with the force of the current. The
citizens of Carlisle was Mortified on
hearing of the tragedy that had been
enacted in their midst during the night,
and as soon as possible cut the body
down and held an inquest upon it. This
act of mob law is very much deplored
by the citizens generally, especially as
there was some doubt of the guilt of
the accused.