The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-07
1nE G.iNG's REcORD or CRIME.
Six Known Murders Perpctrated In as Many
lenrs-Dnrk and bloody Ground.


NEWCASTLE, Aug. 30.-A quarter of a CEN
fury ago Jim Simmons kept hotel at Harmony,
in owen county near the Scott line. and during
the first few years did prosperous business
and accumulated property Then the house
fell into bad repute. Money. watches and other
va.uahles were frequently missing, and soon
the host found himself without patronage. Rob.
berries grew frequent. murders were COM
mitt"d. horses were stolen. and the country
flooded with counterfeit money. Suspicion
rest al upon Simmons. and he was even arrested
but so shrowdly had the operations been con-
Quoted that the cases always fell to the ground
for want Of proof Finally. about the beginning
of th" war, fearing summary punishment for
lhrir crimes, IA" Siininonses packed up and
NOV, q oyer INTO henry count ana srtt"u IN
Grub Ridge, about the head wstnrs Of Pot Rip
pie, llltl" n"lninin stream that runs into the
k'niurky river Two mics ahoNc LO'kpOu, Here
they Piled th'lrNo alton during the war. driving
q brisk trlIr in horse stock turned oy,r Ia them
y nsnds OF EH"rriI,,i' Wh9 ,,ad. thgr hrmli
man 10 your spondent Mrs. simmons
was ~ good ON a stolen horse a; any 81 them.
smith johns took horse from Leroy krstlrr
now Postmaster al Jack -onNlllr, aud brought It
% simmons house. Is sti"r and went thcrr
to get it, and found Mrs. Simmons on II, with
her son jim Tom behind, Just ready To- SIT out
Shr said pho WAS going to So" "a sick nrighhor
and would be BACK in mn hour and surrender
the horse. Shc did not return. as suspected
she would not, ana We set out after her. There
was "a his NOW on the ground and we tracked
her over into owen county, where she had sold
the hor-" ns she said. 10 keep the rebrls from
taking II. She took many "A horse over the river
during the war ana sold them to the Govern
Al me clo,r of the war, fearing the vengeance
q rrturnins snldl.rs, me ud Man u the
lNfZ ne r'luihri. ana Eas since frequently re-
utud how his wife amt sEu murdered man in
Ark,us"s, and ibnt thcvqll .amc down th@nrivcr
~ nlgl Ut IN horse trough tocs'ape the ON 'crs
OF IN" law, who were hunting them with blood
hounds, In .lsci. in q drunken spree, he
knpfk"d ms old oman on tn" head with Il
bottle. and frnring the old womnn's vengeance,
hr "it her ~ tho home on Grub Ridge. and took
M his 'paralr residence near the lead mines
h'low H. 'kUOrt whore be ha- since lived. Mrs.
Suumnus with her sons Bluturd and Ben, live
IN tmin"n,", Jack i fugitive from justice.
with ijnO reward for his capture and jim
charged lives in Meade county.
O. The Goodrlehes. pnrtncrs in crime 81 tho
Simmonsr-, have llY"d Tor years about Lorkport.
James Goodrich. the father. "a stone mason by
trade. Is now wood Workman. stocks poughs
in that place, and Is well thought Of there lie Is
Il lCluuciOus old man, with long. gray beard
cil Htod and Intelligent, His son, Jack, who
lives in Union county, has long been looked
upon rs bad man, bat not until Shufk'H con-
lrsslOn were the others known To bee guilty Of
amy hclnous crime Except sam. tho youngest
of the five they are all illterate. thrifte-s men,
renting ltr patches Of ground Tor toha ro and
corn, and changing about from year to year
Shurk. WHO has already eNpatrd his crme
on u" EtlnMa. was also raised near Look
port and until the death Of his wife in lS7i
WAS regarded hy his nrighhors ms a good citizen.
Then il h,gan 10 lac whispered about tllui IA. had
poisoned IL wife and there are reasons 90 be-
llrNn the rhHrg" irur. AVOrdnEto his own con-
.e0lun' me dont OF his wife rrie 4 him more
IMAM hlNillug rl-r ihHt ever hNpprhHd tn him.
nnd rom That Time ON he rni"rDi van 2,'st
my" thr bloody work Of IN" gi,u-.
DnNid Carriers the man who tulu.,. -. '~ryi-
dnn", nnd i'm % large puu ronli.Ol. r'.a' =
S'nrN, Is AN irhnwnt Wonhl's-,W ui-E"y- drink
INK young fellow. with no uOsnivr IRAN. of
'hnrartr, and in apahlc Of executing alone amy
OF me mines in Whl'h he participated. lie has
u li-u.1S look but There is IA sly sclf-pnsscssion
hlnul the MANA cautious weighing Of words
that shows hr Is Lo fO l.
The ,-g,tioqof country infested by this gang
Is llllY ~ irlnt extending from IIarprr's
J tnIry. nenr lhe Franklin line IN lhe houlh 70