The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1878-12-19

{ idiiltS 81 passion and prejudice WeT
Tanned into bright blaze again. BY
bitter contest between two men f0
Common School Commissioner OI
account Of some technicdlitN in tn
election each party claimed thai h,
, was elected, and there the matter rest
ed until the day for the opening of Jh'
BreajhItt Circuit Court.
\ WIFE MURDER.
\ few months since Jason Little
one " the famous Little brothers. Wd>
arrested for the murder Of his wife
He went home dunk one dIy. aud the
evidence IS strong that be shot bis wife
IN cold blood in order that he might
mdrry some other woman. lie wa,
taken To the Richmond jail for SALT
keeping, and was To have been tried di
the fall term Of court. The LittleS
AickmanS. Aliens. and tiambrel>
Threatened tO release Jason Little
when he was brought back. and this
threat caused Judge Randall Ia issue
an order that sufficient guard lIe sent
to bring Little tu Jackson for trial
| Charles Little. a cousin uf the Little
brotherS, IS a deputy sheriff Oi
Breathiti County. and he started "a
I
| HaginS. the Sheriff Of the county. nu
sooner heard that his deput : had start
ed for Richmond than he gathered q
posse of men and started for Richmond
hiDlSelf. The two parties met, and an
other difficulty arose. There WAS no
| ore fnIrt. but q great dr-li Oi bad blood
was stirred up, and it all helped tO
| bring about the final tragedy. Last
I ANRnftgN NTnal- Irsfrra I.tnlsa1I
| at Jackson and opened court dt the
| usual hour. Ii seemed that the beilig-
| erentS had been prevailed upon la ell
| ter into an agreement To stack their
! arms when they came To town tO at
tend court. About 10 o'clock in the
morning Capt. Bill Strong. accompanied
by the Freemans and twelve OF
fifteen other persons, dashed into town
armed 10 the teeth, and most OF
them under the influence of whisky.
Instead of stacking their arms as they
| had agreed To do, they went about the
streets, some with two or three revOl-
! Yers strapped over them. and some
with Sharp and Ballard rifles. Toward
noon the Little party came in. many
| of them under the influence of liquor
and armed heavily. They SAW Strung's
party armed, and, regarding them in
an untriendly attitude, opened fire 1T
once, killing one of the FreemanS and
WOunding the other. The fight ended
without further blOOdshel that DAY.
On Tuesday Jason Little and his guard
were to arrive in town. Open threats
were made by the Little party that
that they intended To rescue Jason,
and Judge Burnett agreed To- head a
party of fifteen men who had been de-
tailed 10 re-enfOrce the SheTiff's guard.
Here was where Burnett acted with
great imprUdence. From what had
passed he should have known that his
heading the guard WAS but adding to
flames that were already flaTing up.
His friends tried To persuade him 10
give up his intention. but could not do
so, and as soon aS he placed himself at
the head Of the posse it was evident to
all spectators that fight between the
cOntending factions was inevitable.
Burnett marched his guard and stood
in front of them. Gambrel, of the Lit
tie party, standing of about forty
yards, remarked: There's that Cd
id Burnett again" Burnett lower
ed his carbine little, and Gambrel did
likewise. All at once some one cried
out. Look out, they are going to
shoot" Burnett turned around TO
see what the trouble was, and r.
ceived a caTbine hall in his side. lie
walked few PAGES, fell, and soon eX-
pired, Jerry Little and number of
others then started To the Jail as if in
tending Ia release Jason Little. Tom
Little, cousin of the prisoners, from
Wolfe county, Joined them, and tried To
persuade them to let the prisoner alone,
when a VOlley was fired by the guard,
resulting in the death of Tom Little.
The prisoner told them from the win
dOwS that they need not try to release
him, for if they did he would give him
self up to the jailer. 4 regular battle
began at this time, and bullets fairly
hailed in the vicinity of the Court
House. Bill Strong took position in
an old log house, the Littles in the
Court House, and the SherifT's guard
in house in front of the Jail. When
night came the parties left their bar
Ia'ks, and 10 some extent dispersed.
Wednesday morning Judge Randall,
without waiting to adjourn court,
jumped upon hls horse and took an
unceremOniOuS departure. There were
many claims To be audited. and the
sudden adjournment of court will cause
much suffering, as the people needed
their money.
\ BLOODY SCENE.
The scene Tuesday in Jackson. saws
an eyewitness, was awful TO look upon.
Men craZed with whiskey charged
through the streets, af0Ot and on horse
back, brandishing their revOlverS and
carbines, ahd threatening To kill every
person who came in their path. WO-
men and children ran through the yards
and gardens, screaming with fear, and
some of them tainted. Blood flowed
freely, and was SpTinkled all around
and in the Court House. Ii Is not
known how many were wounded. but
It IS thought there were great many.
Bill StrOng'S party swear they will
revenged for the death of Burnett and
the Freemans, while the LittleS say
they will kill Strong and his whole
posse if they can. Strong notified eX-
Judge Ned Strong, old man John IIar-
gis and VIM. Combs. the jailer, that he
intended to kill them all three to ayenge
the death of Burnett. Mr.. VIM. DAY a
prominent citizen living seven miles
from Jackson, has also been threaten
ed, and is now at his brothers at Hazel
Green. Ned Strong has gathered about
twenty-five men together, and is watch
ing Bill Strong. Some of his men are
getting out logs; others play cards and
while the time away in various ways.
The Littles are together in force, and
there is no telling how soon collision
will occur again.
THE GOVERNORS REPORT DENIED.
The Governors claim that all is
quiet in Breathitt, and that the troops
are not needed there, is denied by the
best citizens of the country. The Jail
er, Mr.. VIM. Combs, said: We can
never hold another court here without
troops; nothing but the presence of
troops will settle the fuss. | would
not be surpriZed any moment to hear
of a dozen men being killed. Il is not
safe for a man to travel through the
county, and all who can get away are
leaving Mr.. William Il. Day said |
Il look for more trouble very soon, and |
| would not be surprised if a great |
many more people became engaged in |
the fight. They are ordering people to |
leave, and the county is in 4 terrible
condition. | am looking every dav to !
hear of more men being killed"
Mr. Howard, lawyer, of Jackson, |
said: The story of the fight has |
never been half told. Ii was much |
worse than Capt. Cheves, of the Mt. |
Sterling Democrat. reported it. The |
county IS being ruined, and the people |
are leaving. Why don't the Governor |
send trOops?'
The Sheriff said: Il will not at
tempt to arrest these men without a /
laTgeifOrce of men, for ! could not do /
il. The laws are dead letter. and hut |
man life is hourly in danger"
The Governor certainly does not un- !
derstand the situation aS the people Of /
Breathitt do.
Halstead of the Cincinnati CONNER |
ciGI suggested fund of S4OOOO, to be |
contributed by readers of the press |
quarterly, 10 transport Private DalZell |
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