The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-08-22
ROwAN,s RECORDS.
Mysteriously A6strdctedulfon' The Files
Tile Book Containing The M
tilatea Papers iafse Green
Hargis Case Stolsn from
Mc Clerks Office.
rMorehead Special to Gin. Enquirer. !

! TMorehead Special TO Ch- enquirer.
The old saying, "HsPs to pay in
Rowan" has at last become literally
true by the breaking iDio the office OF
the County and Circuit Clerk at
this place, aud taking Iheretrom the
book containing the records of the
Rowan County Court for 1850, aud
among which we're what is. known as
the "mutiIated records, 'haEped upon so
much by Green in bis chirgss against
Judge T. F. IIargis Of TIC Court of
Appeals, and claimed to beso impor>
tant by both sides in the celebrated
! Green Hargis case, nov pding in
the jefferson -Couuty COut of Com
mon Pleas. Although ~ records
were stolen last week, yettAihing was
known Of it outside OF thisMNgty un
I'll yesterday, when the - cached
OwingvilIe
An Enquirer repres zinc.
diately mounted a steef< ystarted
for Morehead. arriving ely and
finding the report only too true. The
records are gone, but where no one
seems to have the most remote idea,
The Clerks Office, 4 small frame
building about sixteen feet square and
one story high, with no vault or
other safe receptacle for the records,
deeds, wills. settlements, &c, was visi-
ted, and found to have been forcibly
entered By the forcing open of the
shutters to the only window in the
building aud the breaking in the win
dow. James NJ johnson, the Clerk
of the Rowan County Circuit Court,
was away from home on the night of
the stealing, aud did not return until
late next evening, when, as he says,
he found the books OF the Office all
turned topsy-turvy. the papers all
scattered, the books containing the
records of the County Court for 1866
missing, aud a general paudemonium
existing in his Office. II was plain TO
see how the entrance had been eifeet>
ed. and after admission had been once
gained, there was 40 trouble TO secure
coveted treasure and make off with it.
But how is it to benefit either Green
or Hargis we cannot see.
The stealing of these records puts
Judge Hargis to an immense disad
vantage. aad discOncerts his plans con
siderably, while it cannot injure his
case materially Certain it was not
Hargis' friends that did the burglary
Green, through his attorney aud in
person, was taking dispositions in the
case up to Friday, August /, at More
head, and had taken the depositions
of quite number of persons, had the
book containing these mutilated re
cords present, got all out Of them
he possibly could for his side of the
case, had the mutilated pages photo
and, declaring themselves
through with the books, ordered the
Clerk to take them to his Office before
the adjournment to meet Tuesday,
August the y, 1879, at the same place
and for same purpose, so that after
Green has got everything be possibly
could in his favor from the books, and
Hargis had taken no proof whatever
from them, and relying greatly on them
to carry him out, it is hardly to be sup
posed that any Of Judge Hargis' friends
had any thing to do with the abstrac
ton Of these important documents.
Judge Harsis will begin taking des-
positions at Morehead just as soon as
Green closes, which will be about the
first of next week. If he had the
records said to have been mutilated
by him, he would be able to make his
proof stronger and more convincing,
and it would be much easier shown if
he had the records present to refer his
witnesses to aud freshen their memory.