The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-01-30
"You'd Better Finish Me-"


Kentucky Murder.
A correspondent Of the Louisville
Courier-J Journal gives the facts Of the
Craig murder case, near Litchfeld, XIV.
as follows:
Craig lives at the foot of Iron Ore
hill. About one hundred yards ives,
of his house is a large gate forward
is the road to Haynes precinct to the
left is the road over lron Ore hill ano
to Sam Overton;s, where John Over
ton, the deceased, lived. On the 10Th OF
December one Jim Booth was on the
side of this hill, cbopping. Craig had
gone with his gun in the direction Of
Booth, and was some one hundred yards
from the large gate. John and Sam
Oveyton were gathering and hauling
corn from field which the forner had
rented from Craig, about WHICH there
had been some unpleasantness.
This field was situated nearly quar-
ter Of mile northwest of Craigs, and
from the point in the field where they
were gathering there was direct road
to Sam Overton's, and the wagon load
had gone this way, Sam driving. John
was going around and up the hill road,
in the direction Of the chopping, but was
met by Craig at the point above named.
Craig asked him if he was going to haul
all the corn away, to which Overton re-
piled eyes, by -, am ; and if You
fool with me about it I'll tear h out of
YOU" Craig said: 81 reckon yeu
won't" and with this drew his gun and
fired. Overton fell, pierced through the
lungs with buckshot He also had one in
his arm, face and hand.
Craig advanced two or three steps to
him, when Overton arose and clinched
him, saying; "You'd better finish me,
jim Craig replied "By --, that's
what l set III for" He Their, using his
gun club fashion. struck Overton on the
head, which loo ,ened the latter's hold,
and he fell Craig then cut his throat
with pocket knife, waited until he was
dead, then Strengthened him out, and
placed some little stones on his eyes TO
keep them closed. When asked why he
did this, he said "Overton was all
doubled up and looked so ugly that l
thought would straighten him out and
make a neat Joe Of it. didn't know
how long he'd lie there If had had
any money to put on his eyes would
have put it there. but rs | had none l
used rocks"
This is the case to be made out by the
Commonwealth, and very naturally it
strikes one as being horrible murder.
But there is % defense, ard, it seems, a
good one.
Overton was desperate man had
killed one or two men and stabbed and
cut others without any provocation- He
was a runaway from Louisville, and
there are some doubts about Overtor
being his name He pad some parties
money as an Involvement TO their getting
one or more OF our good citizens out thai
he might slay them. While in our
county 'ail, from the Lst OF August to
the lst of September he said he wanted
to get out that he nigh. kill Ben kipo,
a Methodist minister, and Jim Craig;
Some threats had beer communicated
before the billing This is the whois
case
Three efforts for an examining trial
have been made at Tilfordsville, and AL
failed upon the part Of the prosecution.
The case was novel 70 this place and
set for next Friday. the Sd of January,
when there will be large crowd End
much excitement Craig is in Jail and
in good spirits.