Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1880-07-15
VIRGINIA yIGILANTS.
One Szan who Would Not be
BulHdOZed.


About l o'clock on Thursday morn
ing, the 1st inst, Tandy Barker was
instantly killed by Elijah Corder, in
Hunters valley, north OF Estillville,
in Scott county, while disguised as
Regulator y and forcIog an entrance
at the head of body of "regulatosn
into Curder's huuse. The assailants
numbered soTc six Q: seven, aud de-
fused, they broke the door down with
q couple of fence rails, when Cordell
fired his shot gun at the leader, kills
ing him instantly. Barker's breast
and neck were riddled with thirty-six
slugs. His body lay untouched until
2 e. M, when an inquest was held.
Cordell's fire, the other assailants fed,
face. 1t Is said there were three shots
fired. One barrel of Barker's gun was
found empty and the cock of the other
barrel had been broken off, probably
by siug from Corder's gun. Barker
had his face blacked and his clothing
tnrned wrong side out disguise.
The scene of this terrible tragedy is in
Hunters valley, one of the finest OF
the Scott county valleys, some mile
and half west of and below Hagan' "a
Sulphur springs.
THE MEN:
Taudy Barker is described as o very
clever man, come 80 years of age. Our
Information is that he ia one of "the
incest young men in Scott" He lived
on Powell's mountain, on the high
road from Estillville, via the High
Knob, to Gladeville. He at one time
clerked in Mr.. John Harris store at
Stony Greek, where he proved to be
an excellent and popular salesman.
His character hitherto Ia without
blemish. He leaves q wife and two
children. His father is living, and
performed the mournful duty of haul
Ing away for interment his bloody and
mutilated remains. He was farmer
of moderate means. At one time he
was counted an expert boatman.
Elijah CorGer is well>to do farmer
and with the exception heretofore al.
| luded to, has had no blemish on hi!
! character. He is aged some so or 35
and has wife and two or three chill
dren.
| CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE.
| For some time there have been il
Scott county, principally on CoppeI
| ridge and in Hunters valley, parties
of disguised men. calling themselve
| REGULATORS" who have under cover o
night, visited aud severely whippe.
divers persons charged with variou
immoralities. The News has hereto
fore published accounts of their wort
in the Copper ridge country. 1t seem
that some lime early last May a part.
of these regulators determined to pa,
their respects to Elijah Corder, 70
having, As they alleged, about hi
house young woman named Myers
whose pressncs they some how con
strued as not in keeping with pro
priety. Accordingly they called a
his house in the night and whippe
him very severely, warning hin
if this woman was not sen
away they would call and re
Corder sent the woman away, bu
Mrs. Corder did not believe the storie
to Miss Myers prejudice, and 8
there was no truth in the alleged il
licit relation between her husband an
Miss Myers, that at her earnest en-
treaty Corder induced the girl TO RI
turn to his house. Hearing of thil
Barker's company of regulators
waited on him again on the fats
morning, when they found him pre-
pared for his terrible defense.
All day long the body of Barker la
in Corder's house until the inquest b
caused to be summoned had assembled
He forbade any member of the famil
or other person to touch it. There
lay, prone upon the floor, with fac
! blacked and with the pool of bloc
around 1t. He was not even required [
undergo the usual examination befol
justice.