The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-11-08
MASSACRED By SOLDIERS
q 8attie on thc Oh River, CrC .
Excitement in Kentucky

I
.stlctt-burg, Kentucky. III December
last Two beautiful Young girls, OF the
utmost pectahilitv, werc outraged.
and murdered. together with tie ~
year-oll brother u one 81 tbtm. w,u
maniully attempted t. d,cud tl,ai.
/ The brutal detail, cannot he nMra,, Z
here but they were such as a5aIl ,...
tie resentment OF the coolest Of bloods
+ Imagine. then, the storm that was
aroused when overwhelming proofs
came that tho fearful crime had been
committed by three young men Of the
vicinity, who actually had the GOODNESS
aud hypocricy to act as pall-bearers at
and afterwards headed the searching
parties. and tried to throw suspicion on
other men, No wonder that when the
/ prisoners (Neal. Ellis, and Craft Sc
cured an order from Judge Brown re-
moving their trial to Maysville, 100
miles distant, the people assembled and
resolved to make sure that the mis-
creants should not escape, either by
loop-holes in the court, nor by bribery
of jailors, nor any of the many ways OF
thwarting Justice i'll this day and gener-
alton.
When the sheriff secretly started on
tine steamer Wou,taia Boy, for Mays
vile. the mob pursued him on the
steamer Maintain Girl. but were unable
| to catch up, and the chase ended at
! Ashland. the scene of the murder. al
though the prisoners narrowly escaped
| lynching at Portsmouth. Subsequently
Ellis was tried and convicted, and was
| hanged by the mob.
| Recently Neal and Craft secured an
! order from Judge Brown. to change the
venue to Carter county. and carry them
To Lexington for saie-keeping This
aroused the mob once more, and GOV
Luke Blackburn foolishly sent battal-
! ion OF fancy soldiers to escort the
mlTderers to Lexington.
| There were many rumOrs that large
crowds were congregating at Ashland
preparatory to taking the prisoners
An official Of the ChesaHeake and Ohio
Railroad telegraphed that a mob had
! taken possession Of the tools of the sec
ton hands and had torn up the track
believing that the troops would return
that night with the prisoners. Major
! Allen had intend d to 20 back that way
but believing it to be unsafe, made ar
arrangements with the captain Of the
3 4 t,. toll thn,,, NT,,-.,-i1l.
That night the troops. in expectation OF
an attack, guarded every street APP
preaching the court house. and mount
ed pickets We're posted at different
points of the town. Nothing occurred
except the firing of pistols and guns in
the nei@hborhoOd. which caused the
troops to turn out four or five times be-
lieving an attack imminent. At -
O'Clock on Wednesday. after Allen had
disposed the troops to command the de-
pot, the prisoners. under a strong guard,
We're taken 10 the Granite State. The
position Of the troops had hardly been
taken before a train arrived with tie
mob from Ashland. \ delegation OF
some twenty-five or thirty men ap-
preached the troops and called Tor Ma
ior Allen, He advanced towards them
and was told that the mob came for the
purpose OF taking Neal and Craft, pcacc-
ably. if possible If not, then by force
that they were 1000 strong in the train
and could OverpOwer the troops easily.
Their demand was refused. and Major
Allen stated that the troops came simp-
~ to uphold the law and in obedience to
orders, and not to buildoze OF impose
upon the rights Of any county; that
they did not desire a difficulty, especial
ly with kentuckians. and would not par.
ticipate i'll any unless it WAS forced upon
them. The committee then stated that
if the troops escaped from Catlettsbury
with the prisoners they would be met al
Ashland. The interview then ended.
and the troops were withdrawn to the
steamer. just as the Granite state APP
preached Ashland a terry-boat con-
tanning, it is supposed, about 100
men armed with muSkets, rifles
anu ahot-guns, steamed from the land
and whistled for the GrdnHe to stop,
This she made a teint Of doing, but
lodged past and attempted to proceed.
At this moment an excited youth fired
his pistol, either accidentally. or from
nervousness. and the report instantly
precipitated a collision. The firing
went on for nearly ten minutes, and re.
suited in eight or ten deaths, mainly
on shore, among the women and chill
dren. who were cheering their hus baud-
and brothers OH the ferry boat. Mai.
Allen, the commander OF the soldiers
shows himself an ass OF the largest ears
Ills Official report says "a very 7plri-
ted engagement ensued. iii which the
mob was very badly crippled. Though
cannon was on deck and finely handled
by Lieutenant BLY, and his men. | did
not deem it necessary to fire it as our
infantry were sufficient 10 pepulsc the
attacG. We had five men wounded or
hurt in the engagement. but none >e-
riously, The troops acted with admira-
bic bravery, coolners and .elt-pos-e--
SION
OF course. the crowd Of unarmed spec
tators, and the 100 men and boys on
the boat. armed with pistols. were easi-
y ''crippled" by the 300 soldiers armed
with revolving rifles. and cannon. And
his Dragging style of describing the
slaughters Of greyheaded men Of 50
years. and babes i'll their mothers arms.
would sound more fittinglv if the victims
of his prowess had been any other than
his own tellow-citizens. seeking Justice
for hapleSs maidenS. violated in their
own homes and burned to ashes IN their
beds The LAW" did not protect
those innocent girls, the whole
power OF the Law must be used to
slaughter more women and children in
protecting the murderers
CONTINUED On BIRD PAGE.