Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1882-11-09
WOULD-BE LYNCHERs DEFEATED.

nectiOn with the Ashland HorrOr-A Mob
Attacks a Steamboat Bearing the Prison
ers Neal and Craft, Who Were Under
the Protection of the State 8IiIitia-The
Troops Fire Upon the Attacking Party,
and Upon Number of SpectatOrs-Sev-
eraI Killed and Many Others Wounded
Both Sides of the Story.
IRONToN, O., November 1.
William Neal and Ellis Craft were convicted
some months ago at the Catlettsburg boyd
County, Ky) Circuit Court, of the murder OF
Robert and Fannie Gibbons and Emma Car
rier. They were granted a new trial by the
Supreme Court George Ellis, an accompIice,
who confessed and was sentenced to impTison-
ment for life, was hanged by mob, at ASH
land last summer.
On Monday last Neal and Craft, guarded by
two hundred and twenty State troops, with
one section of artillery, arrived at Catletts-
burg from Lexington, where they have been
held for safe-keepiIs, to stand trial IT WAS
learned at Ashland in some mysterious way,
that Judge Brown was going to grant change
of venue, and the excitment there became in
tense. About eleven o'clock this morning
word was teiegraphed from that place to
Catlettsburg that most of the men had quit
work in the iron works, and that the nail fac
tory had closed down. All the men, the
dispatch said, were marching on Catlettsburg.
In an hour or SO nearly one hundred and fifty
of them did arrive and hard, determined-
looking crowd they were. They carried no
arms about them, but were said to have
weapons concealed out side of town. AS they
marched sullenly about the streets, the rumors
of coming trouble increased.
at one o'clock the courthouse yard was
packed with a dense mass of men, most of
whom seemed to have come from the adjoin-
ing counties. The courthouse was packed
when the soldiers marched in with the prison
ers. The soldiers went inside the bar, sur
rounded the chairs of the prisoners, and pre-
pared to defend them to the last. The evidence
for change of venue was overwhelming
Judge Brown said he was sorry to say, for the
honor of his old home, that Boyd County could
not give the accused men fair trial, and he
would have to grant change of venue, and in
compliance with the law he would have to
select an adjacent county. He selected Carter
County, and the trial would be set for the third
day of the Carter County Circuit Court, which
begins on the first Monday in February.
few moments later the soldiers again gath
cred about the prisoners and marched them
back TO the jail, the room just above the court
/ room.
Soon there were but a few men in the yard
or near the building, and the dangerouslook-
ing crowd had melted away. They could be
seen in groups about the street corners de-
nOuncing Neal and Craft, and uttering threats
of violence. Strange to say, His Excellencys
Governor L. P. Blackburn, was abused almost
as much as those two
4ulS dAtSIIiOcn at DuSLln AOuhb1i Win
the State troops and prisoners boarded the
steamboat Granite State for Maysville, intend
ing to go thence by rail to Lexington to the
jail, to confine the prisoners until trial.
After the Granite State, with the soldiers
and escort had left, the citizens took the train
and returned to Ashland, which is five miles
below Catlettsburg, arriving few minutes
ahead of the boat They dsembarked, and
about thirty or forty, mostly wild boys board
ed the ferry-bOat and started ont to hail the
Granite State, which was hurryng by near tha
Ohio shore The ferry had ranChad mid-FiVeE
as the Granite State passed her. She had dis
regarded the ferrv-boats signal to land, ana
about this time some one on the boat dis
charged n revolver. The military opened q
murder1Esss FaFe, pierei5ag tWfes eteampipe ana
| ply from the disah ed ferry-boat. Several of
| the mob had been wounded but none killed.
| The fire of the soldiers was still kept
up, but was rned principally against the
| crowd of unofending spectators upon tho
! and mOrtaly wounded were shot near
the grade, whence not a shot had been fired.
| ferry-hoat the military kept firing as long
| as they could see the boat or soul III
- - n -
| ton to carry out Blackburn s threat to XIII eV-
! erybOdy in Boyd County. The following
named persons were killed or mortalIy wound
ed: John Bass, James Mcdonald, ColoneI hap1
! p ri, George Keeler Mr.. Dunlap's baby, Mort
| Dunlap, Alexander Watt, John Gallagher,
| Mrs. Jack Seerz, Graham Randall, Bob Lath'
Seventeen other persons we're slightly
wounded.
CINCINNATI November 2.
Mr.. Phister, clerk of the Granite State, says
Major Allen engaged their steamer Tuesday
night to convey the prisoners and troops to
MaysVille but this kept profound Sc
cret, even from the other boat officers, Major
Allen wishing to avoid a collision with the
mob. They telegraphcd to Major Allen that
they would be at Catlettsburg at 1880, but
failed to reach there till afternoon. HethinkS
if they could have arrived there promptly the
| whole trouble would have been avoided.
When Ashland was reached the ferry-boat
was seen, apparently filled with belligerenf
| people, and the Eyharfb boat was also full OF
men, and the banks lined with people. The
pilot blew two whistles, as if to land, but with
| no intention of landing. This was ruse to
! get away from the ferry-boat. When the latter
saw the Granite State was steaming by four
| whistles were sounded by the ferry boat to get
| the Granite State to land No attention was
! paid to it, and then the firing began. The
| Granite State refused to take the prisoners
until written order was issued commanding
| them to do so.
| Brose Dennis, who, with Mr. Williamson, ocI
cupied the pilot-house the latter being on
watch, says the soldiers were placed in the
! pilot-house to keep tine pilots at their post. He
says that shots were fired at the Granite State
both from the wharf-boat and the men on the
bank. Many of these were aimed at the pilot
| house, and six balls struck the pilot-hOuse. a
number of other buIlet-marlcs appear on otheE
/
OF the firing from the bank and the wharf,
boat Dennis is certain. Both ne and the clerk
| Phister, say it would have been easy for the
feFry-boat to have overtaken them and had a
renewal of the battle if the troops had not
acted with promptness in returning the fire.
| They speak in commendation Of the action OF
| the officers, and say there was no disposition
| shown to be bloodthirsty or malicious.
| Upon the re urn OF the troops to Lexington q
| reporter interviewed the commanding officer,
| Major Allen, and obtained the following state
| ment: The motion for change of venue haY-
ing been granted by Judge Brown, and the
| case removed to Carter County, order was
| issued directing the Sheriff, in connections
| with the State Guards, to convey the prisoners
back to Lexington for safe confinement. Dur
| ing that afternoon there were a good many rue
mors to the effect that large crowds were con-
| TO Catlettsburg that night to take the prison
| ers. Craft and Neal a telegram was received
| by Major Allen from an official of the Chesa1
peake g. Ohio Railroad stating that mob had
| taken possession of the tools of the railroad
section hands at Ashland, and, as the telegraph
states, evidently meaning mischief. Another
telegram was received by the Major stating
that the mob had torn up the track at Ash
| land, believing that the troops would return
| that night with the prisoners Major. Allen
| had for his command return ticb5ts over the
| Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, and inkeiS5ed to,
| go back that way, but, = HeV1ng 1t unsssSaS
| made arrangements through his Quartermas4
ter with the Captain of the Granite State.
take them on his return trip to Maysviile. That
MIC f1a in aNu ~ attack