Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1883-06-06
A Kentucky Vendetta.

I
! Daviess case in Kentucky were no ap
iprentices in criminal proceedings. Th'
career of Thompson senior embrace
not alone victories i'll desperate murder
cases. His own hands are not bloot
| free. Ten years ago, within thes'
same walls, Thompson senior and TheO
dore Daviess were at suit over prom
sisory note. The suit was full of spirit
and heat. Crowds flOcked To hear it
and among those who went were the
three sons of each of the litigants. The
DavieSs boy who bore his father name
Theodore, proposed to young Phi
Thompson that they 90 out into the
courtyard and settle the matter. On
the way out, in the hallway, before
reaching the yard, "a shot was fired.
Every mans hand in the court room
reached for his hip pocket. The Thomp-
SONS and DavieSSeS all drew and fired
and old Theodore DaviesS and his son
Larue fell dead. Sharp work, mean
while, was going on in the yard, where
young Theodore Daviess had clawed
young Phil ThompSon's scalp like IA
tiger Old Phil, his pistol still smoking,
looked through the window at the coIn-
batantS and, seeing his boys face be-
Smeared with blood and sIIpposing him
to have been knitted or shot, sprung over
the SILL Young Theodore ran out of
the yard and started down the street.
Thompson chased as far as the gate,
when he fired at the retreating figure
and the undertaken made three collins
g lot E..r-
DaviesS family. The preliminary heal
ing satisfied the community that every
body had had fair chance and the
grand jury refused to indict.
The blood and thunder stories told of
Toe Blackburn may be mythical, except
as illustrative of Kentucky principles,
but mythical ornot it pleaSeS the natives
To relate how, when he was young at
the bar, it fell to him to prosecute a
case that had enlisted public sympathy
The evidence went in and they say
Blackburn got as the argument when
he was warned to quit under penalty of
trouble. The next day he appeared in
court and began the argument. He
had not proceeded far when there was
suspicious noise from the rear. He
wheeled to find confronting him SYM
pathiZer with the accused i'll anger and
about to strike. Whether Blackburn
fired through his pocket or not mythol-
agy doesn't say, but an instant later the
aSSailant was ready for an in
quest and Blackburn turned coOlly to
the jury with ''and now, gentleman, as
| was Sayingn No one seems to locate
this story as To time or place or to have
personal recollection of its occurrence,
but it is told just the same As a sort of
tradition. 1t runs suSpiciOuSly current
with a well-authenticated experience of
Colonel Denny, of counsel for the pro-
secution. When attorney for his
county some years ago it became his
duty to prosecute his uncle. Certain
members of the family objected and
him with violence, even i'll
court. The situation becoming critical
when the argumentative stage of the
was reached, Denny care
fully laid pair of TevOlvers on the
table in front of him and saying mildly,
Il shall now argue this case proceed
ed without interruption through a
argument.
The closing day of the trial was not
more eventful, except in its cOnsumma-
ton, than had been the most ordinary
day. Thompson leaves for Washington
where he says he intends to spend most
Of the summer. His daughter, a child
Of thirteen years, is at the Georgetown
Convent and is i'll utter ignorance of
the events of the past month. He will
inform her of everything and then they
will plan for the future. Mrs. ThOmp-
son is at the Garnett homestead, ad-
Joining the residence of the Congress
mans parents. She declares her ino-
cence of the charge against herself and
Davis. The heCongreSsman's son remains
with his mother. He holds out the
pleasing prospect of another murder
trial growing out of this case by declar-
ing that he will kill Jessie Buckner, to
whom he attributes the scandal and its
results, on sight, whenever and wher-
ever he NAV meet her.