Plateau gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Tenn.) 1883-1884, 1883-05-19
GLEN NARY.
Special TO the Plateau Gazette.

NV" uSiei' ~ ""S Pc. u"y ~ tuc EIoohc
Company's coal mines, and the officials
were congratulating themselves upon
the general order and quiet, when the
whole community was shocked and up.
set by the worst tragedy Scott county
has probably known.
During the morning a man named
William Corners came down ON a local
freight train, and got off evidently with
the purpose Of drinking and creating
mischief A little more. than one hun
bred yards from the station is saloon
kept 10y Reuben Hurt, Clerk of the Cir
cut Court Of Scott county. There was
u good crowd outside and inside, and
much drinking was going OH. Drinks
were freely passing round, and Corners
was soon seen to he verging upon Il
dangerous state Of intoyication. Coming
outside the saloon, he had u few words
with a miner, white, named Kit Heaps,
occasioned, it is said, by Corners having
his hat Knocked off by Kit. In the
crowd was Kits brother, Doc Heaps,
who was sober, and saw at once trouble
would soon begin. He attempted to
stop the quarrel and stepped between
the men. AS he did so Corners fired,
and Doc received the ball in his chest
and fell as if dead. The quarrel at once
spread, and Girls Door, "a big Dutchman,
was pointed at by Corners, whose pistol.
however, snapped only. Girls fired and
wuun led Corners in the arm, who re-
turned the fire, the shot striking Dool
III the breast and Immediately killing
him. The angry and excited crowd al
once set upon Corners, threw rocks IL,
him, jumped upon his head and nearly
smashed him. Being powerful mar
he weighed 1872 pounds and stood six
feet two inches--he got away from the
mob aud made for the rail.
The time o! the shooting was 81,
Clock i'll the evening and the South
bound tram was waiting in the station
one Of the window pane, vi Cur bcin4
actually broken by u stray bullet. Upon
the platform stood Mr.. John II. Clarke
the u neral Manager Of the Crook Com
mnys coal mines. He heard the tirns
out did not particularly wonier wha,
it was; but upon ~ man running VI
and saying, Doc Heaps was dead, "ano
there goes the man who shot him." Il.
was astounded and immediately said
I'VE mustn't let him escaped" and run
ming up the track, he overlook Conner,
and held him by the collar The muir
derer at once gave up his pistol-a poor
contemplate weapon aud probabl,
harmless at twenty pac"s-and sald h,
would 80 anywhere if Mr.. Clarke woult
keep the mob off. Bringing him to til,
station, Mr. Clarke rut him into be-,
car and stood befpr" it, and with muci
pluck ami nerve withstond the howlin.
mob. Having only one arm, the left
being shot away at the battle OF Atlanta,
it was no chid's play to turn the mad
dened miners away; but nerve and in
huence exceptionally great stood MIR
Clarke in good need. At length som,
one tod him that Doc Heaps shove,
signs of life. He then felt it his dut,
to 20 to Doc. whom he respected as
steady and useful man. Leaving Con
ners under the the care of Messrs. Hur
and Ballew, he was scarcely away whvl
the crowd opened the car, and Conner
jumped out and was fired at and hotl,
pursued. He was soon caught and take,
!: up the road towards the mines, and jus
: beyond fill in III the road, by tn
stump of u tree, was literally riddle,
with bullets, and left to lay where b
fell all night, Next day the body wa
put into cotiI aud sent to Flat Rock
Ky.
The inquest was commenced on Sur
day, before Squire A. II. Lewalen, all
extended over Monday and Tuesday
On the latter day, quite early, Sheri1
Cecil aud a posse Of well armed me
searched the place and the houses {
the miners, arresting three white me
, and two black. They were taken
Huntsville.
Doc Heaps had worked at the mine
for some time and was overseer of a
the mining, and was much respected
The hall WIS extracted from under Il,
left shoulder blade by doctor fror
! Somerset, KY, and there is every chanc
of his recovery. He will be remembers
in Rugby Ms having driven the hack fl
? snme months at the beginning of 1881
3 He was recently married. Corners WI
u very hard case and terror to tn
= police and the order loving people wh,r
ever he WAS known.
And SO ends horrible bloodshed an
display Of bad passions, with no ca''s
. tor fehd other than that arising lrol
i. drunkenness and the frequenting I
saloons