The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1883-06-26
The History Of a Mob.


ainOHg tilc uiiir, ih lcihoc pluccS III
accessible except on horseback, along
bridal paths and lonely forest roads
looks Insignificant, but they are
ehrewd, active and indomitable in
discrimination and courage. The
old Scotch vindictiveness in matters
of family fcuds is ruling character
istic, and when two families take up
their shot guns and begin to 90 snipe
hunting for each other it will not
end until one or the other is extinct
and half the country has been drawn
into the feud through partisan feel
ing or interest. John Barnett, the
Menifcc county man, who is In Jail
here on the charge of murder and
theft, is fair specimen Of the class.
lie is a tall, grim, gaunt man, with
dark whiskers, hatchet-faccd and
sour. lie Is perhaps thirty-flve
years old, impressive and quiet, yet
cool as an iceberg, and as intrepid in
fight as Il hero, quick to resent an
aflront, and always ready to defend
his opinion Of his rights. lie is quite
well to do, owning l,20O acres Of fine
mountain land, and II is said he has
two wives and two distinct house,
holds. lie is head and shoulders
above his immediate ncighbors, and
always travels with feudal train of
eight or ten followers, all armedsand
ready to fight at his command or for
any purpose. lie is q terror, and as
mild u hammered cut-throat, as yOn
could plow up, snave in address,
frank and open in speech, and per
suasive toa dangerous degree. The
Barnett Ilelton feud, which has re-
suited in several deaths and which
brought him to Jail, dates back sew
eral years, and the lIeltons are now
nearly cxterminatcd. The father is
an old man by no means match for
Barnett. Vaughn Hclton is dead,
Jim Mcsser is dead and Hack Ilclton
has fled TO the bushes, or gone West,
so that there is really no one of the
immediate lIelton faction now who
can make the slightest stand against
the keen, wiry, alert and active -ag-
grcssivcncss of Barnett. Under
these circumstances, even if Barnett
is released, the feud will end, unless
II is renewed with Ringo, the sheriff,
who led the mob with the intention
of lynching Barnett. The history of
this old fcud is interesting. Some
time in 1880 Vaughn Helton began to
negotiate for a piece of land that be-
longed to the widow Bccraft; but,
through some misunderstanding and
for some double-dealing, real or pre-
tending ON his part. Mrs. Becraft re-
fused to complete the transfer and
took the deed that had been written
for her to sign and tore II to pieces.
This brought on fight between the
Becrafts and the Hcltons, in which
John Helton, the old man. was stab
bed. John Baiuctt had no connec.
tion with this, whatever, only SO fur
as can be maintained by gossip, but
II soon brought on an alteration be-
tween him and Vaughn Helton al
Cornwall, Menifec county. l!eltor
was inside the store armed with {
gun, which he was carrying for thu
benefit of Barnett. When he cam,
out of the store Barnett accosted hin
and as he attempted to run drew ,
knife and stabbed him in the back
The next step was that of the attach
on Gil. Messer by unknown persons
at his house, of which they suspected
John Barnett. Then came counte
attack on Barnett at his house by tn
Barnett faction, in whick Jim Messe
was killed outright by the unerrini
aim of Barnett's handy rifle. Thi
occurred in March 1881. Then tn
fcud smouldercd for about eighteei
months, when depredations began O.
the horses and cattle of Vaughn Hel
ton, about two months ago, Of whicI
John Barnett was accused and wa
indicted for in fact. But the cas-
fell through after he gave himself u
and courted an examination, The
old man Helton's House was burned
1t was not a magnificent affair, bein,
only a two-roomed log cabin, par
TALLY chinked with mud and ston,
so as to keep outthe fiercest and mos
determined gusts of wind aud rail-
Soon after that followedthe murde
of Vaughn Helton by masked men o
the night ofMay II. 1883, at his HON
in this county. This latter isntb
moving cause of the present trouble
John Helton procured an indictmer
for the murder of his son, Vaughn
which was filed by the grand jur
May 26, against John Barnett, job
Gibbs, Newton Yarber, Elliott Wac
kins, William, alias Boss Becraf
John Becraft, Nelson Watkins an
Mark Miller. But the people of Mel
iflec, or many Of them, have not niue
hope that the trial will develop sufl
cient Information against the parti,
to punish them. Hence the sent
ment in favor of lynch law becan
so strong that A. J. Ringo gathere
= a band and came here for theh pu
pose of taking Barnett and several
Ito .ou fo,1 oro foe IN ham, than,ss I