Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-09-01
A MOUNTAIN TERROR.
A Brutal Murder Nineteen Years
Ago Avenged by One Of the
Trosper Boys.
louisville Times. !

| -NI
Deputy United States Marshal
Wallace Gruelle returned this morn
ing from a trip through Knox, Whit
ley, Montgomery, Laurel and adjoin-
ing counties, where he has been look
ing up the festive moonshiner and
other violators of revenue laws. lie
brought home tho interesting details
of the killing Of jim Tuggles, the
mountain desperate. which occurred
last week in Knox county.
Tuggles' name has been synonym
for crime and murder in thai section
for over twenty years. In less hard
ened communities he would long
since have been declared an outlaw
and hunted down, or the law would
have brought him TO the fate his ear
liest crimes merited. In the moun-
tains, though, he has had things near
ly his own way, and has led a career
almost unparalleled in the annals of
crime. His death was the result of a
feud that has existed between Tuggles
and the Trosper family for over
twenty years. The cause was the
murder of old man Trosper by Tug
giles just at the close of the war. The
particulars of this crime show deed
Of borrow so strongly impressed on
the miud of child that he aftcrward
proves the avenging spirit that metes
out the deserved fate Of his fathers
murderer
The elder Trosper was in field
near to his house one morning in the
spring of 1864, when Tuggles came
along and engaged him in conyersa-
ton. Tuggles had already acquired
a bad reputation by this time, and he
gloried in it, Without cause he soon
started dispute between himself
and Trosper, which ended by their
coming TO blows. No particular harm
was done either, and they apparently |
settled their difference and both start
cd for Trospers house. When they
got 10 the door, Mrs. Trosper came |
out, bearing in her arms her youngest
born a boy. The infants little brother,
a lad about four years old, was play
ing in the yard. Trosper was carry
ing a hoe, and he sat il up against
the side of the house and started TO
90 TO the spring, which was near at
hand. just as he turned Tuggles
seized the hoe, and, raised it alOft,
brought II down with terrific force
on the barred head of the fated father,
crushing in his skull and scattering
his brains out, and causing his inslan-
taneous death in the presence of his
wife aud two little infants. The
mother swOonod and the red handed
murderer fled. The four-year-old boy,
who saw his father struck down in
cold blood, performed the remarka-
bic act of walking to the neal est
neighbours, a mile or two away, where
he told his fearful tale.
The neighborhood was terribly
aroused, but those were turbulent
times, and Tuggles fled until the affair
blew over. When he returned he be-
came noted as a heartless and daring
desperate. lie committed, with i'm
punity, all sorts of crimes. His mean,
revengeful spirit exhibited itself
time and again, when he would kill
or MAIN nelghbor's stock, or burn
their crops. Every Que was afraid of
him. and he was Stunned by all. TO
hold any conversation with him was
almost fatal, because he would seek
a quarrel on the slightest retext to
get an opportunity to shed human
blood.
The elder Of the Two Trosper boys,
who had been left orphans in such a
tragic manner, brought his younger
brother up to believe that their first
duty was TO avenge their fathers
death. But little opportunity offered
to do this, unless they went deliberate
ly and slew him, which was some
thing they did not want TO do. They
kept their own counsel, though, and
awaited their chance, which came
Unexpectedly last Wednesday.
Early in the morning the two
brothers and Alf Bradford went to
the Disney school house, on Richland
Greek, which is about half way be-
tween Woodbine and Barboursville,
and went to work TO repair the seats
and do some carpentering necessary
to fit the school for the coming term.
The elder Trosper is one of the school
trustees, and a new teacher was Sc
lected this summer.
Tuggle had niece who was an
applicant for the position, and not
withstanding her known ignorance
and illiteracy, her uncle insisted that
she should be the teacher and sworc
that none but she would be permitted
by him to teach. The School Trus-
tees, however, chose another, and
Jim Tuggles threatened death to all
of them, and particularly to young
Trosper.
The day they were working in the
school-house Tuggles happened along
Unexpectedly. lie was unarmed, but :
carried a spade in his hand. He
came over to the school and began
Trosper. The young brother
in the dispute, and Tuggles ]
raised the spade to kill him. AS he
did so, quick as flash a pistol-shot
rang out and Tuggles, the mountain
terror was a corpse. The boy, who |
saw his fathers murder, had avenged
it at last. The entire community |
support them in the act, and they
have not been arrested. II
--s.a@%s.-
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