Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-07-07
The Facts Plainly Stated.
EnIToR South KENTUCKIAN:

Police M. w. Carkuff and myself.
Mr. Carkuff came to this city June
rs, to witness the execution OF Jordan
Taylor, accompanied by three friends
-Jailer w. NJ. Rollow and Deputy
| Sheritfs Station and Davis. | treated
these gentlemen in a courteous and
hospitable manner, and after showing
them the gallows, introduced them
to the door-keeper to the inclosure
and gave him instructions to let the
GAINESVILLE visitors i'll to see the
hanging. After giving them explicit
instructions when and how TO get in,
excused myself to go to the Jail at II
o'clock to dress the prisoner for the
gallows and read the death warrant
to him. i left the Clarksyille gentle
men with Policeman g. A. Biggerstail
at the Police Headquarters, and eau
toned them to be on hand at IL 30
o'clock. They walked out and, after
standing in the court house yard
awhile, left without telling Mr.. Big
gerstaff where they were going or
whether they would return or not.
After waiting for them until few
minutes before the time set for the
hanging, Mr.. Biggerstail concluded
that they had walked around the cor
ner to the gallOws and so went down
to the Enclosure, but was surprised
to find that they were not there.
The statement that they were in the
Chiefs office waiting for some one to
escort them to the enclosure is not
true. Perhaps if Mr.. Carkuil had
partaken of the unknown ingre-
dient" which he saw in the bucket in
the Chiefs office instead of imbibing
other liquids exclusively, his memory
might have been clearer upon this
point.
The next heard from the Clarks-
vile visitors after they had failed to
report at the hanging, they entered
the restaurant where they had
dined at my invitation and threw
down some money, in spite of the
assurance by the proprietor that the
bill had been settled, and boisterously
took their leave. Mr.. Carkuif says
they went home and l suppose this
statement at least is true, as the libel
GUS attack upon me, instigated by him,
appeared in the Nashville American,
of Sunday, having been tclegraphed
from CIarksville. The card then con-
cludes as follows:
1--WE are ready to say that not Il
man of the Clarksvillc officers Wa
drunk, and our jailer did not take Il
single drink with sheriff or police
during the day.
Carkutr says he was born in Ken
lucky and is now in his fifty fourth
year, and never yet knew the time
when Kcntuckians could meet with
any people, nation or tongue and
keep sober themselves and get the
other party drunk. All the world
knows their propensity for bourbon.
We cast no insinuations upon the
officers and do not resort to such con-
temptible means as they seem dis
posed TO throw at us. We were there
as gentlemen and conducted ourselves
as such. and at no time was the Of
ficers' courtesy extended in any way
to cover acts or words of our boys.
They could not have made an arrest
without violating all dccency and lay
ing them and the city liable to dam
ages for false arrest, whatever they
might have brought against u.s."
In reply to this have TO say that
do not know that Mr.. Rollow was
drinking. rather think he was sober
and that he had his hands full in
taking care of the others. lie was in
drinking crowd though and if he
abstained it is greatly TO his credit
that he did. Mr.. Carkuil, though,
was drunk, very drunk and the other
two gentlemen were drinking freely.
In order to prove that my statements
concerning the Chief of Police are
true l herewith submit card signed
by number of reputable citizens Of
IIOpkinsville who had personal
knowledge of the fact that Mr..
Carkuff was not only drunk but dis
orderly.
"To whom 1t may concern:
This is to certify that the Chief of
Police of GAINESVILLE, who was in this
city June 18th, was very much under
the influence Of liquor and was not
only drunk but noisy and disorderly.
lie was accompanied by three other
gentlemen and we are satisfied that
Mr.. Carkuff was not doing all the
drinking for the crowd, though none
of the Others seemed to have reached
the chilled owl" stage.
NJ. l.. CHRISTIAN,
ii. w. BREATHITT,
G. A. BIGGERsTAFF, Police,
HARVEY MCCoRD,
JNo. A. TwYMAN, Police,
ID. M. TAYLOR"
This controversy was brought on
by false statements published in and
from GAINESVILLE and l regret that /
have to publish facts that must be
Illuminating to others in order to vim
dictate myself. l will only add in
reply to the charge that l told the
gentlemen that the hanging would
be at one, that l gave them positive
directions to be there at II 80, but as
matter of fact the hanging did not
take place until u :55 by standard
time and :07 by sun time. If they