The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-12-24
BOWIE KNIVES AND BULLETS.

BOWIE KNIVES AND BULLETS.
Articles that Are Always Kept Ready for Use
on Georgia's Federal Officers.
Atlanta Special.
United States Marshal John w. helms has, by
authority of the Department of Justice at Wash
ington, offered reward of $500 for the arrest of
the murderer or murderers of Deputy Marshal
w. ID. Kelett. Captain helms is sure that Jim
Mccoy is the man who fired the fatal shot
through the body of the deputy marshal, and in
his published announcements of the reward he
gives description of Mccoy. This fellow is
about six feet in height, with light gray or pale
blue eyes light sandy beard, fair complexion.
STOPPING shoulders, high cheek bones. hair of a
dark sandy color. He weighs between 160 and
10 pounds, has short neck, broad shoulders
and walks with a quick swinging gait, more
from the hip than from the knee When talking
he looks in the distance. When last seen he had
on coat of navy blue, light dove colored hat.
and light jeans pantaloons. He wears a No. 10
shoe.
Yes said Captain helms Yesterday ST am
sure that Mccoy fired the shot that passed
through Kelletts body and resulted in his death.
There is a most interesting story told about the
two men. Ten years ago Kellett attempted to
arrest Mccoy. and in doing so shot Mccoy in the
arm. When the surgeon extracted the bullet
Mccoy exclaimed. Doctor give me that ball.
For ten years Mccoy kept the ball. and three
weeks ago he showed it to crowd of men on
Lookout mountain, remarking as he did go,
Boys Bill Kellett put that bullet into me ten
years ago, and [ will never die satisfied until
plant it back into his carcass
cit is a wild country up on the mountain. The
people raise no crops, but they hunt. and sell
their game to the valley people for and the
other necessaries of life. Mccoy is wonderful
shot. and the gun he uses, and which have now
in my possession, is breech-loadine rifle carry
ing 4caliber cartridge. 1t is said that Mccoy
is so expert in working it that he could fire three
shots at deer before the animal could get out
of range. That is the sort Of a marksman who
was nursing his malice toward the deputy mar
shall You will have to depend on your magma
ton for IA description of the wild. broken charac
ter of the region in which the man lived Nc
Coy was the terror of his neighborhood. and it is
said he had put five men under ground. Such
was the bloody boast he made to his neighbors
prior to the murder of Kellett Kellett and
his prisoner. Calvin Young. left the home of
the Youngs about half an hour before shutdown,
and approached the crAA" about dark. KeIett
was riding and Young was walking. Behind a
ledge of rocks and cluster of laurel bushes the
mnrdererS were concealed. An examination of
the place showed that the cold booded bush
wackers had trimmed away some branches to
give them clear view of the road. which was
only twelve feet distant. Keiletts horse turned
to 60 down the creek, and Young started across
the fo0tlog The assassins behind the ledge
fired and Kellett fell. one leg thrown across the
edge of the rock and one of his hands resting
against q ciump or OuSneS tnaC grew beside the
stream. His hat was pierced by five ouckshot
and his hair was grazed. That load had missed
its mark, but in the middle of the back ball had
entered and passed entirely through the body.
1t was from Acalibre rifle, and hut two men
in that locality such a gun. One of them
was James Mccoy"
II will leave no stone unturned to capture the
murderer" said Captain helms. 1.-THE whole
thing was premedtated Old man Young wrote
down here for Kellett to come up and get Calvin.
81 NJ.
truned on Saturday afternoon, late, from Whit
field county. He was fOotsore and tired. but. as
he says. he got gun and went out to kill
crow. On the way he fell in with Mccoy.
Young was away all day Sunday. until just be-
fore night, and the old man persuaded Kelett
not. to leave until just before night, as he had
enemies who might do him harm. When the
alarm was given an effort was made to get peo-
pile to set up with the corpse Those who went
to McCoy's house found him and Jim Wiley
off. When he was told about the murder he
asked the question; What sort of horse was
he rdingr The reply was that Kellett was
riding an iron gray. Mccoy answered that he
had seen him pass the house Mccoy went with
the people to the place where Kellett lay dead.
After seeing the body he grew quite nervous.
and refused to stay and sit up. When we found
McCoy's gun it had evidently been recently fired,
and when we next went to see it sand had been
run through it in an effort to destroy the evil
dence that it had been discharged"
Captain helms con tinued This is the seventh
attack that has been made on my DEPUTIES in the
last month. One deputy was killed. Four 9TH
ers were shot at, and two were carved with
bowie-knives. The attacks were not attributa-
BILE to ill treatment, for my deputies are uni
formly kind to all prisoners under their charge.
One of the law-breakers explained to me that the
mountain people thought that when the Demo
Gratis came into power they had perfect right
to make whisky"
The Captain drew out an immense bowie
knife, a murderous-looking weapon, and said:
Here is bowieknife with which man at
tempted to murder Deputy Marshal Hayes. The
man is now in Jail. My intention has always been
to administer the federal laws With kindness
and humanity. / have not deviated from that
intention. but it is well for the violators of the
revenue laws to understand first, we'll as last,
that they cannot intimidate me by killing. shoot
ing and cutting my deputies. We will follow
them with men to take the places of
those they make away with. and we
will take our chances on bringing them
to justice. ] intend that the law shall be
forced if l have to leave my Office in charge of
my two Office deputies and take to the field my
self. / would ask deputy to 90 where l
WOULD not 60 myself" The Captain has the rep
utation of being afraid of nothing that walks
the earth. The moonshners may not know this,
but the Captains acquaintance all know it.
Charles Kelett. of Deputy Kellett. was
before Commissioner Haight a witness in the
investigation against Andy Young. This witness
had seen his fathers hat, which riddled
with bullets but the deputy sheriff had the hat
in charge. The latter gentleman has been sub
penaed and will be here Monday. Andy Young
was released on bond. and left for his home in
the mountains. The Youngs are in Jail.
A Congressman's Literary Zeal.
Boston Traveller
A oartla~ao fro,, oorthwostoro AnJ~on.o,