The Panola weekly star. (Sardis, Miss.) 1882-18??, 1886-04-24
Crippled Blus LluuS Knto Dying
for n False LOvor

a party n United states Internal
Revenue officers, under command NJ
Special Bnlih Tom prather. lately
taidel through Rowan and the adjoln-
Ing county Of Morgan, Kentucky Al
an abandoned stll house on one " the
numerous headings Of Yocum creek,
Morgan County they found the dead
and partly decompo.cd body Of Dick
Alfrcy the last Of that famous family
Of moonshincrs, who have for years
dcted the United States authorities.
The ,tll house WIS n rude shnnty ~
unhewn logs, and, wing in one corner,
with bis head among tho dead ombers
of the sin Ere, was Alfrcy's body. He
had evidently committed suicide, for
the muzzle Of his long squirrel rifle WIS
clenched between his ilcshless laws.
The upper part OF his skull was missing
and pieces Of the shattered bone were
found imbebbed In the dry bark Of tho
logs composing the shanty. Ills taking.
oil was the last act Of n most pathetic
tragedy. Two years ago Alirey ran nm
Illicit still In the very house IN which
he committed seli-murder. His part
nor was old Bill Elliott, well known in
both Rowan and Morgan Counties ms
Crippled Bill. he having been badly
wounded in n ofJohn Morgan raids,
from the effects of which he never ro-
covered. Bill Elliott made his appear
anc on Yocum creek immediately aftor
the surrender at Appomattox aud
bought a small tract Of rough land on
Squirrel Ridge. BY dint of much labor
he cleared away the heavy timber and
thick underbrush and erected a small
cabin, q COW shelter and the other rude
shanties that go 10 make up the build
ings Of a Ridge farmer. lie might
have been a very sociable and COM
%pnniunable mar in his early manhood.
but his mlsfortunes seemed to have
soured his disposition and he made few
acqnalntances and fewer friends.
His nearest ncighbor wns'Squirc Dink
Hanna, and one night, much TO the
'SquiIc's indignation aud every one
elso's surprise, Crippled Bill and his
%nelghbor's youngest daughter, Capltola.
mounted their horses and rode across
the country TO tho Ohio river, crossing
which stream they were made man and
wife by Squire Massie Beasley. at Aber-
deem, the Gretna Green Of America.
They returned TO Squirrel Ridge two
days afterward and began life quietly
and modestly in Crippled Is lls humble
cabin. Bill evidently loved his Young
and pretty wife. and she WIS deyotedly
attached TO her homoly husband.
Squire Dink Hanna never forgavc his
daughter for her marriage and the two
families were estranged. About u year
after tho elopement n daughter was
born to the strangely matched couple.
and three days after the little ono
opened It's eyes the mother closed her.
in death. Crippled Bill mourncd Tor
his lost mnto rs only n strong man can.
and when an unlettered mountain
preacher pronounced over her grave
the last rites that Christians give 10
their dead. he threw himself upon the
mound aud groaned in agony OF spirit.
The rough but kindly neighbors led him
home. When he entered his cabin with
a sad and melancholy face his hnggard
eyes fell upon the mothcrlcss babe sleep.
ing quietly In the homemade cradle
that the ncighbor woman, who had
nursed Bil's wife in her last sickness.
had drawn up before the blazing fire Of
pine knots. The helplessness and in
noconcc Of the babe no doubt kindled
In his bosom new hope for the future.
for his face grew brighter and he turned
10 the neighbors who had followed him
and said. with rough kindliness.
"Naburs, the burryin's over. I'm
gwine ter make a fresh start ter.mor.
row for her sakeln and he pointed TO
the sleeping child and. bending down,
Ii sed the little pink cheeks.
To everybody surprise the child
lived. He called her Kate aud as she
grew older he adjective little" was
added to her name because Of her fairy.
like grace and delicacy Of limb and fca-
turc, and when she was seven years old
everybody on Yocum knew Crippled
Bill's Little Kate.
She loved her rough old father and he
lived only for her. About this time, or.
"a be more precise. In 1874, Crippled
Bill fell 10 with the Alfrcy boys and
they induced him TO Join them in run.
ming q moonshinc still. The profits Of
the business were something enormous
II You didn't get caught-and Crippled
Bill became taeir partner. For up
wards Of ten years they conducted
their Illicit business and defled capture.
focum creek Is one Of the most pccn.
liar streams in Mountain Kentucky. IL
heads In Morgan County and cmpties
Into the Licking. nearly opposite More.
head. For a distance Of live miles il
runs through the Narrows Of Yocum, a
deep and gloomy canyon. through
which trends = rough wagon road. THIS
road crosses the little stream a hundred
and tfty-sevcn times and the gorge 4
M of the most weirdly picturesque
spots In America Cliff, whose tons
tower hundreds Of feet above the bodof
the stream. wall Il on either side. Their
faces are covered with q thick growth Of
laurel bushes and tall frs and pines
~cverhang their SUBMITS. Professor
Henry OF the Smithsonian Institution,
visited the narrows once and made a
careful examination Of the cliffs on both
aides. He found behind thu screen Of
laurel bushes roomy caves, and In the
depths Of these caverns the bones Of the
great cave bear the traces Of that curl.
Gus prehistoric race. the cave dweller..
II was In N Of these caverns that Grim
pied Bill Elliott and the Aifrey boyscar.
fied on the business Of illicit dlsiilling.
They disposed Of the product Of their
sfill b the lumbermen on the river and
divided among themselves tho profit
The gang had numerous encounters with
therevonne ofioers. aud one AFTER anoth-
9 of tho Alireys were Killed until only
Dick Fvuainsd. There we're warrants
out Tor his arres charging him with xiii
ling . revenne officer and with Illicit Dis.
alllnG Armed With his long squirrel
r'ls Be Foamej through the mountains
- freely visited the towns, ho.sting
- ~ would Kill the fIrxt man who
- ~sFl'<e movement tgHAsd him.