Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-03-24
A MOUNTAIN TRAGEDY.
The Pathetic Side of Life Among Ken
lucky AToonshipers.

Prather, raided through Rowan and ia
adjoining county OF Morgan this wees
AT an abandoned sull house ou one OF 10
numerous headings Of ocam creek, MOI
gan county they found thc@ead and raru
decomposed body Of Dick A..rey, the las
oftnat famous family Of mooushiuers."
have for years dehed the Unitec 9l@l,
authorities. The still house was a uo'
Bhanty OF unhewn logs, and, ijing Ih ol,
rOrner, with his head amopZ lhe 0e"o
embers OF the still fire. was Alne} hou5
He had evidently committed su.ciHe, loI
the muzzle OF his long squire Ii"e w W.
eIenched between bis 0eshless Jaws. Inc
upper part Of his skull was missing ana
Dieces OF the shattered bone were IOuhd
Embedded in the dry bark OF the logs COM
Tosin, the sbauty. His taking-On Was
the last act u a most pathetic tragedy.
Two wears ago Altrey ran an Illicit SUI IN
the very house IN which ne committed
self-murder. Ills partner was Old Bill
Elliott, well known in both Rowan and
Morgan counties as Crippled Bill, be baV-
ing been badly wounded in one OF Jonn
Morgan's raids, from the effects Of which
he never recovered. Bill Elliott made his
appearance on Iocum creek Immediately
after the surrender at AppamattON and
bought a small tract e r.ug1 land ON
he cleared away the heayt umber and
thick underbrush and erected small
CABIN. a COW shelter and the other rude
shanties that 90 TO make up the buildings
sOi Ridge farmer. He might have been
- very sOcisbie and c0mpanlonable NJ an
an his early manhood, but his misfortune
Seemed to have sOured his disposition
and he made Re v acquaIntances and fewer
friends.
hrrn IA IL
TER.
His nearest neighbor was Squire Diuk
5Ianna and one night, much to tue
sSqulre's indignation and everyone else's
surprise, Crippled Bill and his neighbOr's
youngest daughter, CapitOla, mounted
their horses and rode across the country
10 the OHIO river, crossing which stream
they were made man and wife by Squire
Massie Beasley, at Aberdeen, the Gretna
Green of America. They returned TO
Squirrel Ridge two days auerward and
began life quietey and modestly in Grip
pied Bili's humble cabin. Bill evidently
loved his young and pretty wife, and she
was devotedly attached 70 her homely
husband. Squire DinK Hanna never for
gave his daughter for her marriage and
abe two families were estranged. About
year after the elopement a daughter was
born 10 The strangely matched couple and
three days after the lutte one opened Its
eyes the mother closed hers In death.
Crippled Bill mOurned for his lost mate
as only a strong man can and when an
unlettered mountain preacher pronounced
over her grave the last rites that Chris
tians give to their dead be threw himself
upon the mound and groaued In agony of
OF spirit. The rough but kindly neighOOrs
led him home. " ben he entered his cabin
with q sad aud melancholy face his bag
gard eyes fell upon the mOtheFless ba be
sleeping quietly in the homemade cradle
shat the neighbOr woman, who had nursed
Bil's wife in her last sickn ness, had drawn
up before the blazing fire. The helpless
ness and innocence of the babe no doubt
kindled IN his bosom new hope for the
future, for his face grew brighter and
he turned to the neighbOrs WhO bad
followed him and said, with rough kindlt-
ness
eNaburs, the berryin's over. I'm gwine
ter make a fresh st TT ter-mOrrOw fur her
sakep and he pointed to the sleeping
child and, bending down, kissed the lit
tie pink cheeks.
To every body's surprise the child lived.
He called her Kate and as she grew older
the adjective "little" was added TO her
name because OF her fairy-like grace and
delcacy OF limb and feature, and when
she was seven years old every
body on Iocum knew Crippled BilPs Lit
tie Kate.
CRIPPLED BILL TURNS MoONsHINER.
She loved her rough old father and he
lived only Tor her. About this time, or. to
be more precise, in 1884, Crippled Bill fell
IN with the Alfrey boys and they induced
him to Join them in running a m0onshIne
still. The profits of the business were
something enormous-lt you didn't get
caught-and Crippled Bill became their
partner. For upwards of ten years they
conducted their Illicit business and dehed
capture.
Yocum creek is one OF the most peculiar
streams in Mountain Kentucky. 1t heads
in Morgan county and empties into the
Licking, nearly opposite Morehead. For
distance Of five 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 157 times and the gorge is One OF
the most we,rdly picturesque spots In
America. Cliffs. whose tops tower hun
nreds OF feet above the bed OF the stream.
wall it on either side. Their faces are
covered with thick growth Of laurel
bushes and tail frs and pines OVerhang
their SUBMITS. Professor Henry, Of the
Smithsonian lnstitu ton, visited the Mar
rows once and made a careful examina-
ti0n Of the cliffs on both sides. lie found
behind the screen OF laurel bushes rOomy
raves, and in the depths Of these caverEs
khe bones Of the great cave bear and
traces Of that curious prehistoric race,
The cave dwelers, II was Ia one OF these
nayerns that Crippled Bill Elliott and the
Alfrey boys carried on the business OF
Illicit distlling. They disposed OF the
product Of their still TO the lumbermen on
tue river and divided among themselves
the pront. The gang had numerous en-
counters with the revenue officers, and
one alter another OF the Alfreys we're
killed until only Dick remained. There
were warrants out fer his arrest charg.
ang him with killing a revenue officer and
with Illicit distilling. Armed with bis
long squirrel rife be roamed through the
mountains and freely visited the towns,
Boosting that he would kin the first man
who made a warlike movement toward
him. ~ spent bis money freely and had
hundreds OF friends scattered about the
rountry, who warned him whenever Mar.
BhsPs posse approached.
A MoONsHtNER's DEFIANCE.
Once In 1880. while visiting his fathers
house on the Licking river road, a party
Df revenue officers rode up and surround
ed be house, keeping, however. 40 a re-
spectful distance. Tor they knew that Dict
was dead shot and none OF them wanted
IN make martyrs OF themselves. Ever,
Loor and widow Of the house was harri.
caded and when the Marshal's man cauti
ously approached Dicks voice was heard