West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1886-12-16
A BLOODY SECTION. J.
n COUNTRY PEoPLED ny OUT
LAWS.
The SENT, Barbarians That Thrivc'S
ON Crime in sOut hcastcrn Ken
tuCky.

The roccut atrocious murder OF the Poe
family OF eight persons In Southeastern Ken
tucl>y has directed public attention To-
,hs most lawless section Of tho United
States, about which comparatively
little is known. For half q
century crime OF ovory sort has been carried
ON without the slightest opposition, and muir.
der II an everyday occurrence. Harlan,
kuox, Boil, Clay, Whitty. laurel and Wayne
c c1untics, which border ON the Tennes,co and
Virginia hines, contain moro dcspcradoeS,
men and woficn. than any part VI the
United States. Some Of those counties were
the earliest settled in Kentucky, AMI thcy arc
as unciviized, as they wero 81 years ago.
Shut off from oil communications from tho
rest of the world 10y mountains the sen,s-bar-
barous denz,ns OF that locality marry aud
inter marry with each other.
These ccunties c)vsr an area OF $50 miles
la length anl 80 miles i'm width. IL is dan
gerous for a su anger to penetrate the val.
lcys and hillside clearings. Tho small sst,-
Elements are from 20 10 100 miles from any
railroad communications AMI tho miserable
creatures who occupy tho ono-stOry log cab
ins never go moro than n few miles form tho
precincts OF their own homer. The people i'm
that section OF country live like tribe, OF In-
diNns. Tae c>u itry ts crowded with idiots
proiucoi by tho mlngliug n blood relations.
and it Is stated that there are more imbscile,
In the mountain counties OF kentucky than
ell the rest OF tho Unite States combined.
Tho writer was sent down 10 investigate the
Poe tragedy, aud while absent learned facts
which are most surprising aud startling.
May OF the counties in that will section
haven't school hou 20 or church within their
borders. The donizsns have no regard for
the ties In family. ami fathers and mothers,
husbands and wives young girls and boys,
all sleep In ono room with tho utmost aban,
don. The homocldal tendency In abnormaliy
developed. The mon are all crack shots. and
would just AZ soon kll hum An being as
bear. They viii not engage in stand -up
fight, but pck of their enemies from behind
n clump OF tre,s
That section OF Kentucky was tho scene OF
much bushwhaclsIng during tbs war. Both
armies alike fell before tho bullets OF tho ms.
saasins, who displayed neither courage nor
patriotism. Woodbine, Witty county, was
called JJ0eld during the rebellion. It was
the rendezvous OF the bushwhacksrs and 4.
ab ut 40 miles from the historic Cumberland
Gap. The tiers ot counties mentioned afford
an impregnable home for moonshiners aud
coun erfeitor', who defy ths United
States Marshals sent 10 capture them.
The. gangs OF outlaws In Whitty enc
Clay counties have never yet been disturbei
for all the Government officers who have ths
hardihood 10 attack thsm are either killed OF
driven out OF the country The Free t,te
OF B,ll ns that county is called averages
murder day the year round. One promis-
ing outlaw there, wko rs only 20 years OF age,
has XII ed 80 men, and some Of his murders
have bsen OF the most II ,ndlsh description.
Ii Is impo Sble 70 bring criminals TO justice
on account Of the family ties which bind thg
desperate characters together. The people
are all related % each othSr, and the Jury
Is certain 10 bs composed OF the murderer's
kindred. LAW Is unknown aud justice is y
farce. Ths ignorant, hllf.starvei shiftloy,
set are exceedingly susoiciou, OF n stranger,
and unlsss he keeps his own counsel he H.
likely TO drop dead with bu let In his body.
No words eau describe ths awful condition OF
that wild, rugged country aud the picture OF
misery, crime. ignorance and depravity which
exists calnos bs oyerdrawn. The people
have no cows. or milk, or butter The soil
Is pract lily worthless and only en- ough Gao
be raised TO keep tho inhabitants from starv-
ipg.