The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-31
THE HARLAN COUNTY FEup.
ALI the Result of Drunken Quarrel
From The Nelg York Times.


was less in the way Of extenuating circum-
canoes. than the present Howard-Turner
var in Harlan. It originated in drunken
ouarrel, and the first killing was a cold
flooded murder, and ever since the warfare
has been carried on with the methods of the
assassin. On this account, it is practically
impossible to tell how many deaths are
directly traceable to the feud. Some place
the figures at fifty, while others say twenty
five would cover the list
Harlan Court House, the scene of the
present troubles, is near the center of the
most mountainous of Kentucky counties.
The country is wild, and the whistle Of a
locomotive has never been heard by many
If the inhabitants. The town has probably
400 inhabitants. Six years ago one of these
residents was Bob Turner, a burly young
nountaineer, who wore his trousers stuck
in his boots and carried chronic bad tenn
nar. One day, while drunk and boisterous.
lie threatened to cut the heart out of Wicks
Howard, a cousin of Wills Howard. the
present leader. Trouble was avoided at the
time: but week later Wicks came to town
armed with q musket. He loaded up on
homemade whisky, then started out for a
fight The first man he met was Bob Tur-
ner Without word he raised his gun
and sent charge of buckshot into Turner's
heart.
Up to this time Bob Turner's brothers
had been quiet fellows, but the killing OF
Bob drew them into a feud with the How
ards. About six months afterward Will
Turner, one of the brothers, stole up one
night to Wicks Towards house, three miles
from Harlan Court House, and made his
way into the building before he was discov-
cred Then Wicks' wife caught sight of
him and cried to her husband that Will
Turner was in the house. Wicks and Turner
both began to shoot about the same time,
and they emptied their revolvers without
any one being hurt. Will Turner fed when
he had no more loads left. Not long after
ward he became involved in a difficulty
with Bill Gilbert and killed him. This had
no bearing on or connection with the
trouble between the Towards and Turner's.
After killing Gilbert, Will Turner left for
Texas, where he remained about two years.
When he was gone there were no other
fights, but the bad feeling still existed.
Three days after Will Turner returned to
Harlan Court House he was standing at the
corner of the county clerks Office, in the
court house yVrd, when shot from win
dow in the court house killed him. This
was supposed to have been fired by wills
Howard, who, up to that time, had done no
killing. The law was not enforced against
the killers in any case up to that time. and
wills remained free. Four or five months
passed without a further clash between the
Towards and Turner's, but there was
evolved in the mind of 'Bonyn Turner, a
brother of Bob and Will, plan to wreak
vengeance for their death He watched for
an opportunity, and found what he thought
was one One day wills Howard and his
cousin Jim walked out Of town to where
D. II. Smith kept store, about mile from
RI
"Bony" Turner followed them, armed
with a musket and pistol. Wills and Jim
sat down on platform in front of Smiths
store. "Bony," hid by a turn in the road and
Il board fence. stole up quite close to where
the Towards sat. He took deliberate aim
at Wills and pulled the trigger, but the gun
refused fire. He tried again, but again
there was only snap. Wills Howard heard
this, and he and Jim jumped up. "Bony"
then discarded his musket and began firing
with his revolver. Wills and il II were not
armed, and they ran and escaped unhCrt.
Shortly afterward Wills Howard and friend
named Will Jennings slipped up to the house
of George Turner, father of the Turner
brothers. Day was barely breaking, and
in the partial gloom they mistook Alexan-
der Bailey, who was staying at Turner's,
for Little George Turner, whose death
they sought. The result of the mistake was
that Bailey was killed by a bullet from
Wills Towards rifle. Ebony" Turner was
at Hiram Helton's house, about 200 yards
away. He heard the shot, looked and saw
what had happened, ran out, pistol in hand,
and began firing at wills and Jennings.
Helton secured his musket and also fired on
them. Wills returned the shots, and one of
his bullets tore through Ebony" Turner's
right elbow as he had his arm crooked to
IRE his revolver. The shooting then
seased.
That afternoon Ebony" and Little
George" Turner went for safety to the house
4 ex-County Judge James II. Middleton,
SIGHT miles from Harlan Court House.
William r. Bailey, relation of Alexander
Bailey, who had been killed that morning
through mistake, also happened to arrive at
Judge Middleton's, and staid all night. wills
Howard and Jennings followed the Turner's
10 Judge Middletons house and remained
near it all night. Early the next morning
William r. Bailey was standing in the
door, when wills and jennings, mistaking
him for "Bony" Turner, fired from the
bushes. and Bailey fell MORALLY wounded.
He died soon after. Wills and Jennings
then started toward the county seat. They
we're followed by Judge Middleton, the
Turner's Sam Middleton, viii Pace, and
several others. On the road, Howard and
stopped to ask her some questions. She did
not know that she was talking to her hus-
bands murderers. The pursuing posse had
nearly caught up with Howard and Jen-
nlngs, and the latter struck out at a run
As soon as Mrs. Bailey was out of the way
the posse opened fire, but Howard and Jen-
nings escaped after miles chase.
Wills Howard then made himself scarce,
gong to Missouri. He had no money when
he left, but when he returned about eighteen
months ago, he had small fortune IN cash.
he was reported to have killed two or three
men In Missouri, and to have obtained the
money by train and other robberies. He
was lavish with it, and soon bound to him
large following of the most desperate men
In the county. About six months passed
without serious difficulty arising; then came
me whisky war" at Harlan Court House.
The law had been utterly imperative, and
u was violated in such an open manner that
the best citizens of Harlan Court House de-
termlned to take matters into their own
hands. They organized law and order
league under County Judge Wilson Lewis.
IN Harlan Court House, Joe Blair and
James NJ. Nolan had long been running a
GROCERY where moonshine whisky was sold
openly, without license. Attempts had
oeen made to have them indicted, but no
person could ever be fou;d to swear that
Sley had bought whisky from Blair aud
Nolan. They were all either afraid to do
90 or wanted the place to continue. The
Jaw and order party decided to break up
we place by force, and, if possible, stop the
eale OF the mean liquor which had been the
Ooase OF nearly all the trouble.