The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1889-09-25
TORN BY A FAMILY FEUD
THE KENTUCKY MILITIA ORDERED
TO SUPPRESS IT.
Harlan county's Fighting citizens-A
Proclamation Issued by Governor Buck
ner-The Story Of the War.

PINEvILLE, Ky, September 20.-Gov.
Buckner has issued proclamation to
the law-abiding people, explaining why
he has ordered the State militia to Har-
Ian County, the scene of the Howard
Turner feud. In it he said:
You must discharge your duty as
good citizens to show that you deserve
to be sustained. If YOU refuse to dis
charge your duties as good citizens, you
have no right to ask others to discharge
those duties for you. call upon You,
therefore, to respond promptly to the
summons of the civil authorities, to
obey them implicitly in their attempts
to arrest and bring to ospeedy justice, or,
if resisted by force, to shoot down, un-
der the orders of the civil authorities,
the aSSaSsins who threaten in your midst
the peace and welfare of society,""
The troops are now marching toward
Harlantown, thirty-three miles from
here, across the Cumberland Mountains.
The Howard-Turner feud began tit-
teen years ago. William Turner, tue
father of the numerous family of that
name, was a very wealthy man and
owned several thousand acres of land IN
the County. on a part of which Harlan
town was built. He and some of his
relatives became involved in difficulty
with Mr.. C. Hurst, a prominent lawyer,
over a client of the latter's. Hurst
was killed, receiving dagger in his
heart from the hands Of Turner himself
or one of his henchmen.
Exasperated at this act, for Hurst was
a popular and esteemed gentleman,
some of the most prominent citizens,
among whom were the Gilberts, How
ards, Halls, Deys and Spurloeks, arose,
with William Gilbert, wealthy citizen,
at their head, and, by the aid Of money
and influence, had the guilty parties
brought to justice and given life SEN
tence in the penitentiary.
The Turner's swore. revenge against
William Gilbert, and one court day two
years afterward, while talking to a
friend, Gilbert was shot from ambush
bv young VIII Turner, son of Gerge B.
Turner. He was indicted for the MUIR
der, but proved by woman that he
was at her house at the time, and was
cleared.
The woman, Susan Langford, was at
the same tine in love with VIII How
ard. Young, Turner did not like this
and one day he whipped young Howard.
There was no love lost between the two
families before and this act widened the
breach.
War was declared. Some time after
ward Wick Howard, cousin of viii, got
in row with Bob Turner, brother OF
Will Turner, and Bob was killed.
Peace reigned for several days after
this. Then, by prearranged plan, the
male members of both families met at
Harlantown to settle the trouble. Both
clans were armed. A pitched battle en-
sued and Andrew Bailey and John
Bailey, innocent bystanders, were killed.
Two Turner's were wounded.
The next fight took place in June last.
The Turner's took possession of the Nolan
brothers store. The Nolans, supported
by the Howards, armed themselves, and
apitched battle took place in the street.
Several were wounded. The Turner'S
then took refuge in the court house,
and being strongly armed and well pro-
vided, endured a two weeks siege. in
which several persons were wounded,
including John Howard, a brother of the
notorious Wilson Howard.
Finally truce was declared and the
Turner's retired from their Sas1Ssss;os,S in