Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-07
KENTUCKY'S WAR.
The Judge Who Defeated the Turner Fac.
tiOn Gives a Full Account of the
TrOuble-Peace Has Been Re.

tiOn Gives a Full Account of the
TroubIe-Peace Has Been Re.
stored for the Present.
LOUISVILLE, November 6.-The follow
ing letter has been received here:
HARLAN COURT HOUSE, KY, November L.
During the last three weeks there has been
great deal of trouble in Harlan county an &C
count of which has been given in the columns
of different newspapers all over the country,
and 1 want to say here that the reports sent out
have been greatly exaggerated. As l think
the war in this county is now over,
for the present, at least, l
deem it an act Of justice to
myself as an officer and to the law-abiding ele-
ment of the citizens of my county, to state a
few facts to the public in regard to the recent
it is claimed that Finley Smith shot at John
Howard with the intention of killing him.
do not know whether 1t is true or not, as was
at home six miles from town, when TINS Is sald
to have occurred, but be it as it may, instead
of John Howard, who is brother OF the noto-
rious Wilson Howard, waiting for the author
tiles to deal with Smith according to law, he
sent word to Wilson, his brother, VINO was Sc
creted IL miles from town, to come and nelp
him wreak revenge on the citizens OF Mt.
Pleasant for the wrong he claimed smith mad
done him.
Consequently Wilson Howard was seen the
next day only three miles below town with
posse of seven men, and in the evening OF the
same day another gang of 25 men were seen
passing town, on their way to join wilson
Howard and his crowd at the mouth OF Poor
Fork, only one mile from town, and Ben1amln
Spurlock. who is the acknowledged leader OF
the WilsOn-Howard allies, sent word TO town
by Mrs. Louisa Bailey. wife of County Attorney
Bailey, for Bailey's and L. S. Wards famlles
who were near relatives to the Spurlock crowd
to get out of town, for they intended to take
possession of the Court House and fight 1t
his crowd. l led posse OF "a cltlzehs.
summoned to assist me in the quell1ng Oh tnls
trouble. and to capture Wilson Howard, If pos
sible, on Tuesday morning. L made an attacK
upon the gang of desperadoes who were tort1'
fled in portion of E. NJ. Howards dwelling
house, and fight ensued, in which one OF the
Howard men was killed and four WOUNDED
and one disinterested man slightly wounded
The Howard party then fled in utter confusion,
leaving their dead and wounded for me to care
for, which did to the best of my ability. The
Howard party then retired to Martins Fork,
where followed in few days. On this raid
l went to Martins Fork. When came to the
mouth of Mill creek divided my forces, send
ing one crowd up the main river, taking the
other and going up Mill creek in search OF the
Howard party which suspected was secreted
at or near W. T. Halls house.
The crowd that sent up the river found
William Glenn. ST., and L. D. Hall. sympaEizers
of the Howard gang. They started to run
when the officer of mycrowd commanded them
to halt. They would not stop and my men fired
on them, killing Hall and capturing Clem.
Clem and Hall were both old experienced
schemers, and had figured very consplcuously
in the killing of John Cawood, who was good
citizen and wealthy farmer of this county.
AS have 81 warrants in the hands Of a con-
stable against Spurlock and his men for the
murder of John Cawood, and he has asked for
peace, will say if he will surrender to the
authorities. 1 will protect him and his men, and
see that they are tried by disinterested court.
As it is reported that Wilson Howard and
William Jennings, his associates in crime, have
left this country and probably gone to parts
unknown, hope peace is restored and business
will revive. WILSON LEWIS,
Judge of Harlan Court House.