Telegram-herald., 1889-10-08
RAFFERTY, AT BEDFORD.
An Irish Tourists Experience In a Quain
Kentucky Village.

An Irish Tourists Experience In a Quaint
Kentucky Village.
People in the East will hardly believe it
when they are told that Kentucky has
county in which only one man was ever
killed, but 1t is fact Notwithstanding, says
a Bedford (Ky.) letter TO the New York
Sun. a number Of years ago two intoxi-
Gated men fought in the town and one was
shot to death. That was the only serious
crime ever committed n Trimble County.
Trimble is a real Arcadia, Bedford, the
county-seat, being situated almost midway
between two large cities, forty miles from
Louisville and sixty miles from CincinDau,
fifteen miles from the nearest railroad. Yet
the strife OF the outer world has never
reached here. Crime of any kind is prac-
tically unknown. The people are all small
farmers aud frultgrowers, descendants OF
Virginians ard Maryanders who settled
here a hundred years ago, and are scrupu-
lousy honest. The last lawyer who settled
in Bedford came near starving to death,
and went TO Kansas a half-dozen years ago.
There is a Courthouse IN this town, but Il
IS needed only for the preservation Of the
county records, title deeds and such things
At the last term OF the criminal court there
was only one case 10 be tried, and that was
on q charge OF petty larceny. But it was
proven that the man was not guilty.
Every resident Of this county is OF pure
English or Scotch descent. There is not a
foreign-born person in Trimble. Although
80 close 70 both Louisville and Cincinnati, a
German or Irishnan would be a curiosity
in Bedford. Last spring an Irishman, Nike
Rafferty,, from Louisville, came 20 Bedford
How he ever got here or why he cane no
one knows, but soon after his arrival word
was circulated that a foreigner had come TO
town. Rafferty, went into tae grocery TO
buy fifteen cents worth OF cheese for din
ner. The proprietor stared curiously az
him, but gave nim the cheese, and be sat
down IN a chair 70 eat It. La few minutes
q crowd OF small boys entered, and ranging
themselves in a straight Ire Ia front OF the
Irishman. gazed o. bim with the most evil
dent curiosity. Rafferty, thought thero must
be something the matter with bis personal
appearance, and asked the proprietor If
there was any thing wrong. The latter re-
piled in the negative. Nike then wanted %
know why al the boys were looking 81 him
why. don't you understand SAID f1e
merchant. "As soon "a ycl bought that
cheese / sent out word that there was an
Irishman here. An Irishman don't come 20
=
years since one was here until you came
You are the first irishman those boTs ever
saw, and Of course you are a show TO
them"
Rafferty, whistied and then grew indlg.
nsnt tie said he was neither a keathen
Chinee, nor did he belongto a museum lie
left the store, followed BY an incrcasin z
crowd Of small BOYS add some rather large
ones At the street corner he net little
girl carrying a BUCKET q water. The
weather was warm and be asked her for
drink She looked up, for the fret time
In her life saw strangers face, shrisEed,
dropped toe bucxe. q water, aud
fed IN dismav That was enough for
the Irishman. he set cut for the nearest
railroad station, fifteen niles away, and
never stopped tramping until he E0t thsre.
For over a nile a crowd followed hin at a
respectable distance Since tten Bedford
has not been troGb .ed with strangers.