The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-11-06
AGGRESSIVE OUTLAVRY.
DesperadOes' Threats to Attack
a Court House.
Armed Men Ready for a Battle
With the Authorities.

A desperate state of affairs is once moro
prevailing in Harlan County, KY. The State
troops sent there two or three months ago
were withdrawn a few weeks since without
anything being effected, and when this re-
port was written the outlaws under the
leadership of Wills Howard had taken fresh
courage. Howard had organized them near
the town of Harlan Court House, which is
occupied by his old enemies, the county au-
thorities, and was preparing to storm and
carry the place at all hazards.
County Judge Wilson Lewis, who led the
old fight against Howard, was in town and
had taken charge Of the Law and Order
forces They numbered about forty or fifty
men, and were armed with Winchesters,
pistols, muskets and other weapons. They
were entrenched in Harlan Court House
and were preparing to defend the place.
On the other hand, Howard it is thought,
could bring from fifty to one hundred men
into the field, and he openly avowed his in
tention of making charge upon the village.
The trouble was brought about by an event
which occurred recently when it was thought
nineteen years old, a brother Of Wills Howard,
the leader and disturber, was in Harlan
Court House, where the father of the Howard
brothers lives Finley Smith, son of Wash
Smith, one of the wealthiest men in Harlan
County, who is spoken Of as one Of the best of
citizens, was also in the town. The Smiths
were related by marriage to John Cawood,
the wealthy farmer, who with his hired man,
Hezekiah Hall, was killed on Friday,
October II, by Wills Towards gang A
nephew of John Cawood named Charles
Cawood, married a daughter of Wash Smith
and the sister of Finley Smith. They be-
longed to the Law and Order party.
John Cawood was brother-in-law OF
County Judge Lewis, and like the latter he
was active in the attempts to stop crime and
to bring all the desperadoes to the bar. wills
Howard wanted him out of the way and he
and Hall were killed.
The Law and Order party were greatly e1-
ercised over this and the good citizens were
considering means by which Cawoods and
Halls slayers could be brought to justice,
when the last fight occurred. just how it
was brought about no one seemed to know,
and the point is disputed as to whether Fin
lev Smith or John Howard fred first.
Each mans friends claim that the other
was the aggressor. There were no words be-
tween the young men.
John Howard was walking along the street
and Finley Smith was in the door Of the
Cumberland Hotel when they saw each other.
Howard pulled his pistol and young Smith
seized O Winchester rife, which was near
him, and both began to shoot. None Of the
bullets were buried in the targets they were
intended for, but it was thought at first that
Howard was killed One of Smiths bullets
grazed his temple and the shock knocked
Rim down. While he lay there stunned for
the moment Smith left and Howard did the
same thing.
This shooting occurred about 5 o'clock on
a Saturday afternoon. John Howard lost
little time in communicating with his brother
wills, and the latter vowed vengeance Early
the next morning word was brought to the
town that Wills had said that he didn't in
tend to put up with the trouble any longer;
he would wipe out his enemies or he would
die trying. a little later the report was
confirmed from another source, when the
news came that the Howards were organlz-
ing and arming.
A little later reliable messengers of the
Law and Order party brought the intelli-
gence that the outlaw had sent word to all
his men to come well armed to rendezvous
a few miles from the county seat. Wills was
implicitly obeyed by his followers, and the
messengers said large crowd was gathering
at his summons.
The seat Of justice of Harlan County,
which is converted into citadel by the Law
and Order party, is thirty-fve miles from
Pineville, which is the nearest rallroad pOlnb.
1t is on the Virginia border line. Some be.
lieved that Wills Howard would post detach-
ments so as to shut Off all communication be-
tween the town and the outer world, and
await the moment when he could make an at.
tack on the town with the best chance Of
carrying all before him.
Harlan Court House is so situated that q
war may be waged upon men in it with the
attacking party well protected. The town
has about four hundred inhabitants and is
on the banks where Martins Forks joins the
Middle Fork of the Cumberland River. Poor
Fork empties into the main stream about q
mile below. On both sides of the town
rugged hills rise. These are so close to the
place where Judge Lewis and the citizens
were entrenched in the court house building
that the Howard gang could pour fusillade
into the structure from the hills. In doing
this they would be fairly well protected and
will have the citizens at disadvantage
Howard is related to nearly half the peo-
pie in the county, and has relations in sur
rounding places and friends at Pineville.
This fact has so far aided him in escaping ar
rest He is vindictive toward those who op-
pose him. and has sworn that he will never
be captured.