Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-04-19
|OUTLAWRY REIGNS.
The Slot on the Escutcheon of
Kentucky.
HARLAN ooUNTYs BLOODY rEUD.

Audacious Attack on State Troops-The
Dehers of Law Wound Six OF the Mill
tia-The Fortress of the Assistants Sur
rounded-Story of the Little Difficult
ty" Between the Towards and Turner's
A Tale of Murder Most Foul.
PINEvn.LE, Ky, April l9-Blood is flow
ing once more in Harlan county. This time
it is not an ambushed fight between the ma
tive factions that has made the name of
Harlan Synonymous with outlawry, but
pitched battle between armed and drilled
soldiers on the one side and a band of des-
perate men under the leadership of Wills
Howard, on whose head a price is set, on
the other The news reached here only yes
terday morning, but the fight occurred be-
fore daylight Wednesday morning. Har-
Ian Court House, from which point the
news comes, is nearly fifty miles away from
here, and the means of communication are
nothing more than a semi weekly mail, or
chance visit of one of the residents of that
place The details of the fight are not known
therefore, the only news reaching here be-
ing that the troops were fired upon from a
barn and six men wounded; that the militia
then surrounded the barn and fired volley
after volley into it, and are now holding
| their ground AMI awaiting reinforcements
Locality and Cause of the Fight.
The place where the battle occurred is
Black Mountain ridge, which is just east of
Harlan Court House. The region has been
in a state of terror for months on account
of the Howard-Turuer feud, and troops
asked IN Of
court There were rumors of an attack on
the troops last week by the partisans of
VIII Jennings, on trial for murder, but on
Saturday Jennings was acquitted, and it
was believed danger from that source was
over. The troop were sent there to arrest
a number of members of the lawless gang
which has terrorized the county for such a
long time and who were said TO be defying
arrest by the civil officials
The Howard Turner Feud.
The Howard-Turner feud, which h as made
the name of Harlan synonym for blood
shed, dates back to February, 1852, when
Bob Turner, aged IS years, was shot to
death by Wilkerson Howard, an uncle of
Wills Howard. Since the killing of young
Turner the vendetta has grown until almost
every family in the county is arrayed on one
| side or the other. In fact, it is stated that
no man l. allowed to take up residence in
Harlan without first declaring himself, and
| showing that he can handle Winchester
| Those familiar with affairs say that not less
| than fifty people have been killed as result
| of the feud, many of them being assassina-
tons from mountain Businesses, the body
rolling into guch to form food for the
buzzari
The Story of a Turner.
George Turner, whose three sons have
fallen by bullets from ambushed men with
Winchesters some time ago wrote graphic
| account of the feud. He stated that after
| his son Bob was killed Wilkerson Howard
| came to town and SURRENDERED. The trial
| was farce, and Wilkerson Howard was al
lowed to go free. VIII Turner, after How
| ards acquittal, went to his house while in
toxicated and attempted to shoot him. Next
| day the Howards assembled their clans, if
teen or twenty men in all, and with a con-
| stable, attempted to arrest young Turner.
He escaped and left the state. In July.
| 1885, he returned, and the next day he was
| shot by some one ambushed behind a court
| house window. No one was arrested for
| this.
Killed While Washing His Face.
In July, 1886, Alexander Bailey was shot
Turner's yard, and wills Howard was seen
| making his way across the road Immediately
| after with Winchester over his shoulder.
Alex Bailey's murder occurred on SUNDAY.
Two days later wills Howard AMI VIII Jen-
| nings went to the house OF Judge James H.
Middleton and shot John Bailey a brother
of Alexander. Howard and Jennings fled
but Judge Middleton raised posse and pur-
sued them. Howard and Jennings then
went to Missouri, where they remained I'M
til April, 1889, when they came into Harlan
Conrt House
Why No Howard Has Been Killed.
George Turner concluded his narrative as
follows: mo Howard has ever been killed
Whyl Does any one say the Turner's are
cowardsi No, No Turner has ever been
confronted by his enemy in fair fight None
of them who have died have seen their
enemy's face. AS the father of nv three
murdered boys, l feel more comfort in con-
templating them in their bloody, but bonor-
able, graves, than had they lived through
the instrumentality of ambushing and as
sassinating their fellow men. No Turner
died with a charge or indictment against
him, and no widows or orphans woes are
charged to their account Their only Of
Tense consists in love of honor that their
0"feisa Souiu lot appreciate, ana Draw
cry their foes were afraid 10 face"
The Renewal of HostiIities.
After Wills Towards return in April a
year ago, there was a renewal of hostilities.
Two or three men were assassinated from
ambush, and general feeling of tsrror pre-
vailed. Finally, when Judge Lewis was
about to hold a term of court, in September
he called on the governor for troops, and a
company of the state guard was sent up to
protect the court All wa quiet until after
the soldiers left, when at the head of band
of forty men, outlaws like himself, Wills
Howard rode into town took possession, and
did as he pleased. But one man was killed,
and this was John Cawood, relative of
Judge Lewis and a sympathizer with the
Turner's
The Judge Heads an Assault.
This last killing was the straw that broke
the camels back Judge Lewis at the head
OF posse of fifty men, all armed with Win
chesters, started out to exterminate Howard
and his band. They made an assault on the
Howard forces, who were in camp at E. NJ
Towards house, one mile from the town.
The engagement was short, sharp and ter
rific, and not one of the attacking party was
hurt, but one Of Towards side, Willard
Dean, was instantly killed and six others
were wounded, some of them fatally Some
days after this the two bands came together
on mountain side, and Howard, having
the best position, routed the Lewis Turner
faction, killing Frank Cawooi and another