The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-17
History Of the Trouble in Peril
County, = Chronicle Of
Killing.
In 1888 the French and MverA
solo Factions Fell Asoul or
Each Other.
since Then There Has Been Rapid sna.
cession OF Murders-Court Under
liz Difficulties

Perry county still continues, and may b.
come very active at any moment. The fac-
tions pass each other on the street, and the
only thing that keeps down pitched bat
tie 10 the presence of troops. Much of the
lawlessness in this county has been caused
BY the bitter rivalry between the French
and Eversole factions which began in the
spring Of 1883. The present representative
in the legislature from Knott county, Bob
May. was an intimate friend Of Fulton
French, who was a storekeeper in Hazard.
May ran for county superintendent OF
schools. Joseph Combs was county
Judge, and by some manipulation Of
affairs succeeded in defeating May. About
this time Eversole and French had dis
pute over the renting Of a store-room. May
sided with French because Eversole's faith
er-in-law, Combs, had, as he believed, kept
him from being elected school superintend-
emit. May distrusted his wife and drove her
of, at the same time becoming very bitter
toward French. who had formerly been his
devoted friend. May then went before
magistrate and made an affidavit that he
and French had had q private conference
together during the dispute of the latter
and Eversole over the possession Of the
store room, in which French proposed to
him that they burn Alex. Duff's store
house and kill Eversole. That after
in Hazard would have money enough
left to bring on a stock Of goods, and
they would monopolize the trade and charge
what prices they pleased. In the latter
part OF the month of May, 1886, Eoersole
charged French with having hired Jake
Young and Silas Geynert to kill him. Ever
sole then sent for Eli Combs and Gus and
Greene Combs, his sons, and Hezekiah
Brashears, and it is said that they made
compact that day that if Eli Combs and
his friends would help to kill French,
Eversole and his friends would help to kill
Geynert. On the following Sunday Gey-
merit was waylaid seven miles above
Hazard and killed. .Eversole's part of the
compact Was completed with this act, There
was then an immense amount Of manpuvr-
ing to kill and keep from being killed.
Armed bands of Eversoles and Trenches
rOamed through the country and alternately
occupied Hazard and hold the courts there
in terror. But in the fall of 1886 both Ev-
ersole and French had a meeting and agreed
to restore peace e. to sd the community On
Bill Gambill and Tony Deaton came to
town to attend court and stopped at French's
house. EyersOle had DeatOn arrested for
stealing and Sheriff Holiday. with three
deputies, went to French's to arrest him.
After hard work they succeeded in getting
him, but the sheriff and his deputies were
followed by Bill Gambill, who became in
volved in quarrel with Eversole and was
killed. In the trial that followed Eversole
was acquitted, after narrowly. escaping be-,
ing mObbed. In the meantime Joe Hurt
and Greene Combs were waylaid and killed
On the 18th day of May, 1888, Joe Ever
sole and Nick Combs were waylaid und
killed on Big creek. French, Tom Smith
and Joe Atkins were indicted for the
murder Of Eversole and Combs. The
matter ID still in court, however, in charge
Knott county and was waylaid and killed
in his own yard. Dick Vance was waylaid
and killed by French men on Karre creek.
Vance had killed seven men. John Sloane,
an Eversole factionist, was killed. by the
Hayeses at Hindman, Knott county, in the
laid and killed few miles from Hazard.
Leslie Whitaker is charged with the crime.
Riley Loving and his son were shot from
ambush by French's men. Reuben Comet
was afterwards killed from ambush while
telling tree in the mountains. JEFF Gam
OluS u + ICuCu 1HCuIOulbt, Who AAuANOAO0 W
Eversole men in jackson county.
Thus matters went on until the Begin
ming Of 1889. One Sunday afternoon John
Fox shot into French's house where his
wife and daughter were and the ball from
the Winchester rifle passed SO near to the
daughter of French that it knocked splin-
ters into her eyes.
Last fall, at the September term Of court,
Judge Lilly remained away. VIM. l.
Hurst, the most prominent lawyer IN this
section of the country, who resides at Comp
ton, in Wolfe county, was elected judge pro
tenn. by the bar. Both factions again met
at this court, and on the second day Judge
George Eversole was at Col. L. NJ. N. Sal
GERS house and disturbance was raised
| by the French men in the upper
end of town. The Eversole men
then picked up their guns and
started after the French men. when
Judge Eversole rushed out OF the yard,
made them retreat, and said he did not
want any more trouble. That night Judge
Hurst was fred on. He was in his bed at
Combs hotel at the time. John Mcknight
and Ed. Campbell were killed the next day.
Joe Dawson is accused of killing Campbell,
but he has left the country. Dawson kept
"blind tiger at the edge of town. Judge
Hurst was ordered out of town. He plead
ed for his life and the lives OF
some ladies who wanted to leave. Judge
Hurst was told that if he left at once he
! could go, and he did so, without even sign
| ing the orders of the court he was holding.
A POPULAR PLAN.
Tho Business of the Helena Real Estate
| lott