Evening journal., 1890-04-19
BESIEGED BY SOLDIERS.
Thirty Mountaineers at Bay in
a Barn.
FIvEMILITIAMEN WEREwOUNDED

Howard Feud in Kentuoley--The States
Troops Fired Upon from an Ambnsh--A
s@nguinary Conflict Is Anticipated.
HARLAN CouRT HOUSE, April 1s.-Up
in the wild fastness OF the Black mountains
there are thirty armed and desperate men
who, sheltered in an old barn, are holding
oil small body Of state troops In sharp
engagement Thursday morning five soldiers
were wounded. The location is seventeen
miles distant from this place. The news
reached here through Corp. Blanton, who
was hurried away for reinforcements. 1t
Is believed that severe hght will take place
as soon as the additional troops reach the
place, for the outlaws are fortified, we'll
armed with Winchester rifles and swear
that they will not surrender, and the soldiers
are determined and want revenge for thosa
who have been shot down.
The Barn Surrounded.
The troops have the barn surrounded, and
It will be impossible for those on the inside
to make their escape, and the only two
roads which led from the place Of action
are cut off by pickets, who are instructed
to allow no one to pass towards town, as 1t
was thought best TO keep the news Of the
conflict from the people about here until
the reinforcements had reached the place.
The detail Of troops consists Of sixteen pri-
Yates, in command Of Lieut.. Milton and
Sergt Pullian.
The Troops Ambushed.
Capt. Garther, Ia command here, was iu-
formed Wednesday that a body of armed
fafr
was in the Black mountains holding out
against the civil authorities He was asked
for detail Of his men TO go out with some
Of the civil offleersfor the purpose Of making
the arrests
The squad left camp expecting to find the
men they were pursuing in a private house
about 800 yards beyond the barn from which
they were fred upon. The attack was not
looked for at that point and came so unex-
pectedly that il demoraiised the soldiers for
a moment or two, but they soon rallied, sur
rounded the barn and began firing into ii
from every direction, when it was Thought
best to cease action and hold the tort until
the reinforcements arrived with more amnu-
nition.
The Origin of the Troubie.
State troops were sent TO Harlan at the
opening of the circuit court Mareha. Judge
Boyd was unwilling to 20 into the trial Of
VIII jennings a Howard lender, without
the protection Of this guards When Jen-
nings was acquitted a few days ago there
was a call from the Turner faction for the
arrest Of wills Howard
Although court was nearing adjournmenh
| Capt Garther sent sixteen men with tha
sheriff's posse TO make the arrest The firhb
followed.
or the participants in the feud. Of which
the fight is an incident, the Howards greatly
outnumber the Turner's The former are
known as the Howard Reds; the latter aa
the Turner Blues. The Howards were tho
first settlers In Harlan Samuel Howard,
Sr., Of Maryland, in 1900 received large
grants, including the present site Of Har-
Ian. Ills son, John n Howard, was tha
first judge, aud donated the ground upon
which the court house stands The How
ards claim that the trouble began with a
trade Of revolvers between Wilkerson How
ard and Bob Turner. Wilkerson Howard
recently gave his version OF it and showed
how Wills Howard became involved.
The Turner-Howar Feud.
1--WE We're playing cards, he said when
few unpleasant words passed between me
and Bob regarding a revolver trade we had
on hand, but everything passed off. Turner
lay down on bed for nap A fellow
named Little lit his pipe and, in sport.
touched tito Turner's head. Turner jumped
up and asked who did it. They told him
did. A quarrel followed, and went away
and got a musket loaded with shot and re-
turned. A fight followed and killed Tur-
ner, Twas tried and acquitted on the ground
Of self defense. Turner tried to shoot ms
first Soon after was acquitted Bob Tur-
~.
my house, where my wife and children and
mother were sitting with me about the fire.
Without word he shot at me- but hit my
mother She was not dangerously wounded.
jumped and seized my pistol We grap-
pied. Both pistols were fired several times
and he was shot through the arm He made
his escape, but this assault set public opinion
against the Turner's
The Death Of WIN Turner
''Will Turner fed 10 Texas but affair
wards returned and his father, George h.
Turner, sent word to as 10 come armed and
fight II out We went, twenty strong, and
in the fight VIII Turner was killed. wills
Howard was indicted for the killing, but
nobody knows who did it, The shot was
fred from the old court house. After that
fight Wills Howard became the leader In the
feud. He got in originally because be wam
friend Of mine, and two of the Turner's at
tackled him as he was leaving town one day
and beat him unmercifully.n
The Turner's, on the other hand, say thaN
Wilkerson Howard shot Bob Turner as ha
was passing along the street one night.
There was a farcial trial, and after Howard
was acquitted Win Turner, while drinking.
went to Howard's house and shot at him.
For this he was assassinated by Wills How
ard, who shot him from a window Of the
court house. For this act Wills Howard haa
never been brought to trial.