The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-11-10
THIS WAS A QUEER Case.
0ld-Time Legal Amenities
in Kentucky.
SENT TO THE STATE PRISON.
q Prisoner Walks AL the Way and Hunts
Deer for Pastime-The Sheriff Takes
Another Road.
SENT TO THE STATE PRISON.

One Of the most anomalous cases known
20 Kentucky criminal procedure was tried
at the September term of the Lewis County
Circuit Court in 1886, avs a special to the
Cincinnati Commercial Gazette. 1t was Pc
culiar not SO much on account Of the crime
(mayhem) as il was because Of the unheard-
of conduct Of the Sheriff and prisoner after
conviction.
In the spring of 1886, Larkin Lyles and
Edward Campbell two prominent citizens
Of Lewis County. engaged In rough-and-
tumble fight at Vanceburg. They were
both powerful men physically, and, as wit
nesses afterward testified, they 'hit one an
other like bosses a-kickin'" Finally. after
each contestant had registered number of
Touchdown blows, Campbell got his OPP
pOnent down and proceeded to punish him
in harmony with the most approved
Lyles, who had worn the belt"
for several generations, grew desperate ct
the awful prospect of being licked" and
raising his head with bulldog feroeity he
seized the neither lip of the prospective
victor between his teeth and eliminated q
large chunk from the inner part of it. AZ
the succeeding term Of the Circuit Court
the Grand Jury indicted Lyles for the
crime OF may hem, and trial was at once
accorded the defendant
The jury, after listening to the testimony
retired and, after prolonged consultation,
returned verdict of guilty. Judge Walker
Reid therefore sentenced the defendant to
the penitentiary for one year. And now
come the features of the case that constitute
1t strking anomaly in criminal history.
The Sheriff. w. b. Parker, nicknamed
Buck" was lifelong chum OF the sem
fenced man. Accordingly, instead OF TAX
ing possession OF Lyles' person, he told him
10 go on home and he would see him on the
following day" Lyles, acting on tins lib
eral suggestion, mounted his old black
horse and left for home, seven miles south
Of the county seat
The next day Parker rode out TO Lyles'
nome, and found the latter cutting up
corn"
Hello, friend LarkinT shouted the
Sheriff. riding up to the rail fence. a few
steps away from the prisoner ~.
Hello, Buckl Good mornin'."
Hard at work, see?"
Yep; gettin' my hand In, We see, SOS 1t
wont go ser fox-laked hard vim me when l
GIT ter Frankfort"
"Er. haw. haw, haw. haww merrily
shouted the Sheriff. when do you think
you'll be ready to start, Larkin?
can't tell jist yit, Buck" returned
Lyles. coming up to the fence and resting
MS arms on the top rail-
w all about when do you tbink?"
hemme see, now" returned the sem
fenced man, scratching his head in puzzling
cogltation. 'Pll try ter git ready two weeks
L rom yer Day Ye see, Buck, I've got er
heap sight O things ter see TO afore kin
POSSIBLY git off. The con is all ter cut
up, my stray hogs must be hunted an put
up an qead oodies Nv other matters ter see
Oi put n be ready by that time il thar's
NO pf0Vldentlal hindrances."
All right, friend Larkin: / don't want
70 qisce mmode ye no way, shape or form or
fashion; Thar amt no big hurry fer We
GOWN thar ter Frankfort that I kin see
1ts got along very we'll go fur without We
an guess 1t can do leetle while Ionoer
20 night ahead an fix UP yer matters &C.
Polly Ann will hev as little tronhIa az
possible, and when we've got perfeetIv
ready. If l don't see We tween now an,
then, llst come on in an wen 90"
"All right, Buck. Come around To tha
house. L hear the dinner horn a-bIowin,';,
I'll do it, Larkin, fer i hearn yer son
John killed fine fat deer yesterday. an
ter git few mouthfuls of it Is mostly what
brought me over to-day"
Two weeks later Larkin Lyles came in
and reported to the Sheriff.
We'll" spoke me Sheriff, sTf you're
ready Larkin,. am. Which route do thew
want 10 take2"
Il don't know what's your choice route
propose to go the neardest way, through
me nils an take my gun an hunt through
to Frankfort"
"All right, Larkin," returned the Sheriff.