Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-04
RIVAL MURDERERs MEET.
The Iron Bars of the Cell Door Prevent (
From killing the Other,


From killing the Other.
Two Of the most notorious outlaws and muir
derers in southwestern Virginia and eastern
Kentucky are Talton Hall and doc" Taylor,
the former soon to pay the penalty of his crimes
with his life on the gallows and the other GER
tain to follow him after the legal formality of a
trial.
These men, who would rank as bandit chiefs
in Italy, are sworn and bitter enemies. Behind
bars and wearing chains they met at Wise
Court House, Va. on Thursday last. according
to the New York World. While at large in the
border mountains their respective gangs had
frequent conflicts, with more or less fatal re-
suits, and it was settled that one or the other
or both would die by each others hands had
trouble. 'Talt" Hall, as he is famiIiarly
known. is the hero of no less than nineteen
murders and was the most dreaded desperate
in that section.
His latest victim was policeman of Wise Court
House. who, from sense of duty, was rash
enough to avow his determination to arrest the
| outlaw if he ever got the opportunity. Hall
heard of this and walked boldly into town. and
| coolly and deliberately shot and killed the po-
| lceman i'll the streets and then fed. A liberal
| reward was offered and he was captured some
months afterward in Memphis, Tenn Hall
could be found to take the requisitiou papers
and bring the outlaw back for trial.
| 1t was at this juncture that DOC" Taylor
! came to the front and offered to undertake the
| dangerous mission. His services were promptly
| accepted and he not only brought his man
back. but. amid the greatest excitement,
guarded him with a large posse in Jail, and to
| and from the court, during trial that lasted
| over a week. All this time Wise Court House
was in a state of siege by band of Halls
| fnI and rtlarl ~,
threatened to rescue him. Taylor. however.
headed a heavily armed body of citizens and by
presenting determined front defeated the
| purpose of Halls sympathizers.
| The latter was sentenced to be executed in
June and had to be taken to the Jail at LYNCH
burg for safekeeping. An appeal in his case
| had been taken. but the court Of appeals sus-
| tanned the decision of the Wise county court
and it was only few days ago when Hall was
brought back under a strong guard to be resen-
| fenced. In the meantime. however. and while
| Hall was in the Lynchburg jail, Doc" TAYLOR
| proud of his heroism in the Hall case and with
certain safety from arrest. had full sway over
an already lawless border region. With band
| Of desperate followers he did almost anything
| he pleased.
His last cruel and inhuman crime. about six
weeks ago, was the massacre of the Mullins
| family. Ira Mullins, his wife and two children
and a driver were returning to Virginia in
wagon from Kentucky. Mullins had nearly all
his possessions with him. including some S400
| in cash. They family were set upon in the
neighborhood of Pond Gap by doc Taylor
| and his gang, and not one of them survived to
| tell the tale. Father. mother. children and the
driver were murdered, their bodies rified and
| the wagon robbed of its contents.
The news of this crime spread rapidly and
the people Of the entire country surrounding
the scene became first alarmed and next united
in a determination to hunt down doc"
| Taylor and his gang. Every man became a
law officer. and after a pursuit which was
close and marked by several skirmishes Taylor
was finally captured and lodged in the Wise
county Jail.
| When Hall reached Wise Court House on
Thursday afternoon last he learned for the first
time that his old and deadly foe Taylor was a
prisoner, and, like himself, an inmate Of the
same Jail. This aroused all the hatred in the
outlaws nature, and he fairly writhed in his
manacles with the desire for vengeance. He
asked to be allowed to see Taylor, but the guards
refused. Halls eyes flashed and he swore he
would see him, but the prison authorities were
obstinate and denied his request, though he
promised not to make any violent demon
stration.
At length the commonwealth attorney,
Bruce, directed that Hall should be allowed to
stop at the door Of Taylor's cell for a few mo-
ments. When he was taken there Taylor, anx-
ious to make friendly overtures, thrust his
hand through the bars Of his cell to shake
hands. Hall instantly few into q rage and
struck Taylor through the bars with his heavily
manacled hand. He cursed him. his face livid
and white. and his eyes glowed in the dim light
Of the corridor a. he shook his finger in Tsy-
lor's face and Kissed through his clenched
teeth, do you reckon I'd shake hands with
you?
II never shot man in the back. never
shot dead mans eyes out and then cut him up
as Won did, Ira Mullins. never killed women
and children. You had better be down ON your
knees praying to God for mercy"
Hall was forced back to his own cell Taylor
was apparently unmoved by this torrent Of
abuse. Take him away, boys" was ali he
mid. The guards willingly did 20, for il was NO
pleasant feeling to be witnesses to such . scene
between two such men, although they were
manacled and sepsrated- Hall viii be hanged
ON September