Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-09-15
LEWIS HALL.
TIE NAN, FAMED As AN OUTLAW, TELLS BIS
OWN STORY.
Bays Imaginative Correspondents Are to Blame For
his Rspua6oa-Has Only Killed Two Men,
Describes the Battles BE has Fought
snsesa. T.leoran Co q. R,r.s.sr.

spsstag Tglsorap1 60 ne Rsgistsr.
WELcH, W. Va, September 15.-The
regular term of Circuit Court convened
here yesterday, and among the many
present were Lewis ball, the man who
has gained almost national reputation
as an outlaw. Hall was found guilty Of
murder and sentenced TO life i'm
prisonment at July term Of
the Criminal Court, but was
afterwards granted a new trial and still
later was released in the SUN OF $40, 600
for his appearance az the October term
OF court.
In q conversation with a newspaper
correspondent, Mr.. Hall said he would
like for the truth TO be known concern
ing his life, which would show him up
90 be not near so bad man as the
newspaper reports had made him out.
81 was born and raised, he said, sin
Floyd county, KY, and am now fifty
eight years Of age. Early In life / came
IN possession Of q very cruel step-father
who neglected and mistreatsd me 70
such Rn extent that ] left home, and
from that time on / had to scuflie for a
living the best / could. 1 moved 20 Pike
county, and lived there some years.
"As 10 my outlaWry, deny that am
such, and never had but two serious diff
feulties in my life. The first one was
with David Hall, in Pike county. II
was about eleven years ago. One
afternoon during my absence this
man and several others came to my
house and without cause or prOvOCatiOn
raised q row and fired through my door.
They killed one man, who was In the
house. They had an imaginary grudge
against me, and thought all the while ]
was ia, but upon discovering their mis-
take went away. The next day they
returned and the fuss was renewed. /
did al l could 70 suppress it, but ayailed
nothing. Dave Hall attempted to draw
his revolver 70 shoot me, but got mine
OUT first and shot and killed him. For
this I was tried at Prestonburg, Ky,
and was hOnorably acquitted.
He then went on TO say that shortly
after this occurrence he came 10 this
country (about eleven years ago. where
be had since resided. His second and
the last difficulty Of note was the great
battle Of himself and nephew, L. w.
Hall, with Sam Steel and his son,
Hiram Steel, which occurred In the
yard Of Squire Murphy at Jaeger
Station, May Cd, 1891, in which L. w.
Hall and both the SteelS lost their lives,
and for the murder OF the latter, Hall
was lately found guilty.
Lewis says all this came about acct
dentally-that a short while before he
was In Welch and heard that one Of bis
sons had been shot and killed at Press
Mullins place, near Bradshaw. He
aud his nephew. l.. ii. Hall, started TO
get the body Of the son, and that night
stopped over at a house where liyeI a
girl 10 whom Hiram Steel had been
paying attentions. She favored dali.
This made Steel mad, and that vas the
beginning Of the trouble. Hall had
heard that the Two Steels wsre laying
for them, and after the lapse
OF several days the two Halls and
Steels met as described. Early In
the fusiIade L. w. HaH was shot and
killed by Hiram S,ssL Lewis fred and
simultaneously sam Steel leveled his
Winchester a. Lewis, but he held IL of
while some six or eight shots were fired,
he at the me time using his revolver
the 49, Q could, and shows powder
isarm now which he received
..ng of Stee's rifle. When the
IKE cleared away, both OF the Steels
md L. w. Hall were dead.
Lewis protests that this is the amount
of his outlaWry, and that If he has
killed anyone it has been in seli-teieuse.
He says be has made no attempt TO es-
cape, and wants only fair trial; that
the reports which have been published
about him killing nine, ten or dozen
men are base calumnies, and believes
they were circulated by his enemies for
the sole purpose Of injuring him.
Hall is typical mOuntaineer, tall,
stalwart, OF immense frame and appears
as quiet and affable as any man could be
when not "riled." He is confident OF
acQuittal in October.