The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1893-01-31
KHN7UCKIAN.
Escapes Justice In His Native
State, But After
Shedding Human Blood In
Other States Receives Death
Sentence.
Wills Howard Convicted Of Muir
der at Lebanon Missouri.
His Performance In a Famous
Kentucky Vendetta.

The trial of Wills Howard the not
ed Kentucky desperate was concluded
at Lebanon Mo. on last Thursday
He was charged with the murder o
Thomas McMichael, deaf mute, il
Marion county and receives deatl
sentence.
A fter Howard was forced to leave
Kentucky on account of the depreda
lions he had com mitted in the noun
tain section of this State, he went tC
Missouri and visited an uncle at West
Plains who was under indictment fol
robbing McMichael, the man Howard
murdered.
From West Plains Howard went to
Marion county and called OH the Hoard
a family of deaf mutes with whom
McMichael, was living. He represent
ed himself as being a detective, and
arrested McMichael, and, under the
pretext of taking him to Jail, convey
ed the mute into the woods and muir
dered him. He then fled to Southern
California, and was arrested while in
the act of robbing stage. He was
sentenced to the penitentiary for five
years, but was turned over to Missouri
authorities TO answer for the murder of
McMichael.
The story of Wills Towards bloody
career is remarkable. 1t embraces the
history one of the deadliest feuds ever
known in this country, and beginning
in the mountain section of Kentucky,
extended through Missouri, Arkansas,
California and other Western States.
Howard-Turner vendetta, covering
period of eight years, resulted in not
less than half a hundred deaths. The
fend began III Harlan county in 1882
when Wilkerson Howard, member
of tn" oldest and largest family in
that section of the State, murdered
half-grown boy named Robert Turner
The result was that he was arrested
by Howard Sheriff, let off on a
straw bond by Howard Judge, tried
before Howard Jury, and finally &C
quilted altogether. The Towards
were so numerous that up to that time
they had held all the offices and con-
trolled almost everything in the
county. The killing of Bob Turner,
however, was the beginning of the
end of their power.
The Turner's themselves were num-
erouS in that locality, and with their
were almost as strong as
the Towards.
After the murder of Bob Turner
Will Turner, his brother, was killed
by the Towards while making an
effort to avenge his young relatives
death From that time war was de-
clared between the two factions. and ii
was then Wills Howard, a young man
twenty-five years of age, sprang into
prominence by the part that he played
as leader in the feud. He was cool
and cunning, and, above all, sure
shot, During the eight years of ex-
examinations between the two Families
Wills Howard alone killed John Bailey
Alexander Bailey, VIM. w. Turner,
Geo. B. Turner, George Hall, Heze-
Eiah Hall, John Caywood and Robert
Craig. He was in fights where at
east two dozen others were killed.
In 1889 Kentucky became too hot
ror Howard, and he went West, and
after three years, mostly spent in crime
aud dissipation, he has been convicted !
)fmurder, and unless something uu-
'oresecn. occurs, his tragic life will
soon come to an end Oh tho scsffold. /
The Auditor gave to the Worlds
Fair Namnis sionara a chnol, Co., gEO