Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-11-01
CAPTURED AT LAST.
John c. Upton, Murderer, RObber, Big
amist, Horse Thief, Burglar, etc.

amist, Horse Thief, Burglar, etc.
We have been furnished by A. B.
Cummings with the following sketch
of John c. Upton, and publishit at the
request of many of our readers.
AT the last term of Circuit Court in
this place was tried and convicted one
of the most notorious thieves, murder
ers and robbers that has ever infested
this section of country, of whom l will
give you short but correct history as
l have gathered it from respectable
and honorable parties from the States
of Kentucky and Tennessee There are
many other crimes of which he is
charged and no doubt guilty of which
| have not written, as he seems to have
been born thief and rascal, as he is
not now more than 30 years of age.
One among the first things he has
been guilty of was when he was quite
youth, stealing mule from his
father, Reuben Upton, of Carter Coun-
ty, KY, and who is Baptist minister,
and running it into West Virginia, at
which place his father found and re-
covered the mule, and the son went un-
punished. Some time elapsed before he
turns up again as thief, although
there were many depredations laid to
his charge of which he was no doubt
guilty. He next stole yoke of cattle
from his father and sold them to q
man in Bath County, KY, by the name
of Crein, and his father succeeded in
finding the cattle and after long law
suit and considerable expense recov-
cred his cattle On this warrant was
issued and placed in the hands of VIM.
Wyatt, sheriff of Roam County, KY.
The sheriff went to Carter County and
succeeded in arresting him at his fathers
the officer permitting him to go up
stairs to change his clothing and from
an upper window he made his escape,
and was never tried for this offence.
He next turns up in Floyd County,
KY, with his cousin, John Hall, who
was another young outlaw, and again
commenced their depredations bybreak-
ing into the store house of man by the
name of Hatcher. The grand jury
found true bill against them, but
they succeeded in making their escape.
They bid defiance to the officials and
went heavily armed all the time.
Jacob Holeyfield, deputy sheriff of
Floyd County very fearless man,
went to Halls house to arrest them,
and was killed. This caused quite a
sensation throughout the county of
Floyd and surrounding country, and
there was an indignation meeting held
and reward offered for their (scalps)
b ads; but they were well armed and
always on the alert, but still lurked
about the country, their movements
being closely watched. Two men, Cox
and Mares, undertook to arrest them.
They secreted themselves along the
roadside, and when Upton and Hall
came along they halted them. Upton
and Hall quickly turned their Win
chesters on them, and a general fusil-
ade ensued. Hall fell dead with a
ball through his heat, which left Tip
ton to fight it out single handed, and
he made it so hot for them that they
had to skip for their lives. So matters
were no better, and Upton held the
field. Being still master of the situa-
ton, he swore vengance against his
pursuers and the citizens of the coun-
ty, and swore he would burn the town.
The citizens formed vigilance COM
mittee and determined to rid the coun-
try of him and his associates, and they
made it so hot for him that he was
was compelled to leave Floyd County.
Nothing more was heard of him for
considerable time, and his whereabouts
unknown, but he was supposed to be in
Hawkins County, Tennessee.
After year or so he drifted back to
his fathers, in Carter County, Ky.
During his stay in Floyd County he
became acquainted with a firm doing
business in that county under the firm
name of Hall Bros, whose standing
was A l, commercially, perfectly reli-
able. Upton found out by some means
who they bought their goods from in
Cincinnati-H. H. Miller & Co.-and
made an order on them for lot of
goods, signed Hall Bros. name to il,
and had them shipped to Tygart Switch,
Carter County. KY, saying to the Gin.
cinnati firm that Hall Bros. had opened
branch house at that place, aud the
goods were shipped. The people of the
neighborhood knew there was some.