Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-10-27


"DOC, TAYLOR HANGED.
The Notorious Outlaw Dies on the
ScanOld.
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
NORTON. Va. Oct. q. 1888
Doc Taylor who mastered the Mullen's
family May IA. 1852. expiated his awful
crime on Talt Hall gallows at Wise Court
House five miles from here, a few moments
after O'Clock today.
..Doc'' Iayior's Crimes.
The crime for which Marshall Il. Taylor
or Doc, as ne was faniilIar:y called-was
tried and convicted the peculiarly
atroctous and bloOGthirsty murder OF i've
persons; and there seems 10 nave been no
excuse whatever for the crIm., except the
Inherent ferocity aid maligniiy of The prIn-
cipal actor. The Victims were Ira MuliiT.s
and wife. Wilson Mullins. brother OF Ira;
John Moore, his nephew, AMI - half-witted
driver named John Cnapp.a.
On a SUNDAY morning ~ May, issl, Chap
pie and the wife OF wilson Mullins were
returning from the Kentucky farm or Ira
Mullins, where they had ossn On Visit
for several days to their Iu:ue IN Wise
county. In coming through Pound Gap the
wife Of Wilson Mullins got out or the wagon
In which they were travelling, and TOOK d
nearer path over the ridge, While the rest
OF the party remained with the wagon.
Thus she saved her own life, and was the
only witness to the terrible tragedy which
overlook the other members OF the party.
Her story, in substance, was that as the
wagon reached a narrow pass in the noun
tains, she being on a path some distance
above the road. but in plain view, voLey
was fired from the bushes. followed by
another and another.
Fastening to the edge of the path, she
beheld Doc. Taylor and two other men
firing. the former UP ON the wagon. shoot
Ing bullet after bullet into the PROSTATE
form Of Ira Mullins. who was lying down
in the wagon bed he being paraiytic and
unable to sit up. All the others OF the
party were dead. the bodies iying on the
ground, that of the driver. Chapple. being
some ten feet from the wagon. as II he had
tried to run before he was killed. The
horses drawing the wagon had also been
shot In the fusillade.
Mrs. Mullins FASTENED over the noun
tains to the nearest settlement and gave
the alarm. and the party that went back
to the pass found the bodies OF the slain.
As related above, all Of them with two or
more Winchester balls in their bodies. All
the bodies had been stripped OF the val
uables they carried. and were more or less
mutilated. Ira Mullins wife had around
her body belt containing between $S0o ana
5000 in money. and this was taken by the
assassins. her clothing having been rudely
torn from her body by the robbers In get
ting at the belt.
Doc Taylor fed after the commission of
the crime. and was in hiding for several
months. but was at last captured at Blue
field. W. Va. and brought to Wise county
Heenan-who were indicted with him for
the murders. have never been captured.
though repeated efforts have been made by
the ofiicers to bring them to justice. and
there Is a large reward offered for their
capture. They are among their friends In
che mountains. who conceal them and keep
Q constant watch for the officers, and they
90 always heavily armed, swearing they
viii never be taken alive.
TnyIor's Trial.
At Taylor's trial Mrs. Wilson Mullins
positively identified him as the leader of
the murderous band, she having known
him quite well for long while. Tayiors
gun was also an important witness against
him. 1t was a forty-ive Winchester. CEN
ter fire. and the cartridges found in the
road at the scene of the murder fitted Ii
exactly. In examining it the jury found
that while the needle that exploded the
cartridges found in the road did not strike
exactly in the center. TayIors gun nreu
exactly from the center: but they found on
examination of the works of the gun that
II had been recently tempered with and
altered, and when the needle was moved
back IL punctured the holes In the ex-
ploded cartridges, and II was in evidence
that the gun had previously had the pecu-
Narity noticed in the cartridges.
An attempt was made by the attorneys
and later to get the case reversed in the
Supreme Court. on the ground that the gun
was examined by the jury IN the absence
Of the accused. but the courts refused to
consider IL.
TAYLOR always strenuously denied his guilt,
and has charged that 1t was conspiracy
to get even with him for his work several
years ago as deputy United states mar
shall among the moonshiners of Virginia
and Kentucky; but the evidence against him
was too strong to admit of any reasonable
court refused to interfere with the verdict
of the court below.
1t Is exceedingly difficult to assign any
motive for the atrocious crime for which
Taylor has paid the penalty of his He Ira
Mullins was a noted moonshiner-a sort of
king among the lawless mountaineers of
the Virginia and Kentucky mountains. who
think II their duty and right to make and
sell all the whisky and brandy they want
without going through the formality of pay
Ing a revenue tax. Some years ago Ira and
a relative, also named Mullins, were going
through Gladeville. the county seat of Wise
county, with a wagon load Of moonshine
whisky. Doc" Taylor, who was then
deputy United States marshal. attempted
to arrest them. and in the night that en-
sued the younger Mullins was killed. From
that time Ira had it in for Taylor as he
declared, and ever afterward Taylor went
armed to the teeth to protect himself, as
he claimed. from the vengeance Of Ira Null
Inns and his gang. Ira Mullins for some
time previous to his death had been para
lyzed and unable to sit up. unable TO move
his body, owing to wound received in q
fight with revenue officers.
A Typical MOantaineer.
doc" Taylor was about ffty-eight years
old. He was typical product of that noun
tain region in which he was born and rear
Cd. He was a man of considerable cultiva-
ton. though full Of the prejudices and
superstitions common to these people. At
one time he enjoyed a large medical prac-
tice in the mountains of Virginia and Ken
lucky, and was considered an excellent
physician. He had the curious adInixture
Of religious sentimentality and tiger-like
ferocity frequently observed among these
people. 1t is stated and on seemingly good
authority. that he considered himself d.
vinely appointed to rid the country of moon
sinners. and that this Ia the cause that led
to the murders; though it IL not down in
the bill that he was TO murder women and
The more probable theory Is that Taylor
and Flemings knew that Mrs. Mullins had
q large sum of money which she carried
strapped around her person wherever she
went. and the possession of that furnished
the motive for the crime.
Taylor was tried In Wise county twelve
years ago for the murder of a man named
John Moore, but was acquitted for lack Of
evidence. 1t was charged, and currently
believed. that he was hired by a man named
Rutherford to murder Moore, but the testi-
mony at the trial was insufficient to con-