The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1893-11-02
disnified as any Judge who ever wore the

But the gail Of bitterness was soon t
He pressed to biz own lips: with whe
judgment We judge With that also ehall :
he judged. While Hall was in IN
awaiting death, Taylor was placed in a
adl DINING cell TO await trial for smila
crime, only more brutal and barharous y
tar than that which Hall had committed
men Taylor WAS ushcreI into the pre-.
ence OF Hall he advanced and offered hin
ms hand. Hall turned away from him il
disgust, saving he would not shake hand
with man who murdered women an,
children
TIE STORY OF THE CRIME
The crime for which TAYLOR paid Tia,
penalty was committed May 18th, 1892
ana was more Of the nature Of massa-
ere than an ordinary murder; nothing &c
h'deous Was eyer known before in this
country; 30 wholesale in its plans, so
heartless in lis execution that it shocked
the inhabitants Of this whole mountain
region who are not unused to caring
tales Of murder.
o'd Ira Mullins, Il man who was so
lame that lie could not walk step, lived
at Ponad GAp,msar the State lincssbetwec,l
Kentucky and Virginia At the time the
murder was committed he had been to
Leichcr county, Ky, to dispose Of tract
OF land and WAS returning 10 his home in
company with his wife, his daughter, his
brother, John Mullins. and his wife and
son. This, with 4 silly boy, Who was the
driver, composed the party, and John
Mullins wife and son were all that wore
left to tell the story
Where the roads cross Pound Gap it
makes Il devious turn 10 take advantage
of the grade ins the ascent of the little
There is pathway which
people travelling on foot may 90 and reach
the top of the mountain much nearer than
by the road. On this occasion John Mnl
lins and his son walked up tho pathway
and his wife followed the Ira Mullins
party on horseback
1t WAS this John Mullins wife who was
the principle witness against Taylor. Her
evidence in court was 70 the effect that
Ira Mullins and family were in wagon
short distance in front Of her, and where
the pathway led into the main rond, when
she heard q volley fired. fastening up to
whore they were she SAW lie horses and
driver dead. Immndiatciv Doc. Taylor
and two others, John and Htnan Elem
ming, came out of the woods that lay be-
tween the pathway and the road and COM
firing at close range in the wagon.
! ra Mullins, wife and son were killed in
the yulley.
At that INSTANCE her husband, John
Mal!iua and her son came up the path
way. The presence Of fresh victims then
made possible the continuation of the
slaughter and The guns Of The murdcrers
were turned on them. anu John Mullins
fell litriess; .his son fed, IL parting sCot
cutting his suspcIdcr in two, but he made
lis escape. In the meantime Mrs Null
ms had alghcd from her horse and ran
up to them, begged them "lor Gods sake
to quit shooting MS they arc all killed
now when one Of them turned to her
and said: "That if she didn't leave there
ID quick they would Kill her too" She
then ran away and left them.
They then proceeded to riIc the pockets
Of their victims, securing from Ira Null
Inns the price of the land he had sold,
which was abont 81 600. The shocking
part remains to he told. None but drunk
en- demons could have possibly done
what they did then They mut;latcd the
bodies Of their victims in the most in
decent manner possible; common decen-
cv forlids any further description. Tav-
Tor then made his abode with the. Flcm-.
mngs for while. where he was in toler-
able safe hiding. Fearing capture there
he went to Norton and boarded fire. ght
{. rain and went TO Bluefad. The author.
tiles Of Norton wired: Detective ". q.
Baldwin, Of the Norfolk and Westerns rail-
.oa,, who arrested him there as he WAS
hoardin. a wcsthound passenger train.
After his preliminary trial lie waved
tria! in The county court and WAS tried in
thu circuit court hv Judge Morrison. The
verdict was guilty as charged and he
MAS placed under sentence o! death, be-
Ing taken to Lrnchburs for sale-keeping,
his counsel secured writ OF error and
argued tho case before the court of ap-
meals Which sustained The verdict of the
lower court, and he was brought back and
rescntcnccd 10 he hanged.
= He leaves sumiix, all grown up and
well respected. His son. Sylvan Taylor,
of Norton, is Il merchant and man uni
versaly respected. 1t was claimed by
his friends that he was insane and petit
tious were circulated last week to ask tho
governor to extend his time or commute
the sentence to life Imprisonment, but
NOT many signed It, AS has been said he