The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-02-10
PINEVILLES REAL HANGING.
the PROPHECY or cor. USTHANK OF
KENTUCKH rs TULFIELED.

MarIcr, Died on the GnIlIow- There.
PISEvuLE. Ky. Feb. o.-Bob Marler the
murderer Of Mrs. Mary f. Bowdep. was hanged
here to-day. lie shot Mrs. Bowden by firing
Unfortunately at q railroad train on Aug.
~ last. 1t was the first execution In this
place formerly the home OF lawlessness, but
the occasion had q deeper significance than
that.
Early In the eighties Col. John Milton I'M
thank arose in the Kentucky Legislature and
besought his colleagues to help him pass bill
changing the name Of his native place to Pine
Vile from Harlan Court House or Mt Pleasant.
You see" explained Col. Unthank. John"
tmeaning Justice John NJ. Harlan Of the United
States Supreme Court is on the Supreme
Bench now. and It don't make no difference to
him about the name. anyhow. SO l ask con-
sent to call it Pinevllle."
Pressed for information about Pineville. Col.
Unthank united his shoes. opened his shirt
bosom. borrowed q piece Of tobacco. and. with
great gravity proceeded:
Mr.. Speaker: There has been q good deal
OF lawlessness In Bell county for many years; :
but sir. Pinevile will be the first city in south
eastern Kentucky to hold a real genuine judi
cial hanging match, and. mark my say. Mr..
Clerk addressing the Journal Clerk 1t won't
The member from Fleming county. now the
Attorney: General OF Kentucky interrupted the
/ beg pardon. Colonel; did you say hanging
The laughter that followed only served to
warm up John Milton Unthank. who con-
Yes. stree. I said hanging match. judicial
We have shooting matches every day in the
week. but. sir. II you will pass my bill We will
get town and some iron mills. railroad or
two. and by the eternal leetle law down our
way"
how wealth beyond the dreams Of is founders.
Vile and Norfolk and. Western built, en-
Paul and Louisville, capital built them. II was
difficult to believe that there would be verin-
cation OF these predictions made 0y raw ,h.,
Coloners assertion that real judicial hanging
could occur in southeastern kentucky ever
thought. Rifles were too handy to permit the
delay OF trial and the erection Of q scanold.
days. the popular instrument Of death being
rifle.
heath for year or so aiterwsrd. Andy John
aud when John Milton Unthank learned that
the noun tain terror entertained slight doubt
as TO the latters right to certain valuable coal.
timber and ether sDs IL Hs sSps y
Pineville. and influenced by the appear
s sSss q II s .4 S,ss f Th:s to coy eay
uRthsns 8rsysiy ssalysd 70 y %SUs on
On BE iesSIns but st assshs. Whom his ssS Was
empty and the train pulled up at Corbin. he
heard UNPLEASANT news that made him shake IKE
lain In wait for Joel Hoskins and discovered
him returning from church driving covered
wagon. Being q mountaineer OF lew words,
Andy opened up proceedings without formali-
" and when his rifle became silent not only
otner persons who were In the wagon were
dead. johnson said he was sorry about the
fE oks S was III IN the iiversd Wseop H'" 'H
Col John Milton Unthsnk went back to
Louisville and stayed there many moons
seemed more radiant and rosy than ever be-
fore. With Triumphant. Didn't tell you so
called his famous legislative prophecy. and
asked sheriff John g. Colson to get him a.
close as possible 10 the nTst man ever Iudici-
- The railroads did come but they caused an;
other surprise. No one thought that would
have any connection even remote with the first
hanging here but they did. Not only did they
but Bob Marler's execution is a direct result Of
the coming OF the railroads.
on the Middies6oro Belt Railroad was nearing
a small station known as Hallway House. three
men stepped out OF the woods nea. the track
coaches with rifles. The engineer opened tho
throttle aud the train was soon out q range.
boro had been instantly killed and John
Brownston dangerously wounded, The woman
The bullet passed over the little ones shout
der and struck the mother In the chest,
graph 10 the Officers ali over this part Of The the
State and several posses were soon searching
among the mountains for ths mgrderers
the next day and started to Middlesboro with
them. Bob Marler had been recognized as one
OF the three men and his brother was known to
When the prisoners reached Middlesboro. tho
Goison took his prisoners pp into the noun.
tains for safety. and later TO Pinevile. Threats
Of lynehins we're 80 genera that the Middles;
under arms 10 protect the prisoners. hut be-
fore they responded the Marlers were taken to
'hf hUy SsIs returned to FneyiIe IN NeFsmbsr
for trial. and while In Jail there a plot on the
Covered cove and frustrated Tom HarIsr was tried
first. and, when the Jury returned a verdict OF
gu hslss ms bsinH AZ s
at lynchinE. Bob" the elder brother was
speedily convicted and sentenced to be exc
The MarIsr brothers were members OF the
Rice Green gang OF touRhs aud desperadoes
part OF the county. Their leader, lice Green
WAS Killed n year ago while resisting arrest.
and i've others OF the gang are In the pen-
Bo6's case was bad from the start and al
though his lawyers tried nara o save nlm APP
peals to the higher courts and TO the Governor
awaited nothing. and he faced his fate dog
gedlY.
on the searold Marler showed wonderful
nerve. lie talked for about ten minutes In a
loud. firm voice. He admonished AL to take
warning and live better lives During his talk
he saw in the crowd William Nolan, who arr
rested him, lie said; Mr. Nolan. /, want TO
Sors shs% but % freely Fsy sSyS ss %b6a
500 persons Witnessed the execution from
housetops and htlltOps.
Historically Iinsyille Is one Of the most in
teTestinR pi aces iD Kentucky leTe l. tho IA
nous CUNT erlAnd Ford. which has bacn
crossed by thousands upon Thousands Of per-
sons passing north and south IL was through
this gap tn the mountains that Daniel Boone
passed on his first visit 10 the state In 1865
Forty years ago his initials. with those Of one
Of his companions. could be seen scratched
upon the great rock on the northern bank OF
tho ford. Tho letters have long ago been
scaled OF ~ tho weather. Tie celebrated
Wilderness Road" a tuTnTikO over which all
trayel in these parts passed during the
early part Of this century. eTussgs the
country a few miles away Near tho centre
OF the plateau on which the new town
OF Pnsylle is built Is an Indian mound
about - feet high and 100 ieet in cir