The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1894-05-16
He Is Accused of an Attempted Sc
duction of His Own Seventeen
Year Old Daughter.
lrvington Is All Torn Up by Excite
ment, and Facts Are
Hard TO Learn.
Hagood Denies the Whole Story,
and Many Friends Believe
In His Innocence.
GRAND JURY INVESTIGATING.

w. last Friday night when the wires
heralded the report that Mr.. +. p.
Hagood had been arrested at 1rvington,
accused of an attempted seduction OF his
own daughter, and that an Infatuated
mob was around him.
Mr.. IIagood is the general bridge
superintendent of both the "Texas" and
the Branch" His home is at Irvington
and as he has many friends and acquaint
ances all along both roads, the news OF
the arrest was sensational shock for
all telegraph stations. Both his social and
business character had always before
been above reproach.
The first train carried a News repre-
sentative to the scene of the trouble and
the following particulars were learned:
Mr.. Hagood had left home on Friday
morning and gone down the "Texas" to
Lewisport, where the pile driver was at
work, at which the workman White had
been killed, the day before. He return
ed home on the evening train. When
the train reached Irvington it was
Immediately surrounded by crowd of
citizens, and as Mr.. Hagood stepped off,
he was told that he could consider him.
self under arrest. He thought it was a
joke and laughed and talked with the
men, all of whom were friends and
neighbors, accordingly. Not until he
started into the depot did he realize that
the men were in dead hard earnest, for
it was then that they stopped him and
told him that he could not go, that lac
was positively under arrest. lie then,
also, noticed what he had not seen be-
fore, that several of his captors carried
pistols or guns openly in their hands.
TO say that he was greatly surprised,
expresses it mildly, and he began TO in
quire of what he was accused. He was
then told that he was suspected Of hav-
ing attempted to seduce his daughter.
Mr.. Hagood then and there positively
denied the charge, and his earnest deni-
al and unfeigned surprise at the accusa-
ton impressed many of his captors with
belief of his innocence.
He asked to be permitted to go into
the office of the depot and write a pass
for one OF his men, saying that he would
then go with them wherever they wish
ed. This was permitted, as he had
started to do this before he knew that he
was actually under arrest He was then
taken to the Midlothian Hotel and kept
under guard during the night. He sent
for his wife and daughter, but was
informed that they had left town early
in the afternoon and had gone to the
country to spend the night. They did
not return until Saturday afternoon.
Mr.. Hagood was not arrested on a
warrant from any officer, but was just
taken in charg, by the citizens. He has
many friends in Irvington, especially
among the railroad men, who do not
believe he is guilty as charged, and, as
they were present at his arrest, there
would have been serious trouble, should
there have been any violence attempted.
The cause of the arrest is clouded in
doubt and mystery and at Irvington, the
scene OF the crime, if a crime has been
committed, the sentiment Of the people
is greatly divided. Some believe what
the women say, while others are loud in
proclaiming their belief in Hagood's
innocence. Away from Irvington Mr.
Hagood has hundreds of friends. who be-
lieve that he is man of too fine an
instinct to be guilty of such baseness,
and they will never believe in his guilt
till it is proved by undoubted testimony.
The News saw all the principal parties
but they had been told by their At
torneys not to talk, and all the informa-
ton that could be gained is no more
reliable than what Dick should have told
Tom that Harry said that Mrs. Hagood
said that her mother told her that Miss
Hagood said etc.
With all due respect for the ladies of
Mr.. Hagood's household the News gives
the circulated reports just as it gathered
them at Irvington and elsewhere.
The present Mrs. Hagood is Mr. Ha-
goods second wife Also in Mr.. Hagood's
home is Mrs. Brown, the mother OF Mrs
Hagood, and Miss Cora Hagood, the
daughter of Mr.. Hagood by his first wife.
1t seems that there has been trouble in
the family for some time, and the friends
OF Mr. Hagood claim that it is simply a
case OF too much step-mother and moth
er-in-law.
Miss Cora Hagood is beautiful young
lady Of seventeen summers, intelligent,
well educated and accomplished, and it
is of her young and innocent person that
her father is accused of attempting the
heinous crime OF seduction.
There was trouble in the household on
Friday morning before Mr.. Hagood left,
and il Is reported that he kicked out
panel OF the door opening into his
daughters bedroom. After he had
gone Mrs. Hagood and her mother went
out and began 10 talk 10 the nrighbors.
II Is said that Mrs. Hagood reported that
Mr.. HaQood had made repeated attempts