The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-10-17
CUNNING FOR Men.
French EversOle Feud Breaks
Out Again in Kentucky
One of the Eversole Faction
Shot from Ambush.
CRACK OF A RIFLE.
One French is Shot and Two
Are Captured.
Men Of Both Sides Hunting for
One another With Guns

BIG STONE GAR, Va, Oct 1.-THE
French -Eversole feud has started afresh
IN Perry county, Kentucky. Bob May,
an ex-member of the Kentucky legisla-
ture, and one Of the principals on the
Eversole side. is here from Hazard, the
seat Of the county and of the war.
Judge Combs, the father-in-law Of the
dead Evers ole leader, is dead
The leader of the French faction,
whose name was Frazer. Fulton French
and two others of his faction have been
arrested for his murder, and more trouble
will follow. Judge Combs was 70 years
old and lived in Hazard Early on sun
day morning two weeks ago, he stepped
across the street where young Cush
Eversole and two others were talking. A
rife cracked from the cOrnfeld just over
the fence and the bullet struck the old
man ia his breast and he fell
Cush Eversole wheeled and saw a
man with a 0lackened face spring and
dash through the cOrnfeld. He says the
man was jos Adkins At the same time
some other Trenches began firing and
shouting from another direction to divert
attention from Adkins Young Cush
with several others ran across a little
spur and hid themselves in a ravine.
Other men with bIackened faces soon
appeared, who, the Eversoles said, were
AdAins. Frazer and Jesse Field As
they climbed over Il bank viii Martin. a
boy in the Eversole crowd, fired and
killed Frazer The other two men es-
capped but were captured later with Full
ton French in Breathitt county. Adkins
is said to have esca ped. but French and
Field are held.
They are trying to get the county
judge to come to Breathitt line and try
them, as they are afraid to 90 to Hazard
Only last Saturday night they received an
anonymous letter saying they would be
shot the moment they put foot across
the county line.
Judge Combs died in a few hours He
had never taken any part ia the feud,
though he was a man Of wealth and in
sympathy with the Eversoles and had al
ways tried to get the Trenches to trial
1t was his influence that was feared Ad-
kins is a noted desperate. More than
thirty aen have been killed in this feud
IN the last half dozen years
1t began with the killing Of the head
Of the confederate Gam Drills, a strong
Breathitt county family. by the union
EversOles during the war Soon the
Gambrills killed the Eversole leader. and
desultory fighting went on after the war
until 1865 Then Fulton French came
from Virginia 10 Hazard and taught
school and read law with Joe Evers0Ie
the leader of the Eversole faction. The
Eversoles were the richest and strongest
family in the county and they always had
a store in Hazard which was the Repub-
lican headquarters.
French rented this store from Joe
Eversole for year and opened with his
clerk, Bob May. French and May dis
agreed, aud May opened just across the
street and made his store the Demo
cratic headquarters of the town. When
French's year was up Eversole sent him
word he must move out. French refused
for some reason and on the day the lease
expired Eversole drove into town with
twenty wagons Of goods. moved French
into the street, and opened the store the
next morning himself
That started the war. The GambriIIs
took sides with the Trenches against
their old foes, and May and EversoIe,
though political enemies. joined their
forces. and ia time there were 100 men
on each side.
Sheritfs, lawyers and judges have been
with the Eversoles French j. said to
have hired many Of his fighters Many
have left Hazard, for fear of assassina-
ton, he says
Men on both sides are out cunning for
their enemies