Birmingham age-herald., 1895-04-21
MURDERER OF EIGHT
CAREER OF A KENTUCKY OUTLAW
 ABOUT TO BE HANGED.

For Seven Murders.
 "Be sure and come up to the hanging" is the parting admonition of every leading citizen of Jackson, Ky, as tho stranger turns his face toward the city. They arc as proud up there of the fact that Bad Tom Smith is going to be hanged on May 31 next as a boy with his first pair of trousers.
 This first execution marks tho dawn oI a new era for eastern Kentucky Her criminal class has heretofore almost wholly controlled public affairs.
 Bad Tom Smith is confined in tho Breathitt county jail awaiting his exccu- tion for the murder of Dr. J. F. Rader last January. He is below the medium height, but possesses well knit figure.
 Mrs. Catherine McQuinn was convicted ns an accessory to the murder aud sen tenccd to the penitentiary for life.
 Thomas Smith, murderer of eight men, incendiary, horse thief and robber, was born in Perry county, Ky, of humble but respectable parents, 32 years ago. Owing to the poverty of his father he received no education. From his earliest boyhood he was chased among the widest boys of the neighborhood. He possessed a daredevil nature, and he was always getting into trouble He began stealing when a mere boy.
 When 20 years old, he engaged in his first serious fight in the town of Hazard, tho county seat of Perry county. It was on election day, and several of his friends were being fired upon by their enemies. Smith had no weapons, and he began throwing stones. He knocked ono man down with a large stone and secured a musket from him, with which he seriously wounded Eli Combs and several others.
 From tho day of this fight he seemed to have burning desire to shed human blood.
 Soon he was the acknowledged leader of the French forces in the famous French Eversole feud of Perry county. In 1887 he decoyed Joe Hurt young man, to his house and shot him dead. No ono saw him commit this crime but Hurts wife and little children, and although m effort was made to bring him to justice it proved abortive.
 On April 15, 1888, Tom Smith, his brother Bill, Joe Atkins and Elkana Ker- net learned that Joe Eversole, the leader of the Eversole faction, was to pass along a certain road that day, and they secreted themselves five miles from Hazard.
 The road leads from Hazard to Haden, Ky. Their action was the result of plan conceived by the chief of the French fac tion and two or three of his trusted ad- visers.
 Without suspecting any danger, Joe Eversole and a young man named Nicholas Combs approached the ambush. When they arrived opposite the place of conceal ment, three winchesters and shotgun belched forth, and .Joe Eversole fell. Young Combs pitched over his horsc's head bleeding from three wounds.
 Tom Smith Snrin cri from tha h1ebaE was soon at tho side of Combs. The boy had fainted and believing him dead Smith stopped over the body of Eversole and ri1ed it. AS he finished searching the pockets of Combs the latter opened his eyes and said:
 "Oh, Tom, why did you do this awful deedP''
 For answer Smith took aim at Combs head. The boy, who was dying, looked Smith in the face and in weak voice pleaded:
 "Oh, Tom, Tom, don't shoot me any more, for I am killed and am dying fSst enoughr'
 Smith, with his pistol still leveled, sa;.s. "Nick, l can't afford to leave any wis nesses."
 As the last word was uttered he pulled the trigger, and tho bullet entered the s the left temple.
 For this crime he was tried before a magistrate, Zack Fugate as the county jndgc, a brother of Joe Eversole, was afraid to hold court. Tho county attorney was also absent, and as Smith spirited away the witnesses Squire Fugate could do nothing but release him.
 After killing Combs, Smith continued bushwhacking friends of Eversolc. He and his brother Bill sccreted themselves in | cellar of house in Hindman, the county | seat of Knott county, and in broad day | light assassinatcd Ambrose Amburgy | This crime occurred in 1889. In tho latter | part of that year everything was quiet in | Perry county, and French having removed | to Winchester, Ky, tho grand jury re- | turned several indictments against Smith | for his crimes.
 This alarmed the murderer, and, gather | ing a crowd of his friends he visited Haz- | ard one dark night and set fire to tho Per | ry county courthouse. All the indictments | and court records were destroyed except | some documents which were saved by Cole | man Reed of Mount Sterling By threats | and by spiriting away witnesses Smith | once more evaded the law.
 After tho courthouse was burned, a reign of terror prevailed in Perry county. Men who had denounced his crimes left the county.
 The county superintendent of schools, Abner Eversolc, also had to leave. Several other friends of Evcrsole were notified to leave tho county or die Among those was Robin Cornctt, who lived just beyond Haz- ard. He owned a very poor farm, on which he was unable to make living On this account he worked during the winter get ting out logs. One day, while he was so engaged, and while in sight of his own door and surrounded by his four little boys, Tom Smith, Jesso Morgan and Bob Prophet surrounded him and from the bush shot him to death. Smith was in- dicted for this crime, but evadcd trial by having the case put off from court to court