The Lehi banner. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1891-1917, 1895-05-30
RAFFERTY, AT BEDFORD.
An irish Tourists Experience In "a ouaIn
Kentucky Village.

People in tho East will hardly believe II
when they are told that Kentucky has q
county in which only ono man was ever
Killed, but 1t Is n fact Notwithstanding, says
Bedford (Ky) letter 10 the New York
Sun. "A number Of years ago two intoxl
Gated men fought in the town and ono was
shot TO death. That WINS the only serinus
crime ever committed In Trimblo County.
Trimble Is real Arcadia, Bedford, the
county seat, being situated almost midway
between two large cities, forty miles from
Louisville and sixty miles from Cincinnati
fifteen miles from the nearest railroad. Yet
the strife Of the outer world has never
reached here. Crime Of any kind Is prac
tically unknown. The people are all small
farmers and frntgrowers, descendants OF
Virginians and Mary1anders who settled
here hundred years ago, and arc scrupu-
lously honest. The last lawyer who settled
in Bedford came near starving 20 death,
and went to Kansas "A half-dozen years ago.
There is q courthouse In this town, but Il
10 needed only for tho preservation Of tho
county records, title deeds and such things
At the last term OF the criminal court there
was only one case to be tried, and that was
on charge Of petty larceny. But II was
proven that the man was not guilty.
Every resident Of this county Is Of puro
English or Scotch descent There Is not
forelgn-born person In Trimble. Although
so close 10 both Louisville and Cincinnati, a
German or Irishman would DO n curiosity
In Bedford. Last spring an Irishman, nike
Rafferty,, from Louisville, came TO Bedford
How he ever got hero or why no came no
one knows, but soon after his arrival word
was circulated that foreigner had come 70
town. Rafferty, went into the grocery 10
buy fifteen cents worth Of cheese for din
ner. The proprietor stared ouri0usly at
him, but gave him the cheese, and no sat
down In chair 10 eat II. In few minutes
crowd OF small boys entered, and ranging
themselves in n straight line in front Of tho
lrishman, gazed at him with the most evil
dent curiosity. Rafferty, thought there must
DO something tho matter with hrs personal
appearance, aud asked the proprietor n
there was any thing wrong. The latter ro-
piled Ia the negative. Mike then wanted %
know why all the boys were looking at him
why, don't you uudorstHudl' said the
merchant. AS soon NJ sou bought that
cheese / sent out word that there was an
lrishman here. An Irlshman don't come 20
Bedford every day In fact It's been ten
years since ono was here until you came.
You are the first lrishman those boys ever
saw, and Of course you are show 20
Them
Rafferty, whistied aud then grew indig.
nant. He said he was neither q heather
Chiuee, nor did he beiongt 10 a museum He
left the store, followed by an increasing
crowd Of small boys aud some rather largo
ones. Az the street corner he met little
girl carrying a bucket Of water. The
weather was warm and he asked her for
drink She looked up for tho first time
in her life saw a strangers face, shriclicd,
dropped the bucket Of water and
fed in dismay. That was enough FOR
the Irishman. lie set out for the nearest
railroad station, fifteen miles away, and
never stopped tramping until he got there.
For over milo crowd followed HIM at O
respectable distance Since thcn Bedfo
has not been troubled with strangers.