Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-01-25

Mount Sterling, KY, Jan. 2i.-There is
remarkable condition of affairs In
this county, resulting from the determi-
nation Of Judge Cooper TO bring the
lynehers OF Thos. Blair to justice. The
governor of the state has offered to fur
nish militia TO asst the court in en-.
forcing Its mandates, The trouble
arises from tragedy which took place
in the streets of Mount Sterling last
winter.
Henry Clay Turner had been accused
OF interfering with Capt. j. L. Bemar's
family affairs. Turner came to Mount
Sterling in company with Tom Blair
and Jim Mckenzie. Bemar met Tur-
ner and opened FIRE upon him, when
Turner, Blair and Mckenzie begon
shooting at Bemar. the latter fell rid
died with bullets, and Blair boosted
that he had killed the captain. He
was acquitted.
About Christmas he had fist fight
with man and was arrested and put
In jail, charged with carrying concealed
weapons. On New Years night about
ten men, wearing masks. took him from
jail and hanged him to the railroad
trestle. The good citizens OF Mount
Sterling have held mass meeting. de-
nouncing this lynchlng and resolving
10 do all in their power TO bring the
lynchers to justice
A grand jury has been impannelled
to feret out the facts IN the lynching
and other crimes which have disgraced
this county. Armed guards are sta
toned in the court room TO prevent an
outbreak
In his address to the grand Jury,
Judge Cooper said:
More crimes are committed in Mount
Sterling THIN In all the balance of the
Twcnty-flrst judicial district OF Ken
lucky. More young men In Mount
Sterling have been damned forever
than In any city OF its size in Ameri-
ca. l have always had the moral cour-
age TO do my duty, and the man who
thinks | will not Is fool / will not
depart from this In the present emer-
gcncy. | have seen men on that wit
ness stand sit there and swear Hes.
"There is another crime that has pre-
vailed mere, and / am sorry 10 mention
It, Men have been taken by mobs and
hanged by the neck until dead, Muir
ply, who killed his Btep-fathcr, In one
OF the upper counties. was brought here
for safe keeping. While In the Mont
gomery county jail, he killed fellow.
prisoner, named Steel. Fearing mob
violence. l sent Murphy to Winchester.
He was taken from the Jail there by a
man who represented himself to be an
officer and brought to Mount STEERING
and hanged within its corporate limits.
want you to find out, If possible the
men who participated In the lynChing
OF Murphy and indlct them.
Then, there Is n more recent case Of
the same kind, only worse. Thomas
Blair who was serving n sentence in
the Mount Sterling Jail for carrying
concealed weapons, was taken out on
New Years night by a mob and, after
being cruelty beaten, was hanged until
dead. Here, where we say we have law,
this crime was the foulest one ever
committed by mob In Kentucky. They
took from Blair that which was nc
corded him by Divine and human law,
and, II this thing Is 10 be tolerated,
nobody will be safe In the Montgomery
county jail. our condition will be
worse than France under the reign OF
Robesplcrre. when tho gulllOtinc shed
some of the best blood in the land.
The lynching Of Blair Is meeting with
condemnation all over the country, and
the newspapers are holding Mount
Sterling and Kentucky up to scorn be-
cause or this most Infamous crime"