The times., 1897-05-10
DIED WITH HIS BOOTS ON
Violent End of Captain Strong,
the Great Mountain Fighter.
SHOT FROM AN AMBUSCADE
Found With Revolver in His Hand
and Seven Bullets in His Body.
Killed More Than Twenty Men
ia Feuds-Hunting for the As
SaSsins

Lexington, KY, May 9.-Capt. William
Strong, the greatest mountain fighter in
Eastern Kentucky, died with his boots ON
today, after successfully lodging Wincbes-
ter bullets for twenty-five years. He had
left his home, which is about ten miles
east of jackson, to go to the house of a
neighhor, aud had been gone but few
minutes when his family was startled by
a fusilade of shots not more than half
mile away. Members of the family ran
toward the roint whence the sounds came
and found Capt. Strong dead on the road
side. seven bullets having penetrated his
Eody. He was lying on his back with his
eyes wide open and bis revolver ciutched in
his right hand. The weapon had barely
been draw wn from his pocket when a
bullet broke the arm. Not a shot had
been fired from the revolver.
Investigation showed that 'blind" had
been constructed on a point Immediately
above the road, commanding full view or
the tlrorouGhfare for a distance or several
hundred yards. Scraps OF bread and meat
were found behind the blind, AMI other
signs which showed that seven or eight
men had been laying OUT as the noun
taineers cali IL, for Capt. Strong. His
relatives in Jackson City We're quickly
notified OF the tragedy and this afternoon
large posse began searching for the
assassins. They declare that they will
string up the men who murdered Capt
Strong or shoot them down If they try TO
escape. The posse is headed by the ucao
mans nephew, Lieut.. Ed. Marcum, wh~
served with Captain Strong through
the four years the captain fought
for the Union. Lieut. Marcum says lie
THINKS he knows who murdered his uncle
and he intends TO run them 10 earth.
In an interview tonight he said
"A braver man than Uncle Bill Strong
never lived. He was in earnest when he
made friends with Ed Callahan in Jack
son two weeks ago, and he thought he
would live odt the remainder of his days
in peace
Capt Strong was credited with having
killed more than a sccore Of men during
the feuds in which he has participated for
more than quarter of a century. He
never admitted having killed any of his
enemies, but on one occasion he told the
story OF the death OF several of the Amos
faction who were trying to assassinate
him at his home. He said:
Il looked out at some little holes had
made in my house and l saw a number
of men with guns
did you kill any of them?''
We'll, they did not all get away"
Further than this he would say nothing.
On one occasion a citizen of Breathitt
county was sentenced TO two years IN
the penitentiary for killing a man He
met Capt. Strong d few minutes after
sentence had been passed and asked: How
is it, Capt. strong. that when 1 kill one
man they send me to the penitentiary,
and when YOU kill twenty men You are
net even indicted?''
The captain replied: Il was right when
I killed my men, and you We're wrong. >
These are the only admissions he is
known to have made that ne had killed
man Capt Strong was one of the
wealthiest and most enterprising citizens
OF Breathitt county He owned two large
farms and a halfinterest in a 40C-acre
coal land.