The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-07-01
REIGN OF TERROR At TR|A!
Hotel Of Witness For Prosecution in
Kentucky feud Case Burned.
SUPPOSED FIREBUGS CAUGHT

or Assassination to Change His Tesi1.
mony - Growing Belief Murderers OF
Marcum Cannot Be Convicted-Guesss
In Rotel Escaped without Injury.
Jackson, Ky.-Ca:rying out their oft
repeated threats, the leaders OF the
Hargis faction in the Cocliriil-Hargis
feud set fire to the City Hotel, three
story building owned by Captain 2. j.
Even, one of the principal witnesses
against Jett and White. who are held
for the murder Of J. B. Marcum.
There were fifteen persons in the no.
tel besides Ewen's wife and nine chill
dren. The alarm was sounded at 6.15
a. m, the firing Of guns and pistols at.
tracing the attention Of the provost
guard, which aroused the militiamen
on duty here, and all responded on the
double quick, but too late to be Of any
assistance in saving the building itself.
The hotel, which was uninsured, was
formerly a dwelling, and 1t was only
recently that good-sized addition had
been completed but not occupied. 1t
was in this dwelling that the fire was
started. The dodgers and family lost
everything except the few clothes they
were able to gather in their haste to
escape the rapid spread OF the flames.
1t Is claimed that two men were seen
running down the back stairs just be-
fore the fire was discovered. Jim Had
dicks and Jerry Lunz, two miners,
claim they recognized these fleeing men
rs Joe Crawford and Ed Tharp, two OF
the prominent members Of the Hargis
faction, and on their testimony the two
suspects were arrested. Attorneys
O'Neil and Golden, for the Hargis fac
ton, Immediately proceeded to secure
writs Of habeas corpus before Judge
Redwine, which were served on Major
Allen almost before he had his prison
ers in camp.
The writs were returnable at once.
Captain Maddox with a heavy guard
took the men before Judge Redwine,
and they were ordered released under
bail of $4,000 each. Judge Hargis and
Sheriff Callahan were about to sign the
bonds when they changed their minds,
and Crawford and Tharp were taken
back to camp.
The fact that threats had been made
caused the insurance companies to can.
eel the hotel policies about two weeks
ago and this has intensified the feeling.
So far the following cases of incen-
diarism have been attributed to MEM
start Of the feud in 1900: J.
H. Atcherson's store and dwelling.
G. n. Bowling's store, Lee Ha-
gins dwelling. Sid Johnson's dwell
ing, William Combs stable and three
cottages. S. S. Talbee's dwelling. Will
lam Jett's wholesale whisky house,
Judge Davis dwelling, John Goff's
dwelling, S. II. Mann's dwelling. WILL
lam Haskin's dwelling. Judge Ever
sole's dwelling, 8. ]. Ewen's hotel and
residence.
The burning of Ewen's hotel not only
has caused renewed fear for both life
and property, but also has increased
the general doubt of conviction Of
either Of the prisoners.
Captain B. J. Even was the chief
witness for the prosecution in the
pending trials Of Curtis Jett and
Thomas White. He testified that he
saw Jett as he advanced with pistol IN
hand to fire the last shot into Mar
! GUMS PROSTATE body, as it lay in the
. Court House doorway. Through fears
for his own safety he testified that he
did not dare to allow Sheriff Callahan
and County Judge Hargis to know
what he had seen.
Several days ago man visited him
at his home and proposed that, if he
would repudiate what he had related
on the witness stand, saying that he
testified to what was not true because
of the excitement which he was un-
der, he would be given $4,000 by GER
ain prominent citizen. and that if he
did not accept this offer he would be
assassinated. He encouraged his Wis
itor to return in the afternoon and
stationed two witnesses in closet.
who overheard repetition Of the
! proposition and the threat, which was
accompanied by the tender Of FIVE
$1,000 notes.
No one has doubted that Even was
in actual danger, but few were pre-
pared for step so desperate as that
which came. and it Is believed gener-
ally that the incendiary fire was due
to the statement made to State In.
spector Hines about the attempted
b,;l l,o,,x n 1-o11 n to EyI-on,c tpsfirnnnU