The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-28
ALL QUIET in BREATHlTT
BUT ANOTHER MACHINE GUN HAS
BEEN ADvANTAGEOUSLYP POSTED.
Jett and White Trials Go Over to Next
Week-UncOvering the Conspiracy
to Axsassinate Marcum.

JACKSON, KY, May 1.-THE special
grand jury this afternoon began the in
vestigation of the assassination of City
Marshal James CockriI here last July.
AS in the Marcum case, the assassin was
stationed in the courthouse, shooting Cock
rill with Winchester rifle from the court
room window as he stood in the street. Ii
Immediately after this that men in
sympathy with the Cockrill brothers had to
flee the county for safety. Among them
was Captain John Patrick, who, in letter
to Judge Redwine soon afterward, said that
he and others saw the assassins and would
come back and testify If troops were sent
to protect them. The knowledge he pos
sessed put price on his life. Judge Red
wine declined TO ask for troops, and had
an attachment issued for Patrick, who. to
escape going back to what he considered
certain death, has since had to live in Sc
clusion. 1t is said that he will appear to-
morrow to testify, and with others will
name the assassins The assassination of
DR.. Cox, the Cockrill boys uncle, will be
taken up next.
1t seems certain now that to avoid a mis-
trial the trial of Curtis Jett and Tom White,
accused of the assassination of j. B. Mar
cum, will not be entered into until next
week, when the regular term begins. The
special term will close on Saturday. Sepa-
rate trials probably will be asked for the
men, In the courtroom to-day when their
cases were called and by agreement con-
tinued until tomorrow Jet and White
were guarded by twenty soldiers. The
prisoners were not ironed. Judge Redwine
issued an order for every one who enters
the courtroom to be searched for weapons.
He also gave Colonel Williams authority
to make arrests In town for disorderly con-
duct or any misdemeanor, which makes
martial law in Jackson practically absolute.
A detail Of soldiers was sent to-day into
the interior of Breathitt county to bring in
as witnesses Capt. Ned Strong and Henry
Back. Strong was quoted as saying to a
number of people. among them Mrs Mar
Gums father, that he overheard discussion
of the plot to kill Marcum. In blind tiger.
three miles from Jackson, the day before
the murder. Being unable to go himself
to warn Marcum he sent Back with a mes
sage. Back arriving just In time to see
these statements Strong and Back made
affidavits before Judge Hargis that they
had made no such statements. Friends OF
Marcum, who contradict the aff1davits say
that both were inundated into making
the affidavits through fear of assassination.
Owing to these circumstances their testi-
InOUy Is dWdll6Q Will muCu lulcItSt dHu
may prove the connecting link between the
conspiracy and the assassinations. 1t is
believed that when once started testimony
which will uncover the ring from which
| the numerous assassinations have ema-
| mated will be freely given and ample. The
| possibility of this, and of desperate meas
| ures that might be undertaken to prevent,
| still makes the guardians of the peace and
| some citizens uneasy and apprehensive.
1t was determined this afternoon to sus-
| pend further investigation into the Mar
frdo until hn wit Qnf IN
| the Cockrill case could be examined, and
| the detail of soldiers was not sent after
Strong and Back. They may be sent for
| tomorrow or Friday. Twelve witnesses
| were examined in the Cockrill case. Sew
| enty-five are to be heard.
The Hotchkiss gun and ammunition ar
rived from Louisville this evening A test
| of it's destructive work will be made on
| trees tomorrow.