The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-09-20


with the Cockrells or Hargises.
The Hargis family enjoyed an advantage
over that Of the Cockrells in being the more
numerous, and If it was more active the
record shows that the Cockrels pointed
their guns more accurately and shot more
fatally.
The feud spirit grew 80 strong as to assert
itself superior to the tradition that In a
feud fight women and children were always
immune from the assassin's violence. Such
controversies were to he carried on by
men only. and women need never be at all
anxious about their own safety.
A. Hargis violated this unwritten law.
Ebert Hargis shot and killed Henry Bar
nett, whose offence seems to have been
that he had become known a. an adherent.
for sympathetic reasons. to tho Cockrell
family and its rescntm ents Sally Hayes
was an eyewitness to the shooting. Not
long after she was shot and killed by John
G. Hargis.
The response was speedy and fatal.
Jerry Cardwell, the brother Of Judge Card
well, who had been wounded by q shot
in the back from Tom Sewall. revenged
the murder of Sally Hayes by killing John
G. Hargis. Tho shooting Of Charles Everett,
another Cockrel sympathizer, by Ben
Hargis followed. and not long afterward
the same Hargis shot and wounded, but did
not kill. Tom Cockrell's brother-in-law,
Sam Lentzford.
At this time the feud occupied all tho
time and thoughts Of the parties to it. They
sought In many ways to secure advantages
nh ~ hot md
Tom Cockrell was especially offensive
to the Hargis party as the leader OF the
opposing faction. and it was desirable to
get rid OF him. Ben Hargis laid plan to
get COckrell into a saloon to kill him.
Cockrel fell into the trap. but in the attempt
at assassination Ben Hargis was killed and
Tom Cockrell was only wounded.
James Hargis was County Judge. His
office was to maintain the peace, but the
feud spirit inspired and Infatuated him,
and he shot and killed man named Smith
who had become a member OF the Cock
rell family by marriage.
Business and general affairs were not
generally disturbed in the county by these
occasional encounters of the two factions.
Elections went on, the nominations for
local Offices being more or less affected by
the feud.
The Cockrells were not numerous enough
to control in the elections. and they did not
enjoy being outvoted by the Hargisee.
Judge James Hargis's election. a. well al
that OF Sheriff Callahan. was protested by
James B. Marcum OF jackson. Callahan
was Hargiss brother-in-law. DR.. Cox
openly expressed his participation In the
protest, and for this offence was shot and
killed.
But other victims were soon to be sacri-
fic ed to crafty the resentment OF the Hargis
faction; Curtis Jet shot and killed John
cum was shot and killed in the court house a:
jackson. Curtis Jett and Thomas White
are now serving life sentences for COM
hitting this crime, which has brought
| the Cockrell- Hargis feud prominently into
, notice.
! 1t has taken fifty years Of this sort OF
| strife to deaden the moral sense OF Breathitt
! county to the lawlessness that the CockreI
! and Hargis differences have brought about
Those on either side who have become
attached to the one or the other have learned
to regard the feud az matter quite out
| side OF the law, matter to be settled, as
| their own private affair, between the two
families. It does not appear that at any
time an arbitrator has arisen, moved by
spirit OF peace and loathing for murder to
bring about an agreement to settle the
vendetta that can only be terminated, II
| pacific settlement Ii not reached, by the
! death Of the last male survivor Of ono Of the
families.
Yet these people move with apparent
| unconcern about the streets and along
the roads, the children sometimes attend
the same school, and Cockrells and Hargisef
| have been known to gather in the same
| churches But the poison IL moving IN
the blood all the time.
I 1t sometimes, as has been mentioned
kills the spirit Of Southern gallantry that is
supposed to regard with ecorn the idea
Of fighting women. Sally Hayes was not
the only woman victim Of the feud.
ev sna ~ss to tho murder Of Henry Bar.
nett Another Barnett Of the Hargis side
was charged with the murder Of Granville
Prater, but was acquitted. During the
month Of June Of this year the body OF
Susan Barnett. his wife, was found floating
in the river, with wounds that showed the
cause OF her death to have been other thar
drowning.
Robert Sales. a Ccclsrell sympathizer
who was suspected of the murder, was
indicted A fair trial in his case will be AZ
difficult to procure as when Curtis jet,
and White were tried for the killing of
James B. Marcum.
contend with. cure may seem easy
and not difficult to those who cannot realize
that these muir ders and woundings have
scarcely affected the currents OF society
or the business affairs Of the county.
Schools and churches go on as usual
there Is the exchange Of the usual cour
tesies between families. with an occasiona
meeting Of distantly-related members OF
both families to the feud. But the feuc
Is always In the minds Of the people:
To expect to secure juries OF the vicinage
that win condemn the killing, OF Hargil
is to expect that jury all made up OF mem
bers OF that family shall try the case. AL
feud killings must be tried away from
the county, as the Marcum case had to bt
to get verdict.
It is out Of the question to hope to gel
the Cockrells to leave the county and take
their hates and their vows Of vengeance
with them. And the Hargis family il
too large and influential to listen TO such
they have been the more active Of thu
two factions to the feud, and they are both
numerically and materially more strongly
established In the community. To re
move the feud spirit. however. would bt
TO depopulate the county, for In fifty year.
its roots have taken hold In other families
There are people who say they are In
different to the quarrel, and who preserve
a wise silence when opinions are sought
But the impartiality OF these personi
ought not TO be depended upon IN deter
mining the guilt OF. innocence OF 2 mar
tried for murder as the result OF the ieud
Imn,i atom might effect an improve
ment in the state Of public feeling New
| 49, - - tho orioip ~ the fe,id nj