The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-25
TROOPS IN BREATHITT COUNTY
GOV. BECKHAM SENDS SOLDIERS
70 PROTECT WITNESSES.
The Grand Jury 10 Take Up the Assassina.
ton Of Msrcum and Other Murders
Judge Refiw1ne Controls Soldier
Mrs. Marcum Defends Her Husband.

ton o. MorCum ana OtneF HuruofS
judge Reriw1ne Controls Soldier
Mrs. Marcum Defends Her Husband.
LEXINGTON, Ky, May A..-Four COM
panies Of State militia left here this after
noon on . special train for jackson, the
seat Of the Breathitt county Hargis-Cock-
rill feud There are l2o men. selected from
Companies c OF Lexington. A Of Frankfort.
Of Shelbyville and Battery A OF Louisville.
armed with Krag-Jorgensen and Winchester
rifles and taking two cannons brought from
Louisville.
The militia are ordered out by Gov. Beck
ham to protect witnesses expected TO appear
before the special Grand Jury summoned
to meet at jackson tomorrow TO investi-
gate the assassination Of James B. Marcum,
James CockIil and DR.. D. B. Cox. The
troops are sent subject to the orders Of
Circuit Judge D. B. X .d~ine and are camped
uni ght near the Court House.
On the same train with the troops num-.
Der Of refugees from the feud town, who
have been in Lexington for several months
afraid to return home, took advantage OF
the guard and returned to jackson for a
brief visit. Judge J. j. c. Beck, the lawyer
who furnished Tom Cockrll with the names
of the several men who witnessed the
his hiding place where he went after divulg-
ing the information. He went hack to-day
on the "a me train with the troops.
In an open letter published here to-day
Mrs Marcum. widow of the lawyer who
was assassinated at jackson on June 4,
replies to the open statement Of ex-senator
A. H HarEis and Of County pun Judge James an, :
having been implicated in murders in
raided with feudists, She declared that
the Hargises are not satisfied with destroy
ing her husband by the band OF assassins
sorrow OF herself and children by attempt
ing to besmirch his character. She says
the Hargises are solely responsible for the
horrible conditions existing in jackson,
and that her husband died martyr to his
home and friends.
Mrs. Marcum denies that 'er husband
ever did wrong deed and ,leclares that
the libel action brought against him was
done with less than half Of jury; She
says she has affidayits Of seven Of the twelve
the indictment was returned. Mrs. Marcum
declares that she will devote the remainder
Of her life to running down the assassins
Of her husband.
Curtis Jett, the allege assassin OF Jam,
Hargis, threatens to tell who is responsible
for many OF the crimes committed in
Breathitt county il he is prosecuted for
this murder. In jail here to-day he was
visited by several persons and they at
tempted to get him to make a confession.
He told Jailer Boone early this morning,
when the news first reached him that the
TROOPS wers to be sent to jackson. that
two men killed Marcum. three shot Town
Marshall Cockrill and five were In the little
stable back q the Hsrgis store when b. D.
Cox was shot.
jett would 70 no further. He would not
tell where be was when Marcum was killed,
saying that he might want to be somewhere
else when they called his case in court.
Jet to-day employed the noted leader
Of the French faction in the French Ever
sole feud, B. Fults French, to defend him
II he is indicted Circuit Judge Benton,
who has all along refused to let Jett be
teken to Jackson. will hold him at VIM
chester,