The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-05-11

MS son In law, he was escorted py Il Iet'i
path 10 the railway station and boarded
the train. On his return to Jackson he
alighted from the train several hundred
feet from the depot and crossed the
river over another bridge and was safely
harricaded il; his own home. lie assign
ed for his reason for not leaving Jack
son, as dozens of refugees had done pc.
fore. that he owned hundreds of acres OF
valuable timber lands in and around
Brcathtt county. and said that if he did
not remain there to protect the properly
the timber would be stolen. Ills frlehds
at Jackson and all over the state urGed
him 10 leave the city and county forever
For while be considered moving his OF
fee TO BeattyVille. a few miles from jack
son. Beattyville IS ruled by republican
officials, and Mr.. Marcum had hoSts 81
friends there. He also had friends IN
Jackson bat ne always declared that no
and his friends were unwilling TO prac-
tice the same methods Of eXtermlnatlh
mankind that his enemies had practiced.
The Election Contest.
In the last county elections IN Kentucky
a contest arose between the republican
and democratic claimants to several Of
fees in Breathitt county. Mr.. Marcum
had always represented the Hargis fac
ton. the head Of which family was James
Hargis, now the democratic county Judge
In the election contest M. Marcum fail
ed to take sides for a time but finally
became engaged as counsel for the repub'
lean contestants lie himself at that
time was United States commissioner. and
was an intense republican. 1t thus be-
came necessary for him to antagonize
The Hargis faction OF the feud, the prln-
cipaI leaders of which were Judge James
l4arIis and ED Callahan, the sheriff.
Still the cloud Of actual hostiiit1eS aid
not hang over the little city until the
assassination Of Or. h. ID. COX, a lead
Ing physician Or. Cox was riddied with
bullets one night about o'clock. two
years ago. He was the guardian of Tom
Cockrell, who until a short time before
had been town marshal and was at that
time charged with killing Ben HarSls.
Cockrell was removed from the office Of
town marshal and James Hareis was APP
pointed In his place. Mr. Marcum and
the COCkrells were intimate friends, ana
MarCum represented Tom Cockrel. 1t
was last July that James Cockrell was
shot down from the court house
Marcum's Affidavit.
Shortly after the assassination OF James
Cockrel Mr.. Mercum filed a sensational
affidavit In the office of the circuit clerk,
asking for a change of venue for Tom
Cockrell to some other county. 1T was
in this affidavit that Marcum declared
that he was marked for death. He said
that several attempts to take his life
had been frustrated in time to save him.
ard that is lie s;uuid appear - 'Ne
court house or IN range Of the court
house he would be IN danger Of assas-
Snation. and that ne was informed and
he then produced affidavits to prove.
that Il conspiracy existed having as It's
object his ASA ssination.
Aside from his office OF United States
commissioner Mr.. Marcum was a trustee
Of the Kentucky State college, and was
attorney for the Lexington and Eastern
railroad and for large mining and lan%
interests
Many Of The relatives OF the CocHrells
left the country on account Of the feud.
They sold their homes and lands for
anything they could get. 1t IS estima ted
that twenty-five or more refugees have
left the county. There are others CON
nected remotely with one faction or the
other who visit Jackson only in the day
time
Since the ssassination Of james Cock
reu business in the little hamlet has
been almost paralyzed. Residents OF
Jackson almost to & man keep within the
bounds Of their own homes at night, and
the streets are practically deserted
1t IS said that at least. forty deaths
have resulted directly and indirectly from
the feud within the past two years.
Interview with MI Marcum.
On November IA, last. Mr.. Marcum
visited Lexington and at that time sub
mitted to an interview. In which he
graphically described the alleged plots
against his life. His story follows in
fun as he repeated 1t:
Il will begin my story with last March
when persistent rumors stated that Dr.
Cox and ] We're slated to be ASA sslnated.
Or. Cox and / discussed these rumors
frequently, and finally came 10 the con-
cuSiOn that they were grOundlesS. I
went to Washington and stayed month
" lille I was there Or. Cox was assas-
Sinated.
AZ was attorney for Nose Feltner On
the night Of May 80 he came to my house
in Jackson and stated that he had en-
tered into an agreement with certain ON
cials TO Kill me and that his accomplices
were to be three men. whom he named.
He said that their plan was for him to
entice me to my office that night and
for him to waylay me and kill me- He
said that they had provided him with a
shotgun and $35 to give me. He displayed
the gun. which had never been shot, and
also showed the money. ] know that
he did not previously have the money.
Four Rifles Hidden.
"A few mornings later Feltner took me
to the woods near by and showed me-
four winchester rifles. concealed there,
and stated that he and three companions
had been leaving them there in the day
time and carrying them at night TO Kill
me with.
"Of course. he did not intend to kill me.
but by pretending that he would assassi-
nate me, he said these officials had guar
anteed him immunity from punishment
in the Fields case. And he continually
led them on in this belief to secure their
protection, all the time warning me of
plans 10 kill me. He could visit me with
out arousing suspicion, he was my
client and supposed to pretend friendship
for me.
"On the following morning l sent my
wife and little boy by way Of deep
ravine 200 yards from my house In good
rifle range. This the only place as
sassns could conceal themselves and Kill
me al my home, for by this time l had
ceased visiting my office, and their only
chance was to kill me at my home. 1t
was early In the morning, and when my
wife and son arrived at the ravine four
men. carrying guns. ran away. My son
recognized two of them, but did not rec
ogniZe the other two, one of whom Felt
ner later said was himself
Tried To Leave Jackson.
FINALLY l. decided to leave Jackson. In
the early evening | went to the Airing
ton hotel with my wife and made ar
engagements to be rowed across the river
to the tunnel carly the next morning and