The daily palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1904-1905, 1904-07-20

COLD FLOODED CRIME
Remarkable Record of Young Nimrod
Byrd-The Whole Story.

Owingsville, KY, July 19.-When
Almanac Byrd, aged so years, fired a
load Of buckshot through the heart Of
his -year-old-son, Nimrod Byrd, at
Stops, Montgomery county, eight
miles from here, there passed a man
who for years has terrorized the COM
munity in which he lived and who was
feared by almost everybody.
Between Byrd's home and Mount
Sterling, the nearest town, there are
probably not more than four or five
residences whose walls have not been
almost riddled with bullets from
Byrd's pistol. A favorite method of
the young desperate was to ride along
the turnpike and fire at any spot that
looked like it would make a good
mark-Lamp light, windows, people
or any 9th . convenient object. He
was an unerring shot with a pistol,
and it is said could hit a quarter at
so feet. But these deeds Of violence
were committed only when he was un-
der the influence Of whiskey- When
sobe there was no more courtly, pol
ished gentleman than MIN Byrd, and
his friends were numbered by hun
dreds. 1t was owing to this fact that
his death has not occurred heretofore.
It was at his home that Byrd COM
pletely dominated and terrorized.
There, if the food on the table did
not suit him, he would draw his re-
volver and shoot the dishes from the
table, or, at other times, shoot the
food from the dishes and leave the
latter. The doors, floors and ceilings
at his home are literally riddled with
bullets, and much Of the furniture
shows marks of the bullets fired by
the drink-crazed man.
At Enmity With His Father.
From his youth he has been at outs
with his father, Almanac Byrd. No
cause is known, but when drunk MINI
rod would always go home and call
for his father, saying he 'wished to
settle with him. In spite of his
shortcomings, and in spite Of his an
tipathy to him, Almanac Byrd loved
his son, and when he would come
home and, with his revolver in his
hand, demand that his father should
come forth, the grief-stricken father
would go to an upstairs room and
there take refuge. Then it was a ia
vorite pastime with Nimrod to stand
in a room under the one where his
father was and shoot through the cell
ing at him. firing Of this he would
go on the outside of the house and
shoot through the windows at the cell
ing of his fathers room.
Many thousand dollars had been
fspent by Byrd's father and grand
father in getting hi mout of trouble
which his hardness with pistol and
his love for whiskey had led him into
Last autumn young Byrd went te
Mount Sterling and called at the pos
office for his mail. A box containing
a pistol was handed to him, and, with
out placing it in his pocket, he loaded
/. the weapon and drove in his buggy
, down the street. He had a grudg'
against Dee Smith, policeman, and
. sighting Smith, Byrd began creatjn!
disturbance Smith attempted t.
. arrest Byrd, when the latter turned
and shot him through the body. Fo
:. weeks Smiths life was despaired o
. but at last he recovered. Byrd wa
. discharged from custody by paying
: fine of $3.50, but it is said it cost hi
. father and grandfather $4,000 to clca
. him.
. Desperado's Last Day.
: The day of his death Byrd cam
!. home intoxicated He went to III
. room upstairs and, taking his bee
: set it on fire. Breaking out windo'
: he threw the bed out Then he wen
! down stairs and announced his inten
!. ton of burning the house and every
!. thing in it, including the family. H
: placed the burning bed under the We,
: anda and then stood guard to pre-
; vent any one extinguishing the fire
The younger brother, Roy, threw We
! ter on the blaze. Nimrod secured
. hoe and ran his brother from til
, scene, saying he would kill him. The
, the fire was extinguished. When Min
, rod returned from chasing his brothe
. he called for his father, as was hi
, custom. His 7O-year old grandfathe
, Nimrod Byrd, came out and entreate
: his grandson to become quiet. But tn
more he entreated the noisier MIN be