The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-03-01
. @ 0 Q o O o o O Q o O O O O o
Q INDIAN TERRITORY NOTES O
0 o
Q O Q o 0 O 0 @ O O 0 C o O O Q .
An Eeho of the Kentueky Feud.

an EI00 OF Alt NGUklkkv FNuA.
Special to Daily Leader.
sapulpa, l. T. March l.-Friends Of
Attorney A F. Byrd Of Jackson KY
living here. say that he and Colonel
w. y G. Breckenridge will soon insti-
tute suit for 100000 damages
against Jim Hargiss and ed Callahan
Of Breathitt county, Kentucky, in fa-
vor of Mrs James B. Marcum, for the
death Of her husband, who was assas-
sinated by Curtis Je q in Jackson last
year. Harglss and Callahan were coun-
ty Judge and sherix Of Breatbitt coun-
ty at the commission of the crime
Hargiss is an uncle of Jett and part
ner with Callahan The two are said
to have hired Jett to do the deed. be-
cause Marcum was distasteful to them
II is claimed by parties here who are
acquainted in Kentucky, that Hargiss
and Callahan kept a number OF men
regularly in their employ to guard
their persons from at. ack and to re-
move persons who were distastcful
to them These men were paid a reg
uarly stipulated salary and were not
supposed to do anything else than to
attend to business. When an extra
dinlcult job was o be pulled off some
man more trusty than the ordinary
run of assassins was chosen for the
work For this he is said to have re-
ceived extra pay Jett was entrus'e ed
with the task Of removing Marcum. for
which he is said TO have got en- sever
al hundred dollars.
Jet also killed James Cockerel the
city marshal of Jackson. Besi1es
these murders. he is accused Of hav-
ing killed four or FIVE other men at as
many different times and places. A
F. Byrd. in conjunction with Colonel
James II. Marcum of Muskogee prose
cuted Jett and Tom White Their
trial is one Of the most famous in the
criminal annals of the state ami thru
1t the power of the feudists long run
ming riot in Kentucky is greatly weak
ened. If not permanently broken.
In conversation upon this topic a
few days since Colonel Marcum sta
ed that nothing will come so near to
reducing these people to subjection to
the law as the hangmaa's rope, He
said that they are totally devoid Of
fear from one another. fighting and
shoe ing without fear Of consequence,
but when threatened with the rope
they tremble and run 1t is his opin-
ion that few good hangings will do
more to bring law ana order than all
things else.
Apropos, the colonel says that when
he was a boy growing up in that par
Of Kentucky no more orderly commu-
nifty existed than that During thu.
time but two marders were commit
ted in all that country. ana DO h of
the accused we're duly tried and con
demned to hang The people of thai
day were very superstiious, believing
in ghosts and all sorts Of hobgoblins.
Ielc. On THIS subject the colonel mas
great fund Of in erestlng informa-
tion He relates that an old slave, the
property OF his gran father. was given
to some sort of spells which were un;-
versally believed to be the work of
witches An old. harmless man, was
accused OF being the evil spirit and
so strong was this idea impressed up
on the minds OF many hat the old fell
low could not go along the farm of
Marcum's grandfather without the
slave in question being Frustrated. On
such occasions some eonjurer must
needs be sent for 10 reduce the spell.
II for any reason he could not be had,
the negro would lay in a condition OF
perfect pros ration, but when the rem
edies were applied the negro wouli
soon arise and go abou, his duties. Il
/ is Marcum's belief that he would have
died il for any reasons the charms had
been withheld from him