The Savannah morning news., 1904-01-27
BLOOD REVENGE
AIM OF FEUDISTS
SEEK TO RIGHT THE LAWS
COL. HoLZ TALKS OF TRIP TO
FEUD DISTRICTS.

Log Cabins ana IheH NiON"0S
Made of Recommendations
ists Were Received Hospitality
md KindIy-2oo Miles Through
The Mountains on Horse Back
Rest People of state Believe the
Salvation Army Is the Force
which VIII Wipe ont Feuds.
Col. r. z. Holz. provincial officer of
the salvation Army, and Staff-Captain
M. Berriman of Atlanta, arrived in
Savannah yesterday. Last night Capt.
Berrtman conducted a meeting at the
Army Hall on West Broad street and
Col Holz delivered his lecture on In
the Feud Districts of Kentucky"
Col. Holz was seen by Morning
News reporter and asked concerning
his trip into the feud districts He
spoke Interestingly of the campaign
and of the people among whom the
work was started. Col. Holz is conf
dent that great good will be done
through the agency of the Salvation
Army, and stated that permanent
post had already been established at
Jackson, Breathitt county.
at was a journey that will not soon
forget" said Col. Holz in speaking OF
the campaign. There were only ten,
all told, in the party. OF this number
eight were members of the Army, one
was a newspaper man, and the other
was the guide. We were all dressed in
khaki uniforms, somewhat similar to
those used by the United States cav
airy, with the exception that we wore
the marks Of Salvationists. A journey
of more than 200 miles was made on
horseback the greater part of 1t
through the widest regions of the IA
nous feud state.
1--WE had no real difficulty at any
time and in all places we were received
kindly and Hospitality. At first the peo-
pie seemed to be somewhat shy and did
not understand just what our purpose
was. When they came to understand,
however, they gave US the best of at
tention. During our trip we held fifty
three services, representing total au-
dience of $4,000 persons. OF this num-
Der 256 asked for prayer.
MOuntaineers and Their Homes.
"a visit to the mountains makes one
think that he is back under the condi-
tions which existed 100 years ago. They
are a primitive people, living close to
nature, and unable TO read or write.
They had never heard of the Salvation
Army. and we could not make them
understand what we were doing until
we spoke of ourselves as preacher
soldiers.
They live in the simplest kinds of
log cabins, with the spaces between
the logs filled with moss and clay. The
majority of the cabins have for win
dows only large holes cut in the walls.
On the outside a large wooden shutter
is fastened, and this is closed during
cold weather.
The people wear the simplest of
clothes, and nearly all homespun. In
almost every home one of the large,
oId-fa shioned spinning wheels stands.
and here the fax is spun into cloth
by the wife and then made up into the
clothes. Their food is furnished part
ly by the results of hunting and part
ly from their farms, nearly all of them
working small farms in the valleys, or
on the mountain sides.
Though far from practicing the
principles and teachings of religion,
the Kentucky mountaineers are inclin-
most respectful attention, and when
they found that we were religious
teachers, and not militia, they refused,
in the great majority of cases, to take
any pay for what they did for us.
They fed US and our horses gratui-
tously."
Talk with Feud Leaders.
When Col. Holz and his party reach
ed Jackson they found the town under
martial law and the people disinclined
to talk concerning the feud which had
just been stopped by the troops. The
town of Jackson" said Col. Holz, has
only about 1000 inhabitants. When we
reached there there were $50 troops
stationed about the town. besides two
large Calling guns. The people were
shy and retiring, and for time re-
fused to talk much about the feud.
II had several conversations with
the leaders of both sides. and asked
one of them IL he did not think II would
be better If he took his stand as reli-
gious leader, and not a leader in blood
shed His answer was Yes but that
fs impossible. What would you do,
colonel, II you saw your son leave your
horne in the morning we'll and hearty
and then brought home at night, dead?
And all the time you knew who shot
him?'
The question was one which was
hard to answer. especially to these
primitive and unframed people. They
believe in blood-revenge and their ideal
is to revenge their slain by killing his
slayer. One cannot help but pity
them.
Conditions That Cause Feuds.
"There are many conditions existing
IN Kentucky, especially in the noun
tain regions, that seem to encourage
feuds," said Col. Holz. In the FIRST
place the previous life OF the inhab-
itants encourages ii. When they first
went there the rifle was their means
OF ending troubles with the Indians
and with the wild animals. From this
they naturally looked to 1t as the best
means of settling all disputes.
"Then the administration of justice
is very slow. In the last five years
there have been 79S murders in Ken
lucky and only nine murderers have
been legally punished. Days elapse
between murder and the time the
nrst attempt is made to arrest the
criminal In that time he can escape
into West Virginia and after a month
or two the affair blows over and he
can return unmolested. For this rea-
son the friends and relatives of the
murdered one take the laws into their
own hands.
salvation Army Welcomed.
I'VE were warmly welcomed" con-
tinued Col. Holz, "by the best peo-
pie of the state, and many OF them
look upon us as an agency which will