The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1904-03-25

sible going out after nightiall, but
one night he was called to a sick bed.
He passed a stable in the rear OF Har-
gis Brothers's store. The dull report
of a shotgun heavily loaded broke the
stiffness and DR.. Cox, unarmed, un-
warned, fell riddled with shot. AS
he lay writhiug in his death agony
the assassin approached, took the
shell from his single-barrel shotgun,
reloaded and deliberately fired anoth-
er charge into his PROSTATE victim.
They've got DR.. Cox" was whis-
pered. The expected had happened.
James Cockrill was marked" 1t
was known in Jack SON that he would
be shot from behind. 1t was thought
the the assassins would await their
chance at night, aud Cockrill avoided
going on the streets at night. But
rendered carless of detection by the
belief that the law would not reach
them, the assassins decided to kill
him at the earliest opportunity.
What mattered 1t If they should be
ssen2 In 1.-The City of Sudden
Death" no one would dare to say he
saw the murder done.
Cockrill was In love with beauti-
full girl whose home was in Jackson.
She knew his danger. She begged
him not. to be seen on the streets
even In daylight.
promise me that you will not go
up town today" she said.
"All right, little girl" said Cock.
rill, smiling. after today l shall
not be seen in Jackson. 1t Is cow
ardly to let them run me out, but If
you say so l shall leave"
"But today" the girl pleaded.
Don't go up town today. They
know you are thinking of leaving,
and they are deperately anxious to
kill you"
~ am just going to make one trip
up town. 1t Is important" said
Cockrill. and finally persuaded her
that there would be no danger at mid
day with the streets crowded with
people.
Cockrill's object In going up town
was to see life insurance agent and
have his insurance made payable to
the girl he loved and hoped to marry
If he lived.
When Cockrill neared the court
house he heard the report of a rifle,
and steel bullet cut iurrow In the
red clay road near his feet. Real z
Ing his danger he started to run
around the corner, hoping to get
building between himself and the as
sssins but he ran the wrong way and
exposed himself to the men who fired
repeatedly from the court house win
dows.
One bullet bore a hole through the
wood pillar of a porch under which
he ran. Another cut through the
iron roof OF the porch and passed
though his throat. Another struck
him in the side as he fell. The assas-
sins stood looking out OF the win
dows, seen by many Jackson citizens.
Their work was done.
They've got Cockrill," was whis-
pered. In 1.-THE City OF Sudden
Death" no one dared say more. Sew
eral n,en who knew that they could
not deny having seen the assassins
left Jackson Immediately lest they
should be marked.
James B. Marcum was marked"
next For seventy-two days he was
a prisoner in his home, not daring to
sit by a lighted window at night, not
daring to show his face by day. In a
woodland near by lurked several pro-
fessional murderers with their rifles
moral perverts whose highest mental
development was in the training that
made 1t possible for them to shoot a
man dead at 500 yards and stink
away into the woods after being paid
tor the work.
After living like hunted animal
for more than two months, Mr.. Mar
cum decided to leave Jackson. The
problem was how to get out of the
town alive. Friends advised him to
surround himself with the women of
his family and walk to the sta
ton, as even the professional muir
derer's hand Is stayed when he must
shoot a woman or baby to kill the