New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-04-03
KENTUCKY FEUD CASES.
Men srith Strong Political Influence
To Be Brought TO Trial.

financial and political
How did Il come about that County Judge Sall,es
yzsrpis. his brother. ex-senator A II Hargis;
T-Itert Hargis another brother ana Ed cana
~ four Of the wealthiest men IN breatma
county who have suborned the courts Alleo
men at their viii and held the esteem 81 the pom
,icians from the Governor down TO the ward heel
- during these many years, are now In CUSTODY Z
,rbese questions many are asking IN this SlaIe
and elsewhere - -,
TBsre James Hargis Is a member OF the Demo-
-.tic state Central Committee and. although
there has been loud protest against MN ever
-i-,. the frst OF several prominent men were
sesaesnated at Jackson yet to-day he Is a nefloer
~ that committee in good standing ana employs
,be chairman OF the chief political organization OK
re state as an attorney. and has the sympathy
~ me Governor. All this Notwithstanding the haet
mat two OF the Hargises ana Callahan are IN
ssn held without bail. to snsNer 70 me charge o.
-,,-ser in its worst form-assassination- Ex-Sen-
-tor FEargis has been released on a bond OF slow
7f,e F4arefses and Callahan are engaged IN the
lumber and mineral lands business ana thonsahus
~ families in the mountains OF Kentucky oepeH0
,lpon their hire for q living. me lhole'ils1-s
,urned against them by the Fayette County oiaIH
7u-v charges them with conspir1ng with GURUS
Tett and "BiIT" Britton and others TO muIoeE
lanes COckril, town marshal OF JacASOli ".'O
was an enemy and in their way OF running tne
.ou, a they pleased. This murder was COM
tees IN July 1902 and since then young law
yer who was a member OF the board OF trustees
~ the Kentucky State College, james s. MAT
cum, has been killed in a similar manner, ana
80. -,rior 10 Cockrills assassination Or- ~ u
- his Guardian and financial hacker, had been
also shot down in the streets. The assassinatlons
we're within one square in the town, AaTcuiA 1liO
t~oclru being shot from the courthouse anu SO1
S-o-, q little shed in the rear OF HaEgis BrotneES
store The victim came from his once IN Ine
-svsu building Just across the street, IN answer
- mat he thought a call for medical services
~, which proved 10 be a decoy message
ACTION DELAYED.
.,.-,..,s we're made for these murders by the
county officials County Judge Hargis ana SnetAA
.~.ushsn. They made no attempt 10 ferret GUY
tae crimes Everybody appeared to kno" VINO y
,-as who did the shooting and VINO were hAEtns
tbe men killed yet they dared not SPEAK me
county Attorney took no action, the gIano july
as threatened and feared 10 take on ltset sucn
. ..-io,s thing as bringing an indictment "oulo
-. -, II vas not until the outside Worlo'
-broneh the press. raised protest AGAINST
,he horrible state Of AFFAIRS that Governor LoeeA
han instructed Colonel Roger D. NhIlaIhs' Oh rms
e. "a take four companies OF tie state militia
80 = - 1sckson. Then Circuit Judge d. B.
T5aavIna agreed 10 call special grand jury ana
make an investigation
Even then the grand jury was 50 oOiiiIN''SN y
re F5areis influence that indictments were CITY
found against two OF the Tools curtis Jeu ana
.rrorn'' white They clamored Tor indictments
.t,s. ,l,e witnesses brought before tie jury ana
v5tnesess had 10 be brought TO the room ana
escorted to their homes by soldiers NO irsnicOehIS
vrere found against any one Tor inc
:, NJ Cox and Cockrill. CockTu had oieo IN
1000, Al a hopsitaI and a recent decision OK
+bs Court OF Appeals has cleared the way aoF the
prosecution IN either county when crime Desuh
IN one ended by the death OF the victim IN announcer
The HsrRtsss had thought themselves secure anu
countless would have been so, notwithstanding the
,-fass,on Of one OF lie hired assassins. Nose
T,el.ner which had at that time been puoLsheo 10
the world. although suppressed IN the CIrcuE
Court. had it not been for this decision OF me
Court OF Appeals which gave Fayette county equal
s,,risdicfon with Breathitt IN the Cockr1u case.
To forestau any action that might be taken IN
4-,vs+,e County against them. the Hargises had
z-srrsnts sworn out secretly and had themselves
secretly arrested and gave straw bonds. But tne
Favette County authorities were firm ana insisted
on their arrest. They then appealed to the higher
,oprt claiming jurisdiction for their own county,
hut the Court OF Appeals. in rendering decision
IN the matter after long hearing In Whieh eVl-
deoce was produced by both the commonwealth
ara the defence. declared that the warrant IN
Prssthitt County was issued through fraud ana
oonys,on q, order 10 prevent the law taking Its
course in Fayette County. Consequently AFTER TWO
months fight IN the higher court the Hargses ana
callahan were turned over TO the Fayette county
authorities and locked up In the Fayette county
jail on Monday. March H.
NOT ADMITTED TO BAIL
They we're sure bail would be allowed them, and
before coming sent their lawyers ahead TO see what
could be done The attorneys could get no agree
rnent with the commonwealth authorities. and tele-
Eraphed them 10 come on. and that once IN the
court they believed Judge Parker would grant
hail They came on Monday morning. expecting 10
20 direct 10 court and secure bond The common
wealths attorney, Mr.. Allen. without saying what
Re would do quietly left the city. going 70 Frank
lin where he had business in the United States
Court and upon their arrival here there was no
commonwealth officer with whom they could treat.
1-bev went 10 Jail and there asked to remain in
the outer Office OF the prison until they could make
ARRANGEMENTS for bail, thinking that Prosecutor
Allen would return in the afternoon He did not
return and the afternoon passed. and, TO their
establishment they were locked up at o'clock. the
prison closing hour. When they walked through
the cell doors they showed much chagrin. but felt
that on the following day they would again get
their liberty.
IN this they were doomed 10 disappointment. for
The Commemorative Attorney opposed their giving
bond and the judge told them he would have TO
refuse them bail unless they wished 70 introduce
evidence that they should have bond To do this
Il was necessary for them 10 make up their case
SO the trial for bail was postponed for one week
On the following Monday the trial began. and ii
lasted fun week The commonwealth introduced
many witnesses among them being three men who
declared they had been al one time or another in
oonspiracies 10 murder each OF the three men who
were killed and also two others-W. w. Vaughn. an
attorney who aferward left the country IN fear or
beng murdered as the others had been' ana d
To rebut this evidence. the defendants themselves
took the witness stand. and brought in four other
men 10 confederate certain points and mpeach the
character OF certain Of the cOmmonwealth's Wit
nesses. Judge Parker refused bail 10 Judge Hargis
Sheriff Callahan and Ebert Hargis. and allowed
ex-senator Hargis 20 give bond IN the OF $4,000
Either Of the men could give 10000 bond. because
u their wealth and their large clientage through
me country The men who signed the bond OF
Senator Hargis included a local hotelkeeper. at
whose house the Hargises and their friends stop
when IN the city: a hardware man. groceryman
and clothieT with whom they have traded for
years
WHAT BROUGHT ABOUT INVESTIGATION
Noses Feltner. whose affidavit and confession did