The morning journal-courier., 1908-02-07
LONG STIRRED THE STATE
Dr. Cox and Attorney Maroum Two of the Victims-Har- gis Recently Ordered His
 Own Coffin at Cost
 of S1,500.

tive committee, accused of compieity in many killings and a prominent fig ure in the feuds which have disrupted Breathitt county for several ye1rs. was shot and instantly killed in his general store here this afternoon by his son. Beach Hargis, The son fired five shots in rapid succession at his father, who fell dead while his clerks wera waiting on customers The exact cause of the shooting had not been learned. but it is supposed to have been the r5- suit of differences which have existed between father and son for some time. The two men are reported to have had a bitter quarrel several nights ago and the father, it is alleged. was compelled to resort to violence to restrain his son. Young Hargis. it is said, had been drinking heavily of late. He came into the store to-day apparently un- der the influence of liquor Ex-Judge Hargis, 1t is said. spoke to him about drinking and quarrel resulted Father and son stepped behind a counter in the store and the son, after only few minutes conversation, drew revolver and fired five shots.
 Young Hargis was arrested by Town Marshal Goran Smith and Grover Blanton and placed in jaii He was ravins like a maniac and the officers were compelled to drag him to jail
 Judge Hargis has been for years a prominent figure in Kentucky in no- litical and criminal circles He has fig ured in the courts in the mountains for years on account of the murders ot pr Cox, Attorney Marcum and Jim Cockrill. Judge Hargis WIS the pollt- ical leader of the democrats in the tenth district and was the boss" of Breathitt county For years his sway was not opposed but some years ago Mir. Marcum had the temerity to op- pose Hargis in law case From that date Marcum was a maraked man.
 He hld heen on trial al various times for complicity in the murder of James B. Marcum. Jim" Cockrill and pr. Cox, but was acquitted on all the charges. He was recently forced to pay a judgment of $s,00O Co Mrs. Mar cum in connection with the death of her husband. verdict having been found against him in the circuit court at Winchester Mrs Marcum had sued Judge Hargis and others for si00 GOO alleging that they caused the death of her husband Though Judge Hargis was acquitted of the charge of having murdered Marcum the Winchester iury awarded Mrs. Marcum damages against him.
 The Hargis-Cockrill feud. cut of which grew the almost innumerable tragedies with which Judge Hareis name Is linked. had It's inception In a political contest The Hlreis' had long been dominant in Breathitt county where they conducted general store, were engaged in the lumber business and were generally active The broth CTS, James, Alex and Ebert, were good business men and accumulated what 'in the mountains, Is great fortune.
 The trouble with the Corkrills arose when the Coekrills opposed the liar gis brothers at the polls Feeling was bitter, when one day Beniamin Harsis, a young brother of Judge James Har- gis, met one of the Cockrill boys in a blind tiger" near Jackson. There was a gun play" and Cockrill killed Benjamin Hargis.
 In h1 a nF murder in the feud Dr. Cox. the guardian of the Cockrill boys. was the victim. Dr Cox lived on the outskirts of Jackson. He was called from his home one night to answer proees- sional call As he entered his gate on the way home he was shot by assas- sins concealed across the way After wards John Smith, John Abner nn1 others of the alleged Hargis band of assassins were accused of the crime. and in a confession made by one of them they asserted that Judge Hargis hired them to kill Dr Cox
 From this time on the story of tn, Hargis -Cockrill feud was written 1T blood The next to fall was Jim Cock Till, the town marshal But shortly aft CT the murder of Cockrill, when inter. est had been mildly aroused. James R Marcum, the attorney for the Cockril boys, created a tremendous sensation by going to Lexington and publicly de claring that he was a marked man ana that he had been doomed by the Harxft cla"
 One morning in May. five wears ago Marcum went to the Court house 1T Jackson 10 transact some business II. was standing at the door of the cour house talking 10 Captain Ewen. after wards noted as a witness when a sbc rang out Mlreum staggered from tA, ] steps and fell dying. but the assassl, stepped up, and to make sure shot hin again through the back of the head he assassin was Curt Jett the will 1 dog, who has since confessed his pas in this tragedy. and who was accuse, Of the other murders He and Ton hite are now serving life sentence in the penitentiary
 Judge Hargis will be buried in a# cas ket which he himself purchased akou a month ago Some time during in early part of last month Judge Hargi went ie the National Casket comnang and requested that he be shown th most elaborate collins the comnsnv ba, ! m stock No;hinF suited him and n 1 finallSfordered enc along his own ideas costing S1.500.