The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-02-07
Kentucky Judge Was Slain
Before Customers in His
Store in Jackson, Kentucky,
Yesterday Afternoon.
THE TOWN is REJOICING
OVER HIS SUDDEN END.
People Now See the DaWning
Of Peace Though Its Com
ing Was Speeded by Bullet
From AsSaSsin'S Gun.

jackson, Ky, Feb. 7.-Nemesis rode
on The wings of the winter wind yes
terday. Five pistol shots in rapid sue
cession snuffed out the life of Judge
James Hargis, for long years reputed
the active head and brain Of a feud
which made the name of Breathitt
county stencil in the nostrils of civil
lization.
Chastliness is added to the tragedy
by the fact that the hand which
wrought the vengeance called down
INCREASINGLY upon the head Of Hargis
by the widows and orphans of the feud
was that of his only son, Beech IIargis
a lad of % years. Reared in the school
of violence, stepped i'll middle age dis
regard for the sacredness of human
mountain whisky, the young patriclde
would brook no authority nor inter
ference with his own mode of life
With brutal Indifference and maniacal
frenzy he ended the life OF him from
whose loins he had sprung.
Though it sounds like a travesty
there is rejoicing in Jackson. The end
of strife has come. Peace has daWncd
though its coming was sped by the as
sassin's bullet. The tragic end of Judge
Hargis was not a surprise, except as
to the author of that end. One devout
old elder of the Christian church quot
ed, as he shook his head in grave dis
approval: vengeance is miIc, | will
repay, saith the Lord God oe Hosts.
and then he added, He who kills with
the sword must be killed With the
sword
Before Customers Eyes.
The tragedy took place at &C
o'clock in the afternoon, and was wit
messed by several of the clerks and d
number of customers who were max
ing purchases in the lIlvgis store al
the time.
The news soon spread over the town
and in a quarter of an hour the streets
"tiC liiACd "ItlI 1ANIISu anu Iol vi
stricken people, who stood in groups
discussing the deed.
Judge Hargis was killed with his
own pistol, Colt "forty-five." which
Beech stole from a drawer in the store
where it was usually kept. A few min
utes before the murder Judge Hargis
was walking around in the store chat
ting pleasantly with his customers
while at the time his son was in q
poolroom block away playing pool
Miss Mary Coffy. a clerk in charge
Of the women's dress goods depart
ment, says she noticed Beech enter
through the front door of the store
near where she was waiting on a Gus
toner, and take a seat directly facine
the door. She noticed that he had beer
drinking
In a very few minutes Beech arose
and walked over to a counter At thar
time Miss Coffy walked through ar
archway into another department, leav
ing Judge Hargis, James Brophy anC
another clerk, a customer whom
Bropffy was waiting on, and Beecl
Hargis In the dry goods department
She had scarcely reached the Othel
room when the firing began.
The others who witnessed the shoot
ing say that Judge Hargis walked TO
ward his son and said something t
him, whereupon the boy at once drew
revolver and began to fire, emptyin.
its contents into his fathers body.
Judge Hargis first caught hold of hi!
son in an effort to disarm him. Tn,
young deSperadO threw his coat owe
his fathers face and thus bindins
him. pumped the contents of the re
vOlver into his fathers body. one o
the five shots taking effect below tn,
left nipple, three in the abdomen an,
one in the Lee.
Deputy Marshal Govan Smith an,
Grover Blanton, having arrived on tn,
scene Immediately after the shooting
arrested young Hargis and took hin
TO Jail. after a struggle, in which h
acted like a madman.
Young Hargis had been on a pro
tracted spree, and some days ago hi
father administered a whipping. Th.
chasusement was the cause Of tn,
murder. the son having continued hi
debauch, nursing his resentment unit
his father again upbraided him for hi
conduct