Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1908-02-13
SHOT BY HIS SON
Judge Hargls, Famous Figure In
Kentucky Political Annals.
DIES WITH BOOTS ON.

Judge, While Drinking Shoots Hi
Father Five Times I'm His ow,
store.-The Dead Man Was Mixet
Up in Many Scrapes and Had Beer
Tried for Murder.
At Jackson. KY, former Count,
Judge James Hargis, for many years
member of the State Democratic exc.
cutive committee. accused of com.
piicfty In many killings, and d prom.
inent figure In the feuds which have
disrupted Breathitt County for sever.
al years, was shot and killed in his
store about $3.50 P. M. Thursday by
MS son, Beach Hargis. The son fred
nve shots In rapid succession at his
father, who fell dead while his
clerks were waiting on customers.
The exact cause OF the murder has
not beer learred, but it is suppose ed
10 have been the result of
differences which have existed be-
tween father and son for some time.
The two men are reported to have
had a severe quarrel several nights
ago. when the father, 1t is alleged.
was compelled to resort to violence
to restrain his son.
Young Hagris, it is said, had been
drinking heavily of late. de came
into the store Thursday afternoon
and was apparently under the influ-
ence OF liquor. Judge Hargis, 1t Is
nEn fn hi
ing and a quarrel resulted Father
and son stepped behind counter
when the son, after a minutes con-
versation, drew revolver and fired
five shots. Four took effect. Judge
Hargis falling dead. The young lady
stenographer and the customers In
the store fed. Young Hargis was ar
rested and placed In Jail. He was
raving like a maniac aud the officers
were compelled to drag him to Jail.
Judge Hargis had been for years q
prominent figure in Kentucky in po-
litical and criminal circles. He has
figured In the Courts in the noun
tains for years on account of the
murders of DR.. Cox, Attorney Mar
cum and Jim" Cockrill. Judge Har-
gis was present leader of the Dem
ocrats of the 10th district and was
regarded as the boss" Of Breathitt
County.
For years his sway was not oppos-
ed. but some years ago James B.
Marcum had the temerity to oppose
Hargis In a law case. From that
day he was a marked man.
To-
various times for completely In the
murder of Marcum. Jim" Cockrill
and DR.. Cox. but had been acquitted
on all of the charges. He was re-
Gently forcSS to pay a Judgment OF
$4,000 to - Marcum in connec-
tion with the VAb. of her husband
Judge Hargis haGsust disposed Of
this, the last Of these cases in which
he had been involved when he paid
the Judgment of the Court. Mrs.
Marcum had sued Judge Hargis and
others for 100000, alleging that
they caused the death of her hus-
band.
The Hargis-Cockrill fued had its
inception in political contest. The
Hargises had long been dominant In
Breathitt County. where they con-
Quoted general store. were engaged
in the lumber business and were gen
orally active. The brothers, James,
Alexander and Elbert. were good
tune.
The trouble with the Cockrills
arose when the latter opposed the
the Hargises at the polls. Feeling
was bitter. when one day. Benjamin
Hargis, younger brother OF James
Hargis, met one OF the Cockrill boys
in blind tiger" near Jackson, and
was killed by his enemy.
In the fall OF 1902. DR.. Cox, the
guardian of the Cockrill boys, who
lived on the outskirts OF Jackson,
was shot as he entered his home one
night by assassins. concealed across
the way. John Smith, John Abner
and others OF the allege harK.s
band were accused OF the crime, and
in a confession made by one OF them
Judge Hargis was charged with hav-
ing hired them to kill DR.. Cox.
From this time on the story OF the
Hargis- Cockrill feud was written In
blood. The next to fall was Jim
Cockrill, the town marshall. Shortly
after the murder OF Cockrill, James
B. Marcum, the attorney for the
Cockrill boys, created a sensation by
publicly declaring in Lexington that
he was a marked man, and that he
had been doomed to death by the
Hargis clan.
One morning In May. five years
ago. Marcum was shot down while
standing at the door of the Court
House at Jackson talking to Capt
Ewing, the assassin being Curtis Jett
1.-The wild dog" who had since con
fessed his part in this tragedy and
who was accused to the other crimes
He and tom" White are now serv'
ing life sentence in the penitentiary
Judge Hargis will be buried In
casket costing 500. which he had
purchased a month ago. About 4.3c
Thursday afternoon lhe following
message was sent:
Express to-day casket selected cS
Taues Hareis as he is dead"