The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-01
Case, Set for Tomorrow, Will
Last Week or More, and
Attract Wide Attention
FORTUNE OF DEAD MAN
TO DEFEND HIS SLAYER
Rather Anomalous That Remnant,
of What Breatliitt County's
Boss Had Saved Should Be
Used to Acquit Son,
Who Shot DIS
Him. ~
lspeelal TO rho rlmes-pl.pa1el..1

L j u.
Especial to The Times DispatcLI
i = EXTINCTION. KY, February 90
4 Beauchamp Cooper Hargis.
4 named for noted lawyer and
\. I a noted preacher, will be
placed on trial at Jackson,
I Breathitt county. Monday for the MUIR
] der OF his father, Judge James Hargis,
, for years the undisputed ruler OF the
whole mountain country, so FAR as
feudalism went. The trial will take
place In the courthouse Just across the,
street from tho Hargis store, where
two OF the men We're killed whose.
deaths caused tho Investigation into
the Breathitt county murders.
The plea Of your Hargis will be
seif-defense. 1t was at first intended
that the plea OF justification for the
patrfcide would be insanity a Brain
: storm. II you will. superinduced by an
attack Judge Hargis is alleged to
nave made upon his son a few nights
previously. But the attorneys employ
ed by the stricken widow and mother
saw that the "brEinstorrn, plea wouId5
have no effect In Breathitt county: no
matter how deeply it might be re.2
garded In New York, and decided that
the self-defense plea would be more
likely to save the neck of the young
murderer.
And then there were some grow1s
of discomfort when the brainstorm idea
was mentioned. which same growis
came from Judge Hargis's friends. who
mad never grown reconciled to the
lstateinent that for two years Beech
Hargis had openly and constantly con-
sorted with his fathers enemies; and
that only half hour before the KILL
Ing he was seen to take a drink of
liquor with lifelong enemy of his
father
Says Father Struck Him.
Beech Hargis Will base his plea OF
self defense upon the statement that
when he entered his fathers store on
1.-THE fatal afternoon, intoxicated, reek-
ins with the fumes of whiskey, and
with his brain befuddled from the ef-
| lfects of "moonshine" liquor and NOR.
phine. Judge Hargis came toward him
grasped him by the arm. and, when he
resisted, struck him in the mouth,
Knocking out two of his teeth. Beech
says he believed his father was intend
Ing him severe personal violence, and
that he fired to save himself, This Is
rather remarkable from several points
of view. Eeech Hargis had been heard
to threaten his fathers life several
times. !ust a few nights before tha
killing he had gone home drunk and
a attacked His mother
Judge Hargis entered the room just
about that time. Knocked his ,ostrep-
erous son down and trounced him we'll.
and was heard to say. by this time
next week. either me or the old man
VIII l. be In the deepest pits Of HE'LL.
:, , Ten Fen minutes bfore the killing.
5rother-ln-law. pro DR.. w. 2. Hogg. and 81
drawing revolver which belonged
to his father. which he had taken
from from. ms fathers store. which was the
which caused his death a few minutes
later, said he intended killing some
one. one He placed the pistol against DR..
MIN, and Beech left the store.
Warned Father In Vain.
DR.. Hogg at once went to tho store
or Judge Hargis and told him of the
occurrence. Judge Hargis replying.
BeeSh nst Gin mas N Eiven me n more trouble than
Yuteas nglnns letse etse IN tba the world few
MS fathers store. and when as eye.
witnesses say. the Judge walked 70 4
ms ms son and grasped him by the arm.
s.ar,nsrt sne son drew rev, on q his coat. threw ths
snot no, MIN twice, while the pistol was
still in the pocket of the coat. There
are bullet holes in the coat pocket to
show that this was done, even aside
!, ech beech tells as this but says he be-
iieyed i he was acting In self-defense.
is put then comes j. j. c. Bach. a life
long friend OF the Harsis family. who
has been employed to help defend the
parricide. and states to q inewspa per ss
man here: why Beech Hargis did
NOT know what lle had done until the
killed his father, he was SO fun OF
Whiskey and morphine. Wis mother
Knows he has been addicted to mor-
N Inn f,,.r ,,,.,
er when this statement was made.
Beech Hargls VIII have sSu.noo with IA
which to tight for his life. His father
this, Mrs Hargis gets se0,0oo. 1t M
estimated that another $4,000 will BeSl
needed to pay on, the debts usaisst
ether child, will receive about ss5,1u6.
Both Mrs. Hargls anu Mrs. uogg nave Il
stated their Intention of hr, wing their
wealtn. al. AZ II needed, into the effort
1t is rather the irony of fate tnst
leerees that the money which Judge
aargls worked forty wears to accu-ss
lie of the man who KILLED HIM
Spent Fortune In Defensv.s 5
Judge Hargis at one time was worth
It least sa50,000. But 1t costs money N
o secure an acquittal In murder trials
wen In Kentucky, and money Jud.a
ONE who said that Judge Hargis was
learing the end of his financial tether.
'ut there We're others who knew het-
er, For instance:
"a little over a year ago, THE sis
correspondent then SD
eporter on a morning paper here, was
ent to Jackson to cover the trial NJ
udGe Hargls for the assassination of
1r. B, d. Cox, During the trial, Judge ~
iaTgts went ous OF the courtroom into @
little anteroom, where there was
. bottle of moonshine tonsll varnish NJ
laced. The correspondent took this
of securing q few words
n private with him. a s;,f sss
During the conversation. Judge Har. aa
lis led the newspaper man to a win
ow. and pointing across tho Kentucky
River to dense forest OF the very s
NEST oak, cedar and pine timber A
most in the mountains, With practicat I. III
i overy foot OF Ii underlaid with coal n
ND other minerals, said Ross. thax