The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1908-02-14

Father Five Times in His Own
Storc.--The Dead Man Was Mixed
Up in Many Scrapcs and Had Been
Tried for Murder.
At Jackson, KY, former County
Judge James Hargis, for many years
member Of the State Democratic exc
cutive committee, accused OF com
plicity in many killings, and prom
inent figure in the feuds which have
disrupted Breathitt County for sever
al years, was shot and killed in his
his son, Beach Hargls, The son fred
FIVE shots in rapid succession at his
father, who fell dead whilo his
clerks were waiting on customers.
The exact cause OF the murder has
not been learned, but 1t Is supposed
to 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 severe quarrel several nights
ago, when the father, it is alleged.
was compelled to resort to violence
to restrain his SON.
Young Hagris, it Is said, had been
drinking heavily Of late. ile came
into the store Thursday afternoon
and was apparently under the innu-
ence Of liquor. Judge Hargis, it is
said, spoke to his son about drink
ing and a quarrel resulted. Father
and son stepped behind a counter
when the son, after IA minutes con-
versation, drew a revolver and fired
4 Ave 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 and the officers
we're compelled to drag him to jail.
N Judge lIargis had been for years
prominent figure in Kentucky in 30
Iitical 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 IIar-
eis was present leader Of the Dem
ocrats of the 10th district and was
regarded as the boss" OF Brcathitt,
County.
For years his sway was not oppos-
ed, but some years ago James b.
Marcum had the tcmerity to oppose
;,, Low
day he was Il marked man.
Judge Ilargis had been on trial at
various times for completely in the
murder Of Marcum, "Jim" Cockrill
and Or. Cox, but had been acquitted
on all Of the charges. He was re-
Gently forced TO pay judgment of
$4,000 to Mrs. Mmcum in conncc-
tion with the death OF her husband.
Judge lIargis had just disposed Of
this, the last Of these cases in which
he had been involved when he paid
the Judgment Of the Court. Mrs.
Murcum had sued Judge lIargis and
hers for 100000, alleging that
they caused the death Of her hus-
band.
The IIargis-Cockrill fued had It's
UargiScs had long been dominant in
Brcathitt County, where they con-
ductcd general store, were engaged
in the lumber business and were gen
orally active. The brothers, James,
Alexander and Ebert were good
business men and accumulated for
[A'ne' ~. co,.uu,,
arose when the latter opposed the
She lIargiscs at the polls. Feeling
was bitter, when one day Benjamin
Hargis Younger brother Of James
l!areis. met one Of the Cockrill boys
in a ''blind tigcr," near Jackson, and
was Killed by his oncmy.
In the fall Of 1902, Dr. Cox, tho
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
Che way. John Smith, John Abncr
and others Of the ali - llarE'S
band wore accused Of the crime, and
in a confession made by one OF them
Jndgc lIargi8 VAS charged With hay
ing hired them to kin Dr. Cox
From this time ON the story OF the
tIargls Cockrill fcud was written in
blood. The next to fall was Jim
Cockrill the town marshall Shortly
after tho murder Of Coclrill, James
g. Marcum, the attorney fo' the
Coclirill boys, created sensation by
publicly declaring in Lexington that
he was a marked man, and that he
had boon doomed to death by the
Hargis clan.
One morning in May, five years
AGO Marclm was shot down while