The Washington times., 1909-06-20

them, thinking I had fallen behind the
door"
'Men Higher Up"
Escape Prosecution.
| Much has been written of the feuds
OF BTeathitt: of the death OF Dr.. Cox,
Attorney Marcum. and Marshal Jim
| COckrill. all enemies OF the old Hargis-
Callahan faction, and the attempts by
the courts to convict Judge Hargis and
| Ed Callahan of planning the deaths OF
these three more prominent victims.
/ Had Curt Jet and John Smith, the lat
| ter a brother Of the Smiths now in
vOlved and still a silent but potent fac
tor in the present feud, never confessed
probably the courts never would have
secured a single conviction. As it is.
Curt Jet and Tom White. hired as
sassins. are the only men ''peniten-
| tiarized.' as they say in the mountains.
| The law has never touched the man
higher UP, in criminal trials ac1uitals or
failure to prosecute resulting In every
instance.
Little. however, has ever been known
or published about the motives actuating
these strange people TO such bloody, re-
u
There have been but few psychological
studies of the Kentucky feudist. the real
nature of the man, his big, generous
heart, his method Of reasoning, and HIS
environment. This can be obtained only
through personal contact, and that at
the mountaineer's home, amid surround
ings that inspire him with confidence
and place him az ease.
efI I
or less horror, and no understanding. OF
this constant thirst for vengeance on the
part of the people who are reared 10 an
atmosphere of prejudice and who take
as naturally to the feudalism of the
forefathers as people in more enIight-
ened communities might accept the
family religious beliefs.
Gets Viewpoint
OF Mountain Fighters.
II was to obtain a story Of their
peculiar feudal creeds from their own
lips that the writer of this article spent
a week in Breathitt county. I visited
the leaders Of the opposing and warning
factions in their homes; talked with dis
interested mountain philosophers, with
boys OF ten who are just learning 10
shoot rife; marveIed at the composure
and the resignation to anything OF the
mountain women. and in the end came
away with but a partial understanding
OF a people more interesting and strange
in their customs than the fast dissp-
pearinE Indian.
No one of the great outside world, OF
which some of these mountafneers know
/ little, can go through a similar expert
| ence without agreeing that after all
/ these mountain folk are no worse than
environment has made them.
IN a little room in the rear Of sid"
Jo0nson's store. notorious because sid"
once caused the calling out of the State
troop when he fiourished a pistol in
court surfing one OF the several feud
| trials al Jackson, I talked TO "Lish''
Smith ano Levi Johnson. charged with
the shooting OF Callahan. They meet
| one cordially. these feudists. If you are
/ frank with them and state your mission
! unreservedly. Otherwise, mounta' neers
/ are averse TO "furriners''
/ Smith is short, stockily built, and
/ thirty-five years OF age he talks
/ rather hesitatingly, but has overcome
\ in the main the mountain drawl OF some
| of his friends.
His eyes are shifting, nervoUs. but
rather dreamy withal. In reDCss his
! face wears a half-sad, haif-Ianglid ex-
! preston. viewed in profile The entire
I left cheek bone Is missing. Shot away,
| he explained IN a little trouble" with
| Johnny Hail some time ago. Hall, a
mere lad at the time, was killed by
Smith the latter being wounded IN the
hip as well as in the cheek. On account
OF this facial defect. which gives the
/ feudist Il rather sinister appearance
Smith would pose for photograph only
on condition that he be permitted TO
sit sideways.
Feud Spirit
Instilled in Children.
Even the street urchins Of Jackson
have instilled IN their blood the thirst
for feudal warfare and the disregard
OF human life. AS a photograph Of
Smith and his companions was being
taken lad OF twelve. from the oppo-
site side Of the street. yelled to some
local celebrity:
Get ia the picter. -. you've killed
a man"
And then the Jackson street crowd
laughed. A few moments later another
Jackson COY passed up the street taking
ana al various objects with try pistol.
AT what age do the boys learn 10
handle rife in the rlountainsg" 1 ask
Ell Smith and his friends.
ooh, about ten or twelve years" re-
piled one Of them. nonchalantIy.
Smith and johnson talked alternately
Of the reasons why # would be jmpos-
sible 10 connect them with she attempt-
ed assassination of Callahan and of
feuds in general. johnson was asked
to explain why feuds existed and WHY
life seemed 50 cheap in the Kentucky
mountains. In substance. he said: