The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1909-10-01
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
west VIRGINIA NEIGHBORS.
+++++++++4+++++++++++++++

Sometime during Tuesday night of
last week, fiends in human form en-
tered the home OF Mrs. Bette Justice
on Laurel Fork of Knox creek, about
one mile from Hurley, and, after Ee-
curing a sum of money, said to be
abou $2,4OO, killed Mrs. Justice, her
daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs
George Meadows and their three
babes. The house was then fired to
hide the evidence OF the crimA
| Some of the victims were shot 10
death, as the firing alarmed the near
eSt neighbors to the Justice house
hold, but the fiends used other weap-
lone to ompass the death of their
victims. All the bodies except that
OF Meadows were inclnerated but a
search revealed Meadows charred re-
rains a short distance from the
ruiIls. His skull had been crushed
with some blunt instrument
The object OF the fearful crime was
robbery, It being known that Mrs
Justice had a large sum Of money
about the house On the day before
Meadows had drawn about $500 from
the Ritter Lumber Company for some
timber and II is presumed that this
fact was also known.
/. It is stated that Mrs. Justice Sc
cured $4,000 from an insurance COM
Tany that carried ar isk on the life
Of her first husband. Justice, 1t is
claimed, was killed by Mrs. Justices
father some time ago. Mrs. Justice
married a man by the name OF Blan-
kenbhip but did not live with him
long, and was known in the neigh
ho7hood by the name of Justice.
While the Justice home is on a
, fern about one mile from Hurley II
is not entirely isolated. The shooting
I was Of such an unusual nature that
the neighbors started to investigate
, and they arrived to find the house In
9 flaines. No one could be seen, but
as soon as the murder was discover.
, o. telephone message was sent &c
i FTeGburn for the bloodhounds kept
there by Jim Woolford. ..a.#
The hounds soon struck a trail
/, laadin up a "swag," the only ap'
p"oach to the house without passing
! other houses. The trail led TO corn,
field where footprints of three differ
4 ent sizes were fonnd. ..
Mr. Leotis Riley, of Williamson
who was at the scene of the murder
states that the parties under suspic
ion will soon be apprehended. Th'
feeling is such that the people vii
likely take the law into their Owl
hauds
Y All the men employed at Hurley b!
p the Ritter Lumber Company, abou
, lia in number, entered the chase a
. the direction of the company Officials
A and every foot of the country is be
: Ing searched. 49,.
o Wiley Compton, nephew of Mrs
A Justice, seized a gun as soon as h,
A heard of the murder with the inten
a ii of searching for the fiends. bu
a in trying to load the weapon It wa!
&C, identally discharged, the content
v striking him in the foot A physician
n dressed the wound and Compton
~ Ehouldered his gun and went 10 tn
a woods.
: Mrs. Justice was well known Il
q that section of the country, ant
a leaves number OF well-to-do rela
n ties. They say that they will spar
q no expense in hunting down he
II slayers. .."
A 4 telephone message received a
q Williamson at noon Friday says tha
h the three men hunted down By in
J. icURs were not placed under arrest
a The telephone line between Devon an
: Hurley has been ont of order so tina
\ ma late information could be obtained
II Officers Of Buchanan county joine
q the posse in the pursuit of the sps
o rected parties, and will try to pre-
vent a lynching, The posse was no
y sure enough as to the guilt of tn
h parties to take the lawinto its owl
hands but indignation is runuinj
high 0 ..~
The trio under suspicion hav
stoutly denied any connection wit
the crime. So many of the relative
Of the Justice family visited tn
Il scene that II vas feared that III
Y. dogs would take up the trail of som
y iAnCcent party and mislead the pur
e. suers.
D At dark Wednesday the dogs wer
"a housed near Blackie but were put /
Il work again Thursday morning an
.. SON stopped at Blankenship's hous'
ge Our Doughnuts are the best 4