Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-15
~ CHARLES neville BUCK
STATIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS
5 IN THE PLAY @SI '@H1r 9ssssk3x Y


had passed Of late years from feudal
county seat to the sections one point
of contact with the outside world; a
town where the ancient and modern
orders brushed shoulders; where the
new was tolerated, but dared not be.
come aggressive. Directly across the
street from the courthouse stood an
ample frame building. on whose side
wall was emblazoned the legend,
"Hollman's Mammoth Department
Store" That was the secret strong.
hold Of HOLMAN power. He had al.
ways spoken deploringly of that spirit
of lawlessness which had given the
mountains a bad name.
When the railroad came to Hixon
1t found in Judge Holman public.
spirited citizen" Incidentally, the tim.
Der that it hauled and the coal that
its fiat cars carried down to the Blue.
grass went largely to his consignees.
He had SO astutely anticipated coming
events that, when the first scouts Of
capital sought options they found
themselves constantly referred to
Judge Holman. No wheel. it seemed,
could turn without his nod. 1t was
natural that the genial storekeeper
should become the big man OF the
community and inevitable that the one
big man should become the dictator.
His inherited place as leader Of the
Hollmans in the feud he had seem.
ingiy passed on sas an obsolete pre-.
rogative.
Yet, In business matters, he was
found to drive hard bargain, and
men came to regard it the part Of
good policy to meet rather than com.
bat his requirements. It was essen.
tial to his purposes that the officers
Of tho law in his country should be in
eympathy with him. Sympathy soon
became AFFECT subservience. When a
South had opposed Jesse Purvy in the
primary as candidate for high sheriff
he was found one day lying on his
face with a bullet-riddled body. 1t
may have been a coincidence which
pointed to Jim Asberry. the Judges
nephew, as the assassin. At all events,
the judges nephew was a poor boy,
and charitable grand jury declined
to indict him.
In the course Of five years several
South adherentss, who had crossel
Holman's path, became victims Of the
laurel ambuscade. The theory Of co.
incidence was strained. Slowly the
rumor grew and persistently spread,
though no man would admit having
fathered It, that before each Of these
executions star.chamber conferences
had been held in. the rooms above
Micah Hollman's, Mammoth Depart
ment Store" It.was said that these
exclusive sessions were attended by
Judge Holman, Sheriff Purvy and Ger.
tain other gentlemen selected by rea.
son Of their Workmanship. When
one of these victims fell John South
had Just returned from . law school
down below" wearing fotched.on"
clothing and thinking "fotched-on"
thoughts. He had amazed the com.
munity by demanding the right to as
sist in probing and prosecuting the
affair. He had then shocked the com.
munity into complete paralysis by re.
questing the grand Jury to indict not
alone the alleged assassin. but also
his employers, whom he named as
Judge Holman and Sheriff Purvy
Then he, too, fell under a bolt from
the laurel.
That was the first public accusation
against the bland capitalist. and it car
ried it's own prompt warning against
repetition. The judges high sheriff
and chief ally retired from Office and
went abroad only with a bodyguard
Jesse Purvy had built his store at Q
crossroads 25 miles from the rail
road. Like Holman, he had won 9
reputation for open-handed charity
was liked-and-. hated His friends
were legion. His enemies were 50 nu-
merous that he apprehended violence
not only from the Souths but also
from others who nursed grudges in
no way related to the line of feud
cleavage. The Hollman-Purvy combi-
nation had retained enough Of its old
power to escape the laws retribution
and to hold its dictatorship. but the
efforts Of John South had not been
altogether bootless. He had ripped
away two masks, and their erstwhile
wearers could no longer hold their old
semblance Of law-abiding philanthro-
pists Jesse Purvy's home was the
show place OF the countryside. Com
modious verandas looked out over
pleasant orchards, and in the same
Enclosure stood the two frame build
ings of his store-for he. too, COM
bined merchandise with baronial
powers. But back Of the place rose
the mountain side, on which Purvy
never looked without dread. Twice
Its impenetrahl lie thickets had spat at
him. Twice he had recovered from
wounds that would have taken a less
charmed life. And in grisly reminder
Of the terror which clouded the peace
Of his days stood the eight-foot log
stockade at the rear Of the place.
which the proprietor had built to
shield his daily journeys between
house and store. But Jesse Purvy was
sc. de!uded by his escapes. He knew
that he was marked down."
The years Of strain were telling on
him. The robust, full-blooded face
was showing deep lines; his flesh was
growing naccid; his glance tinged
with quick apprehension. He told his
intimates that he realized they'd get