The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1915-02-24
LETTER TO THE EDITOR.
Enrrom rosr

Of December lth our community was
startled and Mortified when the news rap
idly spread that r. l.. rippn, deputy
Sergeant, Of the town had, on the NIGH,
before been mystcriously shot and kill
cd Tho shots which killed him had
been heard at 80 the night before by
number of people. but shooting had got.
Ten 50 common in the town that no one
got up 20 see what had happened and
no Que knew that anything serious had
happened until they found the dead body
of the Sergeant the next morning 1t
was generally believed tina, pippin had
been killed while attempting to arrest
some of the disoricrly women or the pa
irons of some Of the disonlcrlv houses
several OF which are situated up toward
the Gap in Plat D The officials, work
lug on this clue. undertook to examine
and lid examine all women of this char
actcr about the town Those who were
were surprised and shocked Ia find how
many such women were living in and
about Big Stone Gap, and Furthermore.
surprised and shocked at their methods OF
carrying on their trade 1t appeared
that many of these women had been run
away from Appalaohla. stoncga Norton
Coeburn and other places within the
county. and had come 10 Big Stone Gap
as their Mecca They were not only
plying their trade at their abodcs in the
town, but it appeared that the traffic was
carried on very largely through the in
strumentalily Of certain persons who were
IN the automobile business aud who did
not hesitate to take men To women. OF
women to men to and from any place in
the county, but also allowed the use of
their automobiles ont in the country
along the road side Tor immoral purposes
OF course, this by no means applies to
all Of those who are running automobiles
for hire, but the nunbeI of bows and
men who were engaged in such business
was, as before stated, surprising and
shocking Although 1t Is not vet known
who killed Sergeant rippin, it is tile gen
erul belief that his death was directly or
indirectly due to the women referred to
and their disrputahle male associates
Responding 10 public sentiment which
VAS thus aroused, the Mayor has since
prosecuted some OF these women. and
given notice to others ,ba, they would be
prosecuted aud driven from the town;
but il seems that there IS one who las
thus far dctied the law. Her name IS
Alpha Sturgill, who Il seems OWNS a
house and lot up near The mouth ot tho
Gap y short time since the mayor di-
rectcd Marshall iielchcr to give this wo-
man notlcc that she would BIZ prosecuted
unless she LEFT town According to Bel
cher he had on last Saturday, been up 10
Linden. aud purchased some cattle and
was driving them down through the
Gap and past this womans house BE.
fore ne rot 10 the house he noticed an au.
tomobiic standing by the roadside and
several men either in the automobile or
On the ground 10y IT, talking to Alpha
Sturgill. They seemed to bc drinking
aud otherwise disoricrly Before he sol
up the mei got into the automobile aud
''tN'NN ~ fNN' N'fNh stn ht lNNhhth lbt
Sturgiil woman he told her what the
Mayor had told him to tell her. 81,
cafscd and abused him. and among othe,
things told him that if he knew what was
in for him lac would leave town befor,
she did. This was abcu, noon on Satur.
day That Afternoon Belcher went up to
Imboden with his wagon for the purpos,
Of bringing back some pigs which he had
purchased While at lnboden he saw
two automobiles pass going down to.
ward Appslaehia As be came ON down
between imbodeu and the mouth OF
Pigeon Creek he saw that these two au.
tomobiles had stopped. aud the men in
them had gotten on, Another party
who SAW them states tina, they had beer
waiting there about twenty minuiea
When itelcher SO. up ne found the fol
lowing parties. namely Taz Stureill
wess Robinettc, Lindsey Stargiii, Rel
ben Hall aud Joe Ranks. Tar Sturgill !,
the divorced husband Of AinhA Siurgili
Reuben Hall is the brother of Alpha
sturgili; Lindsey Stufgill Is brother OF
cousin Of Tas Stufg:ll Belcher tried {,
pass the automobiles, which had taken
s.t, tt,esf a! lie r,sasf In. Tar Sf,,rysu