The Little River news., 1918-07-10
HE WARNS AGAINST
 DISLOYAL AGITATORS
Caughron, Polk County Murdered Tells Gov. BrOugh That Socialist Ora- tors and Literature Inspired
 His Crime.

death cell at the state penitentiary, where he has had nothing to do but reflect, while awaiting the date of his execution, August 23, Ben Caughron, Polk county murderer, has had ample time to consider the doctrines of So- cialism, which he once espoused so arr dently. He has done considerable thinking with the result that when the governor of Arkansas suddenly and unexpectedly appeared in his cell yes terday, Caughron told him that all his troubles are due to listening to and reading infamatory literature which attacked the government and it's enter ing war.
 Ben Caughron has come to the con clusion that after all the government of the United States is a pretty good sort of government. So he asked the governor to deliver for him message to the people of Arkansas warning them against listening to speakers who go about the state, denouncing the war and against reading literature i circulated by these persons.
 Il These men ccme to us saying that this is the war of the capitalists \ against the toiling masses" he told ed them. If I had never listened to them, would have never committed this terrible crime and I would be a free man today, back with my family in the hills
 A Typical Hill Billy
 Caughron is t- typical "h:ll billy Ho is of the rough, unlettered -ype of cIlc dweller in tl.e hills, Eorn with a .ovc of freedom and } natural aver sion to all authority He was q mem. ar of gang living l. the southern o;,rt of Polk county which open, ly Gcfied the government. The gang h.syd been harbc ring dra.t resisters and deserters ana sheitering the Eak- CTS of moonsL.ne whiskey The gang had the reputation of being bad act ors." They imagined that their repu- tation would frighten any officers from coming into the hills after them
 But the sheriff of Polk county is one H. w. Finger, small man but one who is known in his county as a fighting poor soul" The little sher- if secured posse and on the night of May 25 he and his deputies set out from Mena in automobiles. Swiftly and silently they moved into the hills: rounding up an occasional stray mem- Der of the gang. At d,ybreak they fl surrounded the home Of Robert Har- key, leader of the gang. A fierce and bloody gun fight followed. Elmer I Casson, member of the gang, was [ riddled with buckshot as he ran from the house. Deputy Sheriff 1, Charles Kirkland fell dead with 3 bullet in his head. w. A. C,mghron. brother of Ben, and Levi Higg, a member of the sheriff's posse, were wounded. Mrs. Robert Harkey was so badly wounded that it was telieve1 she would die. But she finally re- covered. After the battle vas ended Sheriff Finger, searching the house, found Ben Caugron hiding behind a door He was tried at 8, special term of court and found guilty of first de lgree murder and sentenced to death.
 Realizes His Mistake. Now Caughron realizes his terrible mistake. He realizes that this is war of all the people and thss TO small minority has the right to try 10 overrule the wishes of the great loyal majority. So he asked the gov ernor to send message and warn ing to the people back il his native hills.
 Governor Brough paid an uneXpect- ed visit to the penitentiary, arriving at noon. He spent long time in- yestigating and talked to many con- victs beside Camghron. The governor reported that he found conditions very satisfactory. He found that all the vegetables served them were pro- duced in the penitetiary garden and that all the milk and butter used were produced by cows kept at the i institution.
 There are now 45 prisoners there, 1 10 of whom will be sent to the state l farm within few days.
 -W. W.S.S.-
 xxyiI ho