Mountain advocate., 1921-11-11
BOB BLEVINs KILLED
Jerry Bowling Dies Of Wounds

On Sunday afternoon shortly be-
fore the arrival of the C.&M. train
at Haven Bob Blevins had passed to
the great beyond with a bullet in
his heart and Uncle Jerry Bowling |
lay mortally wounded with a hole i'm |
his abdomen. The alleged killer is .
Joe Adkins, father of seven child !
rem formerly of Whitley County, |
but who, for the past few years,
has lived at Criss. 1t is stated that |
whiskey was at the back of the kill /
! ing-that which has done so many |
men to death is this and surround |
ing sections during the past year.
Adkins is said to have been under |
the influence of liquor at the time. !
Bowling was placed on the train
and brought to the Logan Hospital
but died shortly after his arrival.
Sheriff b. p. Walker went to Criss
on horseback on receipt of the news
of the killing. first calling at the Ad-
kins home which he searched. He
was informed that Adkins was up
the road and on proceeding some
little distance. he met Adkins carry
ing a revolver in his hand and his
son who was carrying a shot gun.
Sheriff Walker explained his mission
and Adkins handed over his revol-
yer. Sheriff Walker then dismount-
ed and searched Adkins taking pos
session of the shot gun.
Adkins asked permission to go to
the house and was later brought in
to town thru Bull Creek to avoid
further trouble. Sheriff Walker ar
rived at the Jail about S:45 PM.
and turned his prisoner over to Sam
Lewis
Adkins story was to the effect
that he had bought a quart Of whis-
key (moonshine) Sunday from Bile
wins and had also received a gun
from him. He said that on leaving
Blevin's place, Jerry Bowling called
to him and that Blevins began to
fire. When he raised his own pistol
Bowling stepped in between him and
Blevins and that this shooting was
accidental. Blevins, he said, then
advanced to arrest him and he took
deliberate aim for the heart and
fired. The bullet found the exact
mark and Blevins tumbled over
dead.
All of the men were under indict'
ment for moonshining or bootleg
ging, either in Knox Circuit Court
or in the District Court at London.
1t will be remembered that a
mule was taken at the Fair Grounds
in September and was later sold as
no one would assume ownership of
the mule or the jars of whiskey it
carried. Some of these Jars were
wrapped in newspaper which bore
Adkins name. One of these is now
in the Sheriff's possession.
Blevins was made deputy sheriff
some weeks ago on his promise to
clean up moOnshining in his section.
He brought in several stills, report
ing an ambuscade on one trip in
which the still was perforated by
bullets. He stated that he and his
party drove the attackers away.
The affair is another evidence if
it be needed that quiet, sober life
pays. Liquor is getting several Of
the good men in this city as it got
the three concerned in Sundays af-
fair
Men may not fool with it and eX-
as truly an enemy that steals away
the brains of men today as it was
in the day of the wisest of men who
g. bran led il.
Sheriff Walker is to be highly
commended on the quiet courage
that could meet Il man who had
shorty before shot down two men
and who approached him with the
pistol in his hand. We certainly are
fortunate in having man Of his
calibrc as our Sheriff. II may be not
ed that he is rs good man after
the primary IS he was before in
spite of a bunch of dismal prOgnos-
ticators. While his term of Office
has been short he will carry with
him the admiration of his fellow
citizens who recognize cool courage,
MADE A Run AT PINEVILLE