Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1922-09-08
DEMOCRATS TO help
CLAYHOLE VICTIMS
Acticn Taken At Louisville Meet
igy Il Provide Defense FOR
Convicted Men

Louisville, Ky, Sept. 8-Afte1
( several speakers had designated
the Clayhole precinct, Breathitt
county election fight Of last No
vcmber one of the most terrible
! episodes in the history OF Ken
tucky, representative Democrat
! il leaders OF Jefferson and Fav-
ette counties at d meeting at the
Louisville Old Inn hotel adopted
resolutions requesting the DEM
! ocratic state central and execu-
tive committees to call a meet
ing at once to rally the Demo-
Gratis of the state to the defense
! of the four election workers who
are now appealing prison terms.
and for the support of 8 women
and SO children made dependent
by the battle.
| Another resolution provided
for a Jefferson county commit,
! tee to begin work at once in Sc
Letting contributions towards
tie $30,GC0 fund needed for the
purpose in view.
Desha Breckinridge, Judge
! Samuel Wilson and Senator T.
I A. Combs, all of Lexirgton, were
| delegated to decide upon a group
| OF five Democrats, representing
the state at large, which will be-
a committee Of program in pre-
senting to Judge Charles A..
Hardin. of Harrodsburg, chair
man of the Democratic state CEN
tral and executive committees. a
stT-ea.e ent OF facts and setting
for.h the emergency need Of ac-
ton by the state committee.
, Mr.. Breckinridge said that the
rames will be furnished within
the next day or so to James
Garnett, Of louisville. who acted
as chairman of the meeting. r.
{. MusicI, OF Jackson. one of
: the attorneys for tie four Dem
ocratic precinct workers tried
and sentenced 10 prison as a re-
suit Of the election fight, was
detailed to draw up the state
ment to be made to Judge Har-
dlns committee and to the peo-
pie Of the state.
/ Surprise was expressed by sew
eral speakers at the general ap-
athy OF the people OF Kentucky
III the case, which JOIN Skain,
former mayor Of Lexington, de-
clared will be ''an issue in the
next ele, ton from the governor
down" He characterized the ac-
ci,rrence as having created the
greatest stir since the Goebe1
murder and declared that in the
coming election Kentucky must
So I'VE will have no more mur-
der IN Kentucky; murderers
must not go unpunished."
1t was pointed out by Judge
Wilson that the four men to BE
assisted-Leslie Combs, Shade
Combs. French Combs and Geo.
Allen, Jr.,-were not tried for
murder, but for Conspiracy to
prevent an election" He further
emphasized the fact that the
men really were fighting to pre-
vent a crime against the ballot;
that they cottld not have been
tried for murder because OILY
.one man on the other side was
killed, and that the men who
were tried and convicted actually
were fighting to prevent the
conspiracy being carried out.
"The people don't understand
that these men were fighting a
patriotic fight" Judge Garnett
said, i'll seeking to explain the
apathy of the public, to which
frequent reference was made.
These men, he continued.
were fighting to protect the
ballot. They did not conspire to
prevent an election, because they
were Democratic officers in a
precinct Overwhelmingly Demo-
cratic. But they got the worst f,
of tie judicial action and were
railroaded to prison, while the
real conspirators are walking at
liberty about the country
The meeting was attended. be-
sides Messrs- Gaructr, Skain-
Breckenridge, Wilson, Combs and
Musick, by Mark Beau hamp, Of
Louisville, who has been acting
Z treasurer- of the temporary
seeking to raise the
funds here Mrs. John L. Wood
bury. Miss Jessie Bell, Lawrence
Grammar, ! IIuntoon Mccain,
Pratt Dale, Lewis Humphrey and
Flying Pason" Killed