The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1922-05-04


from Harlan county are verified.
The Harlan Enterprise has the fol-
lowing 90 say concerning recent evil
dcnce which has jus, been unearthed:
"On Friday Of las, week a warrant
wa, issued by County Judge VI W.
Howard. for the arrest Of Jerry
Reed. colored. charged with the muir
der 81 Miss Lura Parsons, the Pine
Mountain school teacher who was
unusually brutality slain on Septem-
Der 7th.. 1920. on the trail across the
mountain from Dillon station. while
she travelled afoot unprotected and
alone. and since the issuance ~ the
warrant for arres, o. Reed became
known. excitement in Harlan has
broke out afresh over the tragedy. 80
uncommonly atrocious and regarded
a. the worst. and one among the
most cowardly crimes that ever stain
ed the ground Of Sou,heas, Kentucky
with innocent blood Of defen.eless
woman. The news % the issuance
Of the warrant by Judge Howard
broke on Tuesday near noon and
spread rapidly from ear 10 ear. and
became the favorite ~ conversation
on street corners, in hotel Hobbies.
and behind counters and in counting
rooms
THE discovery of the bloody I'M
derclothcs resulted from search
conducted by Dr. L. s Vermillion
and John Bramley on account Of a
letter and map tina, Bramley received
from Frank Brown. n prisoner in the
Frankfort prison. Bramley was a
former state prisoner and well ac-
quainied with Brown. who wrote the
letter and drew the map and got by
the customary prison censorship by
handing the letter 10 trusty 20
post.
The letter in substance said the
map on the back Of the letter would
show the Pine Mountain trail and the
spot where Lura Parsons was muir
dercd. The map further showed the
location Of the blacksmith shop where
the old Dillon trail crosses the road
and shor; distance away crosses the
road again, and az the second cross
road the map points the way TO a
hollow gum tree some 200 feet away
from the crossing and in this tree the
letter said will be found the under
clothes that Reed wore on the day Of
the murder. The letter said the tree
was 10 the left Of the trail going
down and at a small cliff. The I'M
derclothes Browns communication
said. was hidden in this tree. for
Reed by a trusty who removed II TO
the cavity Of the gum tree after hav-
ing carried Il from the place II was
first hidden by alleged reques, of
Reed. Brown said the trusty was
known as Luke" That night.
Browns letter continued. Reed came
into camp wearing nothing but over
alls and made application to Brown
for underwear.
"The eX-prisoner Bramley lives at
or near High Splini. He is said to
have received the letter from Brown
in February. The letter bore
Frankfort date line and was dated
February card. Of this year and it
is claimed there was no delay Of the
letter in transit.
Keeping II but a few days. Bran
ley is said to have handed the letter
with the map on the back thereof 10
DIR. Ncrmillion VINO stated that he
showed the letter and the map 10 the
sheriff in the presence Of Deputy
Boyd Kelly and Others The com
munication was then shown TO Judge |
VI. W. Howard and other officials,
and later Howard issued a warrant
for the arrest Of Reed on the charge
Of murder
"vermillion claims when he re-
quesied officials 20 make inves,iga- !
ton Of the story a. told and mapped
out by Brown they said they could /
not do 50 at that time but would Z
later. SO Bramley and vermillion
went to the scene together and easily I
located the gum tree and in the cav
ity Of the tree, up some three feet. (
or about an arms length they found
the underwear, an union suit and on
the suit was the number "79a9" writ
ten with an indebible pencil which
the letter said belonged TO one Of the
guards who bought the underwear in
Harlan. And As to the purchase Of
union underwear in Harlan by guards
at the camp all doubt is removed by
the ledger Of Ball Bros. in whose
store the guards traded more extern
-. l.