A KENTUCKY VENDETTA.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 7500, 1 July 1903, Page 4

A KENTUCKY VENDETTA.

An Over-awed Jury.

Story of the Feud and Murders,

Amongst our cables on Saturday last, was the followipg;— '• New York, June 24.

"Owing to the Kentucky Vendetta cabled on May 26th, the Grand Jury was afraid to convict C. Jett of murdering two men named Cockrill and Marcum. Jett's friends tried to release him from gaol, on hearing that a second trial was intended to bo held in another country," The following details of tho feud and murders are interesting: — On May 4th James B. Marcum, U.S. Commissioner in Eastern Kentucky, was assassinated while standing in front of the Courthouse door at Jackson. He was shot through the head by an unseen person, The murder was another chapter in the long-standing feud existing in Eastern Kentucky botween the Hargis and Cockrill factions, in which in the Jast twelve months the lives of thirty-five men have been gaprificed. Marcum was the last recognised leader of the Cockrill faction.

Tbe feud originated over a contest for the office of town marshal in 1896, as the result of which John O. Hargis was killed by Jerry Cardwell. The feud smouldered until fhe spring election ol 1901, when the Hargis faction overran the independent ticket, and took possession of the offices of County Judge and Sheriff, Marcum was tho attorney for Tenny and Davis, the gonteßtantß for these offices.

County Judge Tom Cockrill, a Cardwell man, shot and killed Ben Hargis in a saloon. Directly after this Dr. D. B. Cox, the guardian of the Cockrill boys, jyas assassinated.; Then Jim Cockrili was shot from a \yifldow in the Courthouse. On May l(}th .Curtis Jett was placed under arrest for the murder of Marcum. When arrested Curtis refused to account for his whereabouts on the day Marcum svas killed.

Two men declared that they recognised Jett as opo of the men who fired from the second storey window of the Jackson Courthouse and rnordered Jim Cockrill last May. Dr. Cox, tho other victim of the assassin in Jackson during the present troubles, was shot during the night, and there were no eye-witnesses. Jett has been twice arrested, charged with assaults on women. He had been pardoned twice for shooting, and has broken gaol several times. He was a handy man at elections, and was never punißhed saye when he turned upon his benefactors.

On May 24th Governor Beckham, of Kentucky, ordered 120 men from the Stato Militia to proceed to Jackson, in Breath'ill .County, tp protect the special Grand Jury sumtnone'd to investigate the murders of Marcum,' CockrilF and Qox." Tho Court was convened on the next morning, May 25tb, under the proteptjon of tho troops, armed with rifles and a Gatling gun. The stillness ot death hung over the town, persons fearing to talk about tho murders. The soldiers were ordered not to m."!'! nn the feud to anyone or write letters about the situation.

The crowd at the Courthouse was a silent one when Judge Reel wine opened the Court. Soldiers, with fixed bayonets, stood at regular intervals in the room.'"'

The Judgo assured the Grand Jury that the Milijtia would protect all witnesses, Tho testimony of eacli witness was written dpwn in the Grand Jury rootp to avoid tho possibility of any nitness refusing to testify in open Court. Captain B. J. Ewan, who was talking to Marcurn when Marcum was assassinated in the doorway of the Courthouse, was brought to the Grand Jury room under a military escort, and his testimony was taken down in writing. Ewan had been barricaded in his house since ho made the statement that he saw the a-sapßJnation. His home was guarded day and night. Ewan seeded nervous, and many people in the crowd around the Courthouse seemed apprehensive as he approached. • EWan told several persons that he saw an 3 recognised the assassin' as ho approached Marcuui after fho first sljot

had been fired, and with a revolver in each hand, fired a second bullet into Marcum's head.

Attorney Patrick who represented tho widow of Marcum is the uncle of Captain John Patrick, who declared that he had recognised ono of tho men who fired from the second storey window of the Courthouse on Jim Cockrill, and that ho would go to Jackson and testify only in caso ho was provided with military guard.

The soldiers searched every one going into the Courthouse, and patrolled the streets.