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Show I WV Vk'ftM PLEA OF WIDOW IN REPLY I 1 if MM 1 i TO EFFORTS TO PAROLE: I ; 1 IJi 1 1 I 2 KENTUCKY ASSASSINS I II l nHE following plea of a woman, widowed I LIE j J- by an assassin's bullet, Is a remarkable j fl l glimpse into the innermost secrets of "Bloody I I p 1 . Breathitt" County, Kentucky. It Is a story H llj HJ J told by Mrs. James B. Marcum, in her own I Jjsjj j words. She was induced to talk about the I y I 005 that ended in her husband's death only I j . because of the fear that the two slayers will be I I M ', freed by the Prison Board. She says, in speak- I I'M ' j ing of trying to lake care of the younger mem- I y.'M I bars of her family: I LSji "We can only look to tho law for protection, III fS 0 j : and It Is to bo hoped that, with the long record j noH , behind these men, the authorities will allow I Ijffl I the verdicts to stand against them." j ) JZ HE statement by Mr3. Mar- ' j 11 vjf. cum enmo out following tho : j tijj f J killing of Mose Fcltnor In 1 1 Hazard, Ky., recently. Fclt- i ffill I I ner played a principal pare I Vu! In the Marcum case, and, j I j wS I V 9 while known during the feud I i II X"' reign as "Bad Mosc," he 1 1 I II , ' eaved Marcum from death several limes, II Sjfj Feltner tried to escape from the custody of I mtt a deputy United States marshal, G. A. Slzc- I J JljO more, after his arrest on charges of violating" I J jjjD government rovenue laws. Feltner was shot I jjjj and killed by tho officer, after tho rcudlst j J J attempted to overpower Slzcmorc and had I f ( j thrown him. Tho ofllcer drew his revolver, fifjl il firing throo times. One bullet entered Fcltner's I'l W I heart. jJg It was Feltner who laid the fuse for, the I jjjfl I mine which finally exploded and thU3 broke l lljijj up the worst ring of mountain assassins that I II elate has cvor known, j j lllJ Jt waa JUst n weeks prior to tho assas- j jnl alnatlon of James B. Marcum at tho Courthouse I In Jackson on May 4, 1313, that Feltner first j becamo known In the Breathitt County ussus- H if elnations. Dr. B. D. Cox had been killed in H IB March, 1903. and James Cockrlll In July, 1902. H J jltiu Mrs. Abrelia Marcum, widow of tho assassln- H j I jit ated attorney, has given the following Btory of j II IH the warning by Feltner and the succeeding H e events. It is the "first tlmo her story has ever I I MRS. MARCUM'S OWN STATE- I I Ijjej' T T was a year and a half before my husband H J I'l; was killed that ho first began to receive H j i warnings that he was to be killed because of H Lb' his attitude aB a lawyer on various matters. H IIJIl . After that when ho was in Jackson It was one IHIl continuous round of warnings and hidings and H Tho Ant warning came on the first day of H I Kill i December, 1901. About November, 1901, there H jUi ' . "was a serious epidemic of smallpox In Jackson, H Rl the Board of Health ordered cvorybody In H u j Jackson to be vaccinated. Mr. Marcum refused H H j because ha had previously been vaccinated. Ho H M! ( refuged on account of tho health of our H wL 1 youngest daughter, because ho thought her H Hf 1 health might be further Impaired, as she was Hi net very strong at tho tlmo. H Hi, 0ur hrae was on a hill near town and iso-H iso-H M I lated from our neighbors to Buch an cxtont that III w did not fear tho disease. During this time Ull business, called him to Hazard, and ho mado his H Hi arrangement to start on Sunday morning, Do-H Do-H ffl cember 1. His plans became known, and a W' waiTant was placed In tho hands of James H HI Cockroll, town marshal, to bo served In tho II . . vent that he attempted to make the trip. H ftjil Cockrell and his brother, who was his doputy, H ill came to our home and told Mr. Marcum of tho H Mm warrant After reading tho warrant, Mr. Mar- HI cum told Cockrell to go back and tell thoao M people to attend to tholr own business and ho l ould attend to his, and advised them to leave. H l Cockrell told Mr. Marcum ho would havo to j Mty at hora tH the cpldomlc was over, bo 1 vaccinated or have tho smallpox. While they jlll guarding the front of the houBe, Mr. Mar- HI CUm Went out tho back mounted his horse I jU and wont on his way. Hil He httd tcen sono an hour or bo when a j ; friend who lived out of town rode up to the ! fence and called for Mr. Marcum. I told him HI! that Mr. Marcum had left for Hazard. Ho told H me thnt a plot was on foot to ambush and as- jjjjl eacslnato him on hlB return. One man was to I bo placed on Lost Creek and was promised 500, I mm and another was to be placed about a mllo from I I town, and ho was promised nn acquittal on a I u 1 murder charge If they would kill him on his re-I re-I Ij turn. He told me who woro instigating tho B" deed and. that It was because Mr. Marcum was rcprcyontlng the contestants for county ofTlccs, and If ho was made way with on this trip that it would bo too lato to prcparo tho notlco of contest and servo upon tho contostccs. Cnlls Lost Creek. I called up Lost Creek by (olophono and asked tho operator to havo Mr. Marcum call mc. Ho did so, but could not get tho connection. connec-tion. I then called Ten Mile, tho next telophono on tho line, and asked tho operator there to have him call mo. Ho did so and I told him of the danger. Ho avoided It by returning home twonty-four hours sooner. Bud Allen was killed In a quarrel at the Identical houso where the ambush for Mr. Marcum was laid. Mr. Marcum told a friend to go to the place where tho other man was to bo placed to seo If ho carried out his part of tho contract. The man was there, hidden In a fonco corner by tho roadside with a gun. Aftoi this it was currently reported that Mr. Marcum and Dr. Cox wore slated to be killed. Dr. Cox and Mr. Marcum talked the matter over and canio to tho conclusion there was nothing In tho report. Mr. Marcum went to Washington and while there, in April, 1002, Dr. Coj: was killed. Mr. Marcum could not yet believe be-lieve he was In clanger till, on or about tho last of May, Mose Feltner, who was a Hargls adherent, adher-ent, and who was also friendly with Mr. Marcum, Mar-cum, who had nover had anything to do with the Hnrgls troubles, camo to Mr. Marcum and told him the Hargls gang wanted him put out of the way, and that he, Mose, was the man "Plot after plot was laid to kill Mr. Marcum' best suited to do the Job, as ho was friendly to both sides and ho would not likely bo suspected of tho crime. Mr. Marcum told Moso to agreo to do what they wanted him to do, but first to warn him so ho could get out of tho way. Tho first plan hit upon was to get Mr. .Marcum .Mar-cum to come to town to writo an affidavit for Mose. Moso was to como for him, bring a gun about half way and leave It, got Mr. Marcum, Mar-cum, como on to town, transact his business and Moso was to go as far as the gun was hid, and as Mr. Marcum passed, to pick up tho gun and shoot Mr. Marcum in tho back. Uut instead of doing as he was told to do, ho brought the gun on to tho house, told Mr. Marcum Mar-cum all about the plan and then went back and told his employers he could not got Mr. Marcum to come. On tho Cth of Juno Mr. Marcum Intended to leave homo on tho early train, but waa warned by Moso not to go, as a plot had been laid to kill him as ho passed out at tho rront gato at homo. Tho plan was for Moso Feltner and two others to place themselves In a rock quarry, which was Just beyond our houso, ana . shoot Mr. Marcum as ho mado his appearance. Thcso mon were seen thoro and recognized. Mr. Marcum did not leave homo that morning. morn-ing. Tho next day, Mose and another man wero sent back In tho neighborhood of our houso to kill Mr. Marcum ao ho camo up tho hill to dinner. Bolng warned, ho did not go homo to dlnnor, but stayod in town. After that It was not a question of woekH that plots woro laid to kill my husband, but It was day after day. Moso told us of thorn, and they wero substantiated by others. ThoHo plots woro laid In tho Hargls storo and woro mado from day to day during tho famous Juno term of court, as It Is called. Along toward tho closo of court Moso told him of a plot to kill him on tho last day of court oa ho was leaving leav-ing tho courtroom. 1 Mr. Maroum wont to each and every member mem-ber of tho bar and asked them when they thought court would adjourn, and they all toW ' him not before tho laBt of tho weolf, ns casoa i hod been set for trial up to that -tlm. wWf About 10 o'clock on Tuesday, tho day Mose said court would adjourn, Anno White, a brother of Tom Whlto, camo to Mr. Marcum and told -him tho samo thing Moso had told him that as soon nn court adjourned, If ho was In town, ho would surely be killed. During tho court Mr. Maroum had an engagement en-gagement to tako a deposition at Indlun Fields. Ho was to depart on Friday morning, so on Thursday aftomoon he camo to tho Arlington Hotel to stay all night, row across tho river to a cut-oft and tako tho train the next morning. morn-ing. Tha gang found out that ho Intended going, so thoy placod four men at tho dopot, two at the cut-off and two at tho first Btatlon below thoro to kill him, Being warned, ho did not go, but stayed at the hotel for a day or two. On Saturday ho asked mo to bring our baby to tho hotel, and I did eo, In -the aftornooo when I wont to tho hotel Mr, Marcum told me he was going homo with mo and tho children when ho wont. I tried to got him not to go, nn I was afraid ho might bo killed before wo got thero, but ho porslstcd In going, so wo pnraod up Main street In front of tho Hargls store, all unconsolous of danger. We had not been homo but a llttlo whllo until wo wero told of a man being at an upstairs up-stairs window In tho Ilnrgla storo with a shotgun shot-gun to kill him as ho passed. After wo had got beyond the range of this gunman and no shot waH fired two men wont upstairs ond jiHkod why ho didn't Bhoot. The man told (hem he couldn't kill Mr, Maroum without killing kill-ing tho baby. This man told them ho was only hired to kill Mr. Marcum and not. tho womon and children, that If thoy hnd glvon him a rlllo as he wanted them to, ho could have shev Mr. Marcum through the head wiinout hitting tho baby. After the court was over I got Mr. Marcum to leave for awhile, He was In and out for the noxt month or two, and every timo ho camo a plot was laid to put him out of tho way, but ho was always warned In tlmo to got out of tho way. Finally, In August, I got him to agreo to go West. Whllo ho was away I sold our homo to J, J, C, Bach and moved to a llttlo cottago-on Jdaln street, .WJiUfl ilaroum Mose Feltner was In the West I kept him posted as to what tho gang was doing, and begged him to never como back to Jackson. He wrote me to so Judge Rcdwlne and sec If ho could havo all his cases passed. Judge Rcdwlno told me he had llfty or sixty murder cases ( on the docket, and he wanted to clean tho docket up. I told him Mr Marcum had only one murder case and that was Moso Fcltner's. He couldn't give mo assurance that the cases would bo passed as I had asked, so Mr. Marcum decided to como back to Jackson and look after his business. He decided It would be safe for him to stay at home and got somo lawyer to go to tho Courthouse Court-house and look after his cases as they wero called. So In the latter part of October he come homo over my protest to stay till court was over. Protection Denied. Mose then came to our house to havo Mr. Marcum get his case ready for trial. When court convened, Muho's case was set for Friday nnd Mr. Marcum had previously received a warning that he and Moso would bo killed when they appeared on tho streets that day. So on Thursday afternoon, I went to Judge nedwlne and told him these facts and asked protection for Mr. Marcum and Mose, and he told mo thero was no danger. I told him of the plan that he was to be killed as he came on the street next dop, and asked him not to have them to come. Mose became alarmed, and, thinking his life was In danger, ho left our houso Thursday night after dark. When tho caso was called Friday morning, Mose's bond was declared forfeited and the sheriff was sent to our houso to arrest Moso and bring him into court. When they came, Moso wasn't there, 00 that night they placed four men in the neighborhood of our home to watch it. Early tho noxt morning, morn-ing, old man if. C. Bailey saw thoso four men with tholr guns and aokod them "what It meant, and they told him that they had boon watching Jim Marcum's house. Ho wantod to know what Jim Marcum had done, If ho had killed anybody, any-body, stole anything or molested anybody In any way. They told him ho hadn't, but that he was harboring Moso Feltner and that they wore going to see that neither ono of them got away. Publishes Affidavit. After Mr. Maroum found out ho could got no protection from tho officers of tho county, he docldcd to havo Moso Fcltncr'B and his own affidavit affi-davit published, so as to let tho outsldo world know all theso facts, In tho hopo that It would save his life. Circuit Court was going on at tho lime. Jim Hargls had tho grand Jury recalled and had Mr, Marcum and tho Morning Horald of Lexington Indicted for criminal libel. On tho morning of tho Hth of November. 1902, a frlond camo to our home with a lottcr from a man who llvod about ton miles In the country, Haying a plan" had boon laid a day or so before In which two mon woro to bo placod In a room Just across from us, In which tho windows were to bo ralsod at tho bottom and tho curtains cur-tains lowered, and they woro to shoot him as ho stepped out on tho front. As the man came before day on that morning, Just a3 noon as It got light enough Mr. Marcum or I watched continuously to nee what would happon. About 10 o'clock two mon camo out of tho house, and Mr. Marcum called my attention to thorn. They passed on down tho strcot to Hargls store, i On the 2fth day of Novembor I got Mr. Marcum Mar-cum to leavo home again. Ho went to Mount Sterling to spend Thanksgiving with his two oldost children, who wero away from homo at school. .(The contest caBas were Bet for December 6, 1902. Judge Cooper of Mount Sterling was ap. ' pointed to try the cases. Mr Marcum, while : in Mount Sterling, told Judge Cooper all the, facts and circumstances, and that he was afraid, to attend tho court, and Judge Coopor assured ; him that ho would be protected If It took all th militia in tho state to do so. On the night of' December 3 or -1, Curt Jett escaped JalL Tricky ; Tom Thorp was tried for aiding him In getting away, and Curt refused to testify against hlra ' nnd wan fined $30 for contempt and thirty dayi i In Jail Mr. Marcum's caso was set for trial at '. the March term of court, 1903. On Decembif!' 24 wo moved from Main street to down In a lit--, Uo cottage In tho lower part of town on tht( river hank, and from that day until his trial 1 wa3 called In March ho was never on Mala; street In Jackson any more, That morning In March, as wo started up it street to the Courthouse, Judge Blanton called t Mr. Marcum on one side and told him to U) careful; that thoro was liable to be trouble la town that day and that thoro was a maa la,: town who had not boon there for a year be-f fore, and that everything looked suspicions.; When the case was called ho was given aj change of venuo, and the caso was sent to Salycrsvlllo and set for May 11, 1903. On tho Saturday boforo Mr. Marcum irai';1 killed thero was a convention at tho Courthouse.' Mr. Marcum was there and thero was a plan, laid to kill him then, but he got out of the way' In time. On Sunday afternoon ho went to stt his sister and three men surrounded the hous but friends Interfered nnd got them to go away: and Mr. Marcum was permitted to come honu onco more. On tho next morning, Monday,' tho day he was killed, he meant to go to Lew lngton to rent us a houso to move there, but' decided ho would wait until Tuesday mornlnj and go. I told him I was afraid ho was golcj to do like Jim Cockrlll stay In lown one faf, too lato. We discussed the matter thoroughly;: and he told mo what I must do In C3je any; thing happened to him. About 7:30 he left home to go up to his offlcij, to finish up some business ho had there, and; It was necessary for him to go to the clcrk'l . office, and it was whllo there a final warclaij J cam that he was going to be killed that tliy, nnd the man had seen him In the Courtho'JH; J door ond called to him and told him that tij j wanted to seo him. Mr. Marcum told him tbitj J he would bo thoro In three minutes, but before the three minutes wns up, two gunmen bil; C dene their deadly work. I afterward asked the party how they knej li that Mr. Marcum was going to bo killed oa;. I that day, and they said tho day before thrrt' men had gono to Brock Combs' blind tiger J, P tho mouth of Quicksand for some whisky at Jt whllo there they discussed this plan freeJ. ft among themselves, nnd Mr. Marcum had oci; friend In the crowd" who did not want hb; killed, and so ho sent the wnrnlng. ll Curt Jett had, previous to tho assassination Cj- hi my husband, boon Indicted for mlsdcmeanorff and spent a great deal of his tlmo in Jail. So& of tho charges are these: On tho 9th day lj March, 1900, vena tried for malicious cuttutf, and wounding, otc, ll. P. Stevens, and the Jutf! 'fa returned at verdict and fixed his punlshmeaW j at a flno of ?200 and six months In Jail. He p pardoned by Gov. Backham beforo ho serve4; 0j his timo out. For mallolous shooting aniJi J wounding, vjlh Intent to kill, Bob Thomas, trW; jjj oot for tho 7th day of March, 1902, caso ftl; away, defendant discharged. For detaining : g woman against her will, Lola Llttlo, or LtJ; Williams, March 8. 1902, caso filed away ar'(!j defendant dlBchargod. Also for escaping lawful custody, not guilty. Also for detalaWj a woman against hor will, Jury returned VCIct'' tSi of not guilty. On tho 13th day of March. 1; Curt Jott was committed to tho Comity Jail fy contompt, fined ?30 and thirty days In Jail. w May 7. 190H, disturbing religious worship, guilty. ; Convicted and Pardoned. ( ijj Tom Whlto had been convicted of volun; jh manslaughter, and was pardoned while ho w; jj under Indictment on a chargo of murder ; another caco, and ho camo back and i cj promptly tried and acquitted. Jott and s were torrors to tho community all tho time tn fc were at largo and thoy woro released from Pu; rfc ishment for various crimes only to again a2 J fj the people. J Curt Jett Is now serving a double life ji tence, both crimes assassination, and was on ; condemned to death, but was granted a J1!' Irlol. A hung jury resulted In one 0 his trw 1 Forty-seven good citizens of other cun have said that ho Is guilty. 0110 of his f0!'-l trials resulting In a hung Jury, ono man M Ing tha Jury. ' sP |
